Royal Air Force Indian Air Force Finnish Air Force
Number built
449 (including HAL Ajeet)
Developed from
Folland Midge
Variants
HAL Ajeet
The Folland Gnat is a British compact swept-wing subsonic fighter aircraft that was developed and produced by Folland Aircraft. Envisioned as an affordable light fighter in contrast to the rising cost and size of typical combat aircraft, it was procured as a trainer aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as well as by export customers, who used the Gnat in both combat and training capacities.
Designed by W. E. W. Petter, the Gnat has its origins in the preceding private venture Folland Midge. The issuing of Operational Requirement OR.303 by the British Air Ministry served to motivate the type's development; the Gnat was later submitted to meet this requirement. Its design allowed for its construction and maintenance tasks to be carried out without specialised tools, making it suitable for use in countries that had not yet become highly industrialised.[1][2] The Gnat has been viewed as a major motivating factor towards the issuing of the NATO NBMR-1 requirement, which sought to make available a common strike/attack light fighter with which to equip the air forces of the various NATO members.
Although never used as a fighter by the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Gnat T.1 jet trainer variant was adopted and operated for some time. In the United Kingdom, the Gnat became well known due to its prominent use as the display aircraft of the RAF's Red Arrows aerobatic team. The Gnat F.1 was exported to Finland, Yugoslavia and India. The Indian Air Force became the largest operator and eventually manufactured the aircraft under licence. Impressed by its performance during combat, India proceeded to develop the improved HAL Ajeet, a modified variant of the Gnat. In British service, the Gnat was replaced by the Hawker Siddeley Hawk.
The FollandGnat is a British compact swept-wing subsonic fighter aircraft that was developed and produced by Folland Aircraft. Envisioned as an affordable...
Flight Tested the Folland Midge and the versions of the FollandGnat. In 1959 Folland was acquired by Hawker Siddeley who dropped the Folland name in 1963...
originally developed as a concept demonstrator for the successful FollandGnat. The Midge and Gnat were the creation of W.E.W. "Teddy" Petter, a British aircraft...
The FollandGnat was a single-seat jet fighter and training aircraft that served with the British, Finnish, Indian and Yugoslav air forces. The HAL Ajeet...
Viking aircraft used by Mohammed Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan, and a FollandGnat of the Indian Air Force, that landed in Pasroor town, Pakistan in the...
and 1991. The Ajeet is a derivative of the British FollandGnat light fighter aircraft. The Gnat, which had been procured in large numbers for the IAF...
Siddeley for various light fighter/trainer applications such as the FollandGnat and the Fiat G.91. Later, the Orpheus formed the core of the first Bristol...
"brilliance" or "excellence". Initially, they were equipped with seven FollandGnat trainers inherited from the RAF Yellowjacks display team. This aircraft...
India when he shot down a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Sabre Jet with his FollandGnat on 4 September 1965. For this action, he was awarded the Vir Chakra....
52, 60 T.55 models FollandGnat — (retired) Over 175 manufactured by HAL. HAL Ajeet —(retired) improved version of the FollandGnat , 89 manufactured by...
the air force. HAL also started developing an improved version of the FollandGnat, known as HAL Ajeet. At the same time, the IAF also started inducting...
(Air Staff Target, AST, 362) for a new fast jet trainer to replace the FollandGnat. The SEPECAT Jaguar was originally intended for this role, but it was...
Sandhu was flying the FollandGnat at that time, which was one of the latest aircraft of the Indian Air Force. Despite this, the Gnat was not armed with...
serving with the No.18 Squadron, "The Flying Bullets" of IAF, flying the FollandGnat fighter aircraft based at Srinagar. On 14 December 1971, Srinagar airfield...
Yellowjacks were a Royal Air Force aerobatic display team which flew FollandGnat trainers painted yellow. The team was formed informally in the summer...
play a major role during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965; along with the FollandGnat, the Hunter was India's primary air defence fighter, and regularly engaged...
provided support to the Pakistani ground units. A detachment of four FollandGnats was moved to Dum Dum (Kolkata Airport) from its parent base at Kalaikunda...
single-engine designs. Prominent early examples include the British mid-50s FollandGnat, the American North American F-86 Sabre, Northrop F-5 and the Soviet...
of the four PAF Sabres were shot down and one damaged by the IAF's FollandGnats. On December 3, India formally declared war against Pakistan following...
Vampire in 1966 when its final role of advanced trainer was filled by the FollandGnat. The Royal Navy had also adapted the type as the Sea Vampire, a navalised...
Staff Target 362) for an advanced supersonic jet trainer to replace the FollandGnat T1 and Hawker Hunter T7, and a French requirement (the École de Combat...
Petter's Folland Midge, the precursor to the FollandGnat had made its first flight. In his book, Sky Fever, Sir Geoffrey de Havilland describes Folland as...
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