Gnat

The Folland Gnat was a lightweight, single‑engine jet trainer and light fighter developed in the United Kingdom during the early 1950s. Designed by Sir W.E.W. “Teddy” Petter at Folland Aircraft, the prototype first flew on 18 July 1955 and entered service with the Royal Air Force as the Gnat T.1 in 1959. Its compact airframe, powered by a single Armstrong Siddeley Viper centrifugal‑flow turbojet, gave the aircraft an exceptionally low operating cost and excellent maneuverability, characteristics that made it attractive for pilot training and for export to allied air forces. Key features included a short, highly swept wing, a pressurised cockpit with a simple but effective instrumentation suite, and a steel‑tubed primary structure that facilitated rapid production. The Gnat achieved fame as the basis for the celebrated Indian Air Force’s fighter variant, the HAL Ajeet, and as the iconic aircraft flown by the RAF aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, from 1965 to 1979. Its legacy endures as a pioneering example of cost‑effective jet training, influencing later designs such as the Aero L‑39 and reinforcing Folland’s reputation for innovative, economical aircraft engineering.

Folland Aircraft

Classification

Production & History

Design & Classification