Red Arrow Gnat serials

Hi Viscount
I was just wondering if you got my emails?

Cheers
Michael

I can maybe rule out a couple of Serial numbers for the leaders aircraft in 2 years.

My Dad sat backseat in 2 Arrows shows.

9 May 1969 – Linton – XR994 Flt Lt ( Doug ? ) Smith flew the show.
18 May 1977 – Aberdeen – XR992 – Dudley Carvell flew the show.

I assume the same aircraft was assigned to a pilot/position for the entire year ?

I can also add that he flew a “test” flight on 21 July 1961 in XR537 – with Flt Lt Molloy. This is listed in his log book as ” LL Battle, Close & T/C CCTs”

On Thursday 17th May 1973 the Royal Air Force Red Arrows were actually based at Southend Airport, the RAF Red Arrows came to Southend with the nine Folland Gnats, (XP514, XP531, XR540, XR991, XR955, XR987, XS101, XS107, XS111 they are based at the airport for the duration of that years Biggin Hill Airshow, they stayed at Southend until Monday 21st May.

XR537 is still serviceable and flying. