Mr Petter's Baby Jet - The Folland Gnat
 

Having seen the interest (not to mention thread drift!) on the F-104 thread, regarding the Folland Gnat, I would like to launch this thread, dedicated to my first 'real' aeroplane as a rigger youth at 4FTS in the early '70s.

I'm sure many pilots/groundcrew out there have recollections to share about this demanding jet!

HB

The Gnat gave me three of the most cheerful years of my time in the RAF. Improved my flying a lot, too.:ok::ok::ok:

I was lucky enough to fly the Gnat in 1966. I also instructed on Hawk in the 80s. Chalk & cheese.

Sharpend - 22 Course or 23 Course? I was 22

Much loved in the IAF (and by the general public) after its performance in the '71 war, earning it the nickname 'Sabre Killer'. My great uncle retired a year before it was inducted in the IAF. He told me his single biggest regret was not having flown it.

'Twas always said you don't strap into one, you 'put it on'.:) (and it always fitted so beautifully).

Halton Brat, just type 'Gnat' into the advanced search option and you'll find plenty of tales of the Folland Pocket Rocket!

Don't forget that well-known Ynys Mon firm of solicitors - Speed, Trim and Unlock.

I'm convinced that the chap who designed the Gnat's longitudinal control system knew he was going to be fired, so decided to get his own back by designing a system of such fiendish complexity.

http://pittenweem.co.uk/weexp506a.jpg

Some of my best memories of being in the RAF are associated with this aircraft.

http://pittenweem.co.uk/southstack1.jpg

http://pittenweem.co.uk/gnatline.jpg

http://pittenweem.co.uk/gnat47.jpg


http://pittenweem.co.uk/5.jpg

BEagle

Thanks for the tip - doesn't XR538 look fantastic! Great paint job.
Oh dear, seem to have a speck of dust in my eye..........

HB

Flew them as a stude in '66 on 25 course and then QFI on them from 73 - 77. An ideal aircraft to learn about swept wing handling characteristics but remember spending an awful lot of time practising flying in manual reversion mode in case of an hydraulic failure which I didn't suffer in 1300+ hours on the pocket rocket.

any truth in the rumour that there was a suggested swing-wing version? Allegedly drafted by Barnes Wallis? Or is that total rubbish?

James D

The machine you are referring to was, of course, the Mk2 Wiggins Aerodyne.

HB

thanks
that explains the confusion

the Gnat - best fun I ever had with my clothes on

When I was a Hawk tech instructor in 4FTS Ground School ('83-85), the DCGI (Flt Lt Tony D-----) related an incident to me of his early days on the Gnat as a QFI. I can't remember the precise details, but he ended up at night circling overhead the Menai Straits with the stick planted hard in the dashboard, due to some bizarre configuration he had got himself into with his pitch controls. An emotional radio chat with the Duty Instructor in Valley ATC resolved the issue, fortunately.

Any opinions on the likely cause?

Are you out there, Tony D?

HB

If you mean Tony D**le yes he is - I had a beer and lunch in a pub with him a couple of years ago. I had a great time instructing at Valley (64 - 66). Loads of aircraft, 3 students and no poxy secondary duties! I got 440 hours in one 12 month period, basically 50 minute sorties, and I was beaten by the late Bruce Latton. I have lost touch with my main students Marcus Wills, "Taff" Hughes and Tony Ellender. Any ideas anybody?

Cocked up STUPRECC drill with a simulated HYD fail? Use an excessive nose up TPI value and you'd probably run out of 'unlock' elevators to maintain level flight as speed increased? In the early days, the Gnat didn't have a feel trim gauge, so setting the correct tailplane and feel trim position values would have been much more difficult - you had about 30 sec before the TPI froze, after which you could only move it nose-up from the failure point using standby trim.

Slow down until the stick was 'load free central', reselect the HYD power cock ON, relock the elevators and it should be OK?

Please would a Gnat QFI comment - I was a mere struggling student! But I'd been advised that it was vital to understand the longitudinal control system fully and to know the STUPRECC drill so that you could recite it word perfect at any time of day or night. Screw it up and at best you'd have to eject......

I'm sure I remember someone from that era telling me that the Lightning was a good lead-in trainer for the Gnat...

Much as an ETPS preview assessment student concluded about the C130 being a good lead-in trainer for the worthless Jetstream!

Wander00

I started in June 66. Think it must have been 25 course?