Coming soon from Pen & Sword and author Ray Deacon is Folland Gnat: Red Arrow and Cold War Fighter, an illustrated and factual record of the challenges faced by William Petter, chief designer at Folland Aircraft, in gaining recognition for his cheap, lightweight fighter concept.
Petter saw the Gnat as a viable alternative to other front-line interceptors, such as the Hunter and Swift, under development in the early 1950s. He called his fighter the Gnat, although ‘pocket rocket’ became a popular alternative. Unperturbed at having failed to attract interest from the RAF or Air Ministry, Petter decided to proceed with a privately-funded prototype powered by an Armstrong-Siddeley Viper engine to prove his design’s viability. Named Midge, the aircraft made its maiden flight at Boscombe Down in August 1954 and performed well. In July of the following year, the prototype Gnat made its maiden flight powered by a more powerful Bristol Orpheus engine. The Ministry of Supply finally began to offer support, placing an order for six development Gnats for trials work, but no production orders were forthcoming. Conversely, the Indian Government was very impressed, placing orders for a batch of Gnat fighters, followed by licenced-manufacture of several hundred examples in India. The Gnat went on to serve the country well in two wars with neighbouring Pakistan. Recalled in detail are the shooting-down of a number of Pakistani F-86 Sabres by the Gnat leading to the legendary sobriquet, ‘Sabre Slayer’. At the other end of the spectrum, Finland decided to expand its air force with the purchase of a squadron of Gnat fighters. Anticipating a requirement for a Vampire T.11 replacement, Petter wasted no time in preparing designs for a tandem-seat trainer based on the Gnat fighter, his efforts being rewarded with orders for a production variant for the RAF. There are also detailed accounts of the aircraft’s impressive period displaying with the famous Yellowjacks and Red Arrows aerobatic teams.
The 240 page, hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release set for May 30.
Please Note: This post contains an Amazon affiliate link. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
