Jet trainer to become outdoor showpiece

The latest addition to the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum is Folland Gnat T1 XR571 which was acquired during an online MoD auction, handled by Agility Defense & Government Services on 3 February.

The trainer, which is currently painted in spurious Red Arrows aerobatic team colours, completes a line-up of three aircraft in the museum’s collection designed by ‘Teddy’ Petter: a Westland Lysander (a very convincing feature film replica), English Electric Lightning F53 ZF578, and a Canberra B2 nose section. It also complements the museum’s other RAF jet trainer, de Havilland Vampire T11 XH313, which is nearing completion of a lengthy restoration.

XR571 never operated with the Red Arrows, but after its first flight in 1963 served with No 4 Flying Training School at Valley for 12 years until it was retired in 1975 following a heavy landing. The aircraft was flown in the mid-1960s on two occasions by the museum’s former chairman, the late Gp Capt David Baron OBE, when he was an instructor with the unit. Since 1979, when it was moved from the gate at Brampton to Kemble, XR571 has been preserved at the Red Arrows’ various home bases, latterly being kept in the RAF Scampton Heritage Centre, but upon Scampton’s recent closure it was earmarked for disposal.

The Gnat is expected to arrive at Tangmere on a low-loader after museum hours on 1 March. The aircraft will have some initial work done on it to make it mobile and then be moved into its work bay — still outdoors — for more extensive work. The eventual aim is to place it in a prominent position in the museum car park, opposite the entrance, where it will be a spectacular first exhibit that visitors see when entering the site.