The RAF's Gnat T.1 a real 'Hot Ship'

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.

Our subject for this week's edition of Workbench is our scale model kit homage to a diminutive little jet trainer which started life as a lightweight fighter concept, a tiny little jet which was actually smaller in wingspan than a Spitfire and just about the same size in length, the striking and incredibly attractive Folland Gnat T.1. As we welcome our 1/72nd scale version of this beautiful little aircraft back into the latest Airfix range, we take this opportunity to re-visit an aviation subject which will be familiar to millions of people, although they might not initially realise the fact - we are talking about those readers who visited one of the many Airshows held in the UK during the mid 1960s and entire 1970s. As the world famous Red Arrows embark on what is currently their 59th display season, the aircraft type in which they made their very first display back in 1964 was the Folland Gnat T.1, with the Gnat staying with the team until the end of the 1979 season.

As the star of many an Airshow event during that period, the Gnat's association with The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows helped to make this one of the most famous aircraft in the world at that time, with its legendary performance and manoeuvrability thrilling everyone fortunate enough to have ever enjoyed one of their displays. Having said that, even a Red Arrows pilot has to start somewhere and our review of this beautiful little kit features the two distinctly different livery options included with this kit, first, the classic RAF Flying Training School colours which most, if not all Red Arrows pilots would have spent time in at the start of their flying careers, with the second being a little more fanciful and the star of the big screen.

Big in performance if not in stature, join us as we take a look at one of the classic British jet aircraft of the post war era, one which proved that bigger wasn't always better.

The Folland Fun Machine

Small but perfectly formed, the Folland Gnat served the RAF with distinction as their advanced jet trainer and also became one of the most famous aircraft in the world as the mount of the Red Arrows.

In the years which followed the end of the Second World War and with aviation in the grip of a jet powered revolution, it seemed as if the search for ever greater speed was producing a new breed of larger aircraft types, even those which were intended to perform the fighter/air defence role. Even though the majority of the world's aircraft designers appeared to be following this development path and having himself been previously involved in the development of both the Canberra and Lighting, when talented aircraft designer William 'Teddy' Petter subsequently joined the Folland Aircraft company, he immediately started work on a series of lightweight fighter designs, in response to a perceived RAF requirement for such an aircraft, to meet the growing threat from the Soviet Union.

The aircraft we now know as the Gnat T.1 can trace it lineage back to this time and the development as a cost effective, lightweight high performance fighter/ground attack aircraft, which Petter and his Folland team felt was a concept which would be of interest not only to the Royal Air Force, but potentially also to many of the world’s modernising air forces. His thinking was that rather than equipping air forces with ever larger, ever more complex and ever more expensive aircraft, surely a highly manoeuvrable and effective type which was intentionally less complex and had low production and operating costs would provide its parent air force with a much more operationally appealing aircraft option.

Despite his resultant design possessing outstanding flight performance and showing great promise in both the light fighter and ground attack roles, the British Government decided not to pursue this line of development, however, instead requested the aircraft be further developed as an advanced two-seat training aircraft, a type which they most certainly had a requirement for. Such a radical change in role posed the design team at Folland with some significant challenges and result in the new aircraft being very different from the original fighter aircraft they had produced, nevertheless, they set about their work. The new training variant would require a redesigned, lengthened fuselage to allow for the installation of a second seat and more powerful engine, a feature which would itself necessitate further fuselage modifications. A new wing configuration and redesigned tail unit would also feature on their new training aircraft, which would be christened the Gnat.

How things change. Only the second release in this kit guise, it's interesting to see how the branding presentation has changed between the two range inclusions of this Gnat. This first box presentation is the current incarnation, with the one below being the original - which one do you prefer?

The first production Gnat T.1 trainers for the Royal Air Force were delivered to the Central Flying School at Little Rissington in early 1962, but it would be No.4 Flying Training School at RAF Valley who would take the honour of being the major operator of this beautiful aeroplane in its advanced jet pilot training role. With the RAF now operating an 'all jet' training programme, once they had safely negotiated the ab initio and basic flight training phases, it was on to the jets, first in the Jet Provost and if successful, on to No.4 Flying Training School at RAF Valley and the exciting prospect of flying the diminutive Folland Gnat, a pocket rocket of an aeroplane, if ever there was such a thing. 

