The Folland Gnat was a small, swept-wing British subsonic jet trainer and light fighter, the pic (below) taken at the 1957 Paris Air Show. It was developed by Folland for the RAF, and flown extensively under licence by the Indian Air Force. The design was simplified, allowing for construction by countries without a highly specialised industrial base.
Thanks to Steven Dawson for the YouTube video (below) of the existing new-tool 1:72 Airfix Gnat, itself a vast improvement over the old offering. Do look at the excellent job he’s made of the finished kit - day-glo red was always a favourite finish of mine.
One thing we hope that the big new kit will bring from the 1:72 scale version is the one-piece moulding for the upper and lower wing halves, allowing an exactly-even anhedral to be achieved without a hitch.
One thing we hope that the big new kit will bring from the 1:72 scale version is the one-piece moulding for the upper and lower wing halves, allowing an exactly-even anhedral to be achieved without a hitch.
For a change in markings, you could try the blue-grey scheme (below) as used by US display pilot Steve Rosenberg on his privately-owned ex-Red Arrows machine.
Scale Stats
Scale: 1:48
Assembled length: 232mm (in)
Wingspan: 253mm (in)
Components: 92
Airfix Folland Gnat here.
Airfix Gloster Javelin here.