Aeroplane Photographic Archive

FOLLAND GNAT
With the Gnat (and even more diminutive Midge) the subjects of this month's Aeroplane magazine Database, the distinctive lines of W.E.W. “Teddy” Petter's design make an appearance as Photo of the Month, with a classic “two-ship” put up for The Aeroplane's camera during the 1959 SBAC show. The aircraft depicted are the first prototype two-seat Gnat Trainer, XM691, and XN326, last of the seven Gnat F.1 single-seaters ordered by the Ministry of Supply. In fact, XN326 had been diverted from a Finnish order as an attrition replacement and, following the Farnborough display, would later serve with Finland's Ilmavoimat as a camera-equipped FR.1. First of the development batch for what would become the Gnat T.1 in RAF service, XM691 had made its first flight just days before the SBAC display, on August 31. At this stage the aircraft retained the original nose profile, without the light.

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