Scheme A - Folland Gnat T.1, XS100 ‘57’, No.4 Flying Training School, Royal Air Force Valley, Anglesey, Wales, 1970.

Introduction not necessary, this stunning artwork effectively illustrates why a career in the RAF is such an appealing option for large sections of the population.

For student pilots making their first flight in the Folland Gnat, the experience must have been unforgettable and a little daunting at the same time. Having safely negotiated basic flight training in the steady and reliable Jet Provost, the Gnat must have seemed like something entirely different, real flying in a real performance aeroplane, just what they had joined the air force to do. Likened by many as something of a pocket rocket, the Gnat was a delight to fly, fast and manoeuvrable and the ideal aircraft for future fast jet pilots to gain their first taste of real speed. With power to spare, the relatively small Gnat was able to climb like a rocket, and once a student asked his mount to go, it didn't need telling twice - it must have been exhilarating!

The rather cramped cockpit must have felt somewhat reassuring for the student pilot, almost as if they had strapped the aircraft on in preparation for their latest flight, however, the diminutive stature of the Gnat also posed some distinct drawbacks in operation. Although it must have been thrilling for the student, in the rear seat, the instructor was having a very different experience, having to perform his role in an extremely cramped environment, with very poor forward visibility, which would have been a significant drawback during critical phases of flight. It was also quickly found that taller and slightly bigger pilots found it difficult to fit in the Gnat and even worse than this, if they were forced to eject for any reason, there was the real chance that they could sustain severe injuries due to the angle of ejection and cockpit fixtures. Although this did see some taller pilots transferring to other aircraft in order to continue their training, pilots who were well over 6ft tall did fly the Gnat without too many problems.

Full profile and scheme artwork details for Folland Gnat XS100 wearing her iconic RAF No.4 FTS livery.

From an engineering perspective, although the Gnat was an extremely pleasing aeroplane to look at, it must have been a nightmare to work on. Everything was crammed into such a small airframe and with space at such a premium, a high degree of dexterity and even the ability to contort your body must have been prerequisites for the ground trades at RAF Valley. Despite this, the Gnat proved to be a successful training aeroplane, serving for 16 years with No.4 FTS at RAF Valley and the mount of both the Yellowjacks and Red Arrows aerobatic display teams during their high profile service life. 

The box artwork which graces this release could hardly be more evocative and features two No.4 Flying Training School Gnat T.1s in the skies high above Anglesey in what must have been a memorable playground for student pilots of the day, an image which really captures the imagination of the rest of us who dreamt of becoming a pilot. Wearing what has to be considered the definitive livery for RAF training aircraft, it shows Gnat T.1 XS100 in company with a second aircraft being put through their paces on their latest training sortie, effectively portraying the Hot Ship reputation the Gnat enjoyed. 

Constructed in 1964, Gnat T.1 XS100 spent time in storage at a number of sites around the UK following its withdrawal from RAF service but was ultimately dismantled and destined for something of an unusual future. After many years of outdoor storage, the rear fuselage from the instructor’s cockpit position backwards is still thought to be stored at North Weald, an airfield which has become famous with its recent links to airworthy examples of the Gnat. The nose and front seat of XS100 have been tastefully restored and is now located inside the offices of an interior design studio in London.

Scheme B - Oscar EW-5894 Fallus tactical fighter bomber, USS Essess, Mediterranean/Gulf, 1991.

Undoubtedly, the association which made the Gnat T.1 arguably one of the most famous aircraft in the world in the fifteen years from 1964 was its use by the RAF Aerobatic Team the Red Arrows, with the team using the Gnat to perform 1,292 shows all over the world, thrilling crowds with their precision formation flying and dynamic opposition passes. In actual fact, the Gnat's association with RAF display teams started prior to the formation of the Red Arrows and in a very different colour - yellow!

