How many Gnats left flying

Sorry -slip of the keyboard!-should be XM691-!

Donal Campbell purchased and cannibalised XM691 to repair and upgrade Bluebird K7 when the aircraft was disposed of by the Ministry of Supply-(The Aircraft was never in RAF service)-using the engine, tail,and braking system altered to provide a waterbrake to slow K7 on completion of speed runs, the ejector seat from 691 was not fitted due to K7’s very cramped cockpit and canopy design-pity,it was the one item that would have saved Donalds life-

XM693 is mounted on a pole at Aerostructures Hamble, the site of the old Folland works.

Sorry -slip of the keyboard!-should be XM691-!

Just visited Front Range Airport, CO

there is more here than meets the eye!

Gnat’s
XR951 fuselage on jig – used as static frame in Hot Shots
XP541 – fuselage plus tail – used in Hot Shots
XR993/N3XR – only very small pieces left, and I mean small – crashed on the way to filming Hot Shots
XR998 – complete on jig
XS109 – complete on jig
XS513/N513X – tail in one hangar – fuselage in another – flyable

JP’s
XW334/N334XW/18
XW373/N373XW/11
XW332/N332RC/34

Pembrook – XF799/N4273C
A4 – 148600
CT133 – cockpit only – unidentified

this is certainly the Gnat hotbed of the USA – there are also countless spares – engines, wings etc.
XS513 is only visiting to have work done.

there is also another Gnat at Jeffco Airfield, CO

I have photos of all the above and will post when I get time to download and sort then out in a couple of days.

Hope this all helps someone!

I was so impressed with the knowledge and passion of this place that I’ll be helping out around the place when time permits – nice to see aircraft being taken care of and kept for future possible flyable use.

RRW, he certainly was a racing driver and also owned the Lightnings that used to be at Cranfield. Wealthy man I guess.

Hi all, just wondering what is happening to this Gnat G-BVPP?

James

Thank you for the Information

James

Not true at all…

Not quite true! XR537 only served with the Red Arrows during the last two seasons, 1978-79, during which time she had ‘ROYAL AIR FORCE’ in large bold lettering on the nose. Prior to that she was with 4 FTS at Valley, during the period that the Red Arrows Gnats wore the nose ‘lightning flash’, which was 1968-1977. I was consulted by the owners and we decided that this scheme was the longest-lived and best well known, so here you have it.

The above statement, about XR537 only serving between 78-79, is actually inaccurate.

537 was actually transferred to the Reds in Aug 1975 and served as one of the spare aircraft. During 1976, she was used by Red 10 as the spare ‘transit’ aircraft on many occasions, and used by the leader Dickie Duckett on more than one actual public display in the Red 1 kite position.

We have the actual log book confirmations from those very pilots themselves.

She was also photographed in Red 1 position during an Arthur Gibson air-to-air photo shoot, and these photos were subsequently used in the Official Red Arrows brochures of 1977. The images were also printed in the 25th Anniversary book, again showing 537 in Red 1 position.

Following the wind-down of Gnats in 1979, she was transferred to become a maintainance airframe and taxying practice jet, hence her relatively well-kept condition.

Finally, despite all the doubters, she WILL be flying again.

One of her proudest moments as Red 1’s kite…

and now the close up… in case you can’t see the markings in that picture…

The former G-GNAT owned by Arnold Glass has just been exported to Australia, so that’s 5 airworthy.
M

I seem to recall an Arnold Glass racing a McLaren MP4 in the 1980’s in UK club racing – am I mistaken?

Does anyone know what the plans are for G-NAAT XM697, its at Exeter i believe, this use to be the Gnat at my Air Cadet Squadron in Woking, it was complete with working Electrics and very well looked after, had many a time sat in the cockpit with the Instructors, from the photos i have seen it looks far worse off now, should have left it with the ATC.

NATY will remain at Hurn I suspect.
The UK has…

– ‘XS111’ (Kennet Aviation)
– XS104 (c/o Kennet)
– XR538 (Private North Weald)
– ‘XR991’ (Delta Jets)

Hi thank you for the info hope more Gnats will fly from the UK in the future

James

NATY will remain at Hurn I suspect.
The UK has…

– ‘XS111’ (Kennet Aviation)
– XS104 (c/o Kennet)
– XR538 (Private North Weald)
– ‘XR991’ (Delta Jets)

Seemingly G-NATY moves ever closer to ‘first-flight’, with more engine tests.
Photo taken this week at Bournemouth, by (I think) Firebird, and first posted on PPRuNe.

Cool will it be based at BOH?
and how many Gnats are there airworthly in the UK

James

Cracking pics of a cracking little machine. I liked the novel idea of weight saving (don’t bother with airbrakes and the associated plumbing just open the main u/c doors.)

ok

Front Range, CO

3 x Gnats plus a couple of hulks
1 x Pembrooke
1 X JP

and they have just purchased 10 x JP5’s

Last time I passed Front Range Airport a year ago there were certainly 2 of the Gnats listed as Colorado at the airfieild.

Also a Pembrooke as well!

I must take a trip up there to see if they are still around – and get some photos for you.

She’s just undergone an re-paint into the accurate Reds scheme she wore while on the team in the late ’70’s,

Not quite true! XR537 only served with the Red Arrows during the last two seasons, 1978-79, during which time she had ‘ROYAL AIR FORCE’ in large bold lettering on the nose. Prior to that she was with 4 FTS at Valley, during the period that the Red Arrows Gnats wore the nose ‘lightning flash’, which was 1968-1977. I was consulted by the owners and we decided that this scheme was the longest-lived and best well known, so here you have it.

Did I imagine it, or was it called the “Phallus” in the film?

Don’t know what version you saw, but could swear it was called the Oscar when I saw it!

Seemingly G-NATY moves ever closer to ‘first-flight’, with more engine tests.
Photo taken this week at Bournemouth, by (I think) Firebird, and first posted on PPRuNe.

A little off topic, but there were a few Gnats used in the movie spoof “Hot Shots!”, which starred Charlie Sheen.Daz

Did I imagine it, or was it called the “Phallus” in the film?

Well, nearly 3 years on from that statement, it looks like G-NATY is about to take to the air again soon.
She’s just undergone an re-paint into accurate the accurate Reds scheme she wore while on the team in the late ’70’s, and I believe was due for engine and runway taxy tests this week.

This photo was taken recently after she came out of the paint shop a few weeks ago.

Actually I am involved with G-NATY, which is due to be flown very soon, after Christmas some time. Only this one and XR977 at Cosford are genuine Red Arrows machines, although G-NATY(XR537) didn’t actually join the team until 1978 so did not wear this lightning flash, but only the ‘ROYAL AIR FORCE’ nose lettering in which it was withdrawn. However, it was decided to put the lightning flash on it as the most well-known scheme that the team wore during 1968-77.