As the Folland Gnat entered squadron service, the Royal Air Force were keen to display the many qualities of their new trainer to the huge audiences at the Farnborough Air Show and to that end, several instructors at RAF Valley thought they had just the thing. With many RAF stations boasting a solo display aircraft, instructors at No.4 Flying Training School had the idea of forming a display team consisting of five aircraft (two either side of the leader) and as the project began to gain some momentum, it was decided that the aircraft should be painted in an unusual colour scheme, so they stood out when displaying in the sky. Forming unofficially during 1963, the team began training in the skies above RAF Valley, immediately attracting the attention of the local population.

It's written in aviation folklore that a local newspaper reporter had seen the aircraft displaying over the airfield and made an official request to watch the team practicing from the lofty vantage point of Valley’s control tower. This was granted and whilst he was marvelling at the precision flying he was seeing, he overheard the radio communications of the leader calling the team into a break to land – using the team’s callsign, the reporter heard ‘Yellowjacks Break’, something he would later use in his newspaper article. As this seemed to be an entirely appropriate name for the team, it naturally stuck and the ‘Yellowjacks’ were born.

As information about the team quickly began to circulate, the roads around RAF Valley soon became clogged with locals and holidaymakers desperate to catch a glimpse of this exciting new aerobatic display team and their brightly coloured aircraft, as they continued to perfect their routine. Indeed, the situation became so concerning that the local council constructed a dedicated viewing area to accommodate at least some of the extra visitors, an area which is still in use to this day, as the home of the Valley Aviation Society. 

The rather unusual scheme details offered by the second decal option included with this lovely little kit.

The colour used to paint the jets was extremely popular with enthusiasts, particularly as the jets looked absolutely stunning against a clear blue sky, especially whilst streaming their white smoke. Unfortunately, was quickly discovered that the Gnats were much less visible on grey and overcast days, which would be quite a significant problem considering the delights of the good old British weather, however, a team colour change was just around the corner.

With quite a number of different RAF display teams now on the circuit, service officials became increasingly concerned that individual units were spending too much time on unofficial flying activities, with the sheer number of teams also becoming the cause of a little confusion amongst the general public. Wishing to regain some central control of this situation, but also wanting to maintain the undoubted public popularity of the new ‘Yellowjacks’ team, the yellow Gnats were ordered down to Little Rissington at the end of the 1964 display season, where they would go on to form the nucleus of a new, official RAF Aerobatic Display Team, utilising the undoubted qualities of the Folland Gnat, a team which would go by the name of The Red Arrows.

The Gnat would relinquish its role as the RAF's main fast jet trainer from 1978, with many of these little jets going on to find homes performing various ground based roles in the years which followed, because let's face it, you didn't need too much space to be able to offer a home to a Gnat. More recently, underlining Teddy Petter's original concept for the aircraft and the production of an easy to maintain and operate high performance jet, the Gnat also became a popular subject with civilian owners who were looking to spend time in an aeroplane that was just that little bit more exciting.

The new Gnat box lid in all its glory, keep an eye out for this one because its in the shops now!

The Gnat would also find its way onto the big screen, with at least four aircraft used during the production of a movie from which this particular scheme was taken, but with only two in the air at any one time. For this rather 'special' second scheme option, the diminutive Folland Gnat is presented in an attractive pseudo US Navy Ghost Grey finish, colours which could hardly be more different from the classic RAF training scheme the aircraft is more usually associated with. Many Workbench readers and Folland Gnat fans will probably be familiar with the origins of this unusual scheme, one which is being included in an Airfix Gnat release for just the first time, following the recent reissue of this lovely little kit.

We are delighted to confirm that this new 1/72nd scale Folland Gnat T.1 kit is available now and is an ideal way in which to use up all those accumulated Hobby Reward points!

We are afraid that's all we have for you in this latest edition, but we will be back next Friday with more project development updates and the very latest Airfix kit exclusives. In the meantime, we are always keen to hear your views on all things Airfix and in particular, any thoughts and opinions you may have regarding our Workbench blog. If you would like to drop us a quick line, could we please ask that you use our workbench@airfix.com email for all correspondence. 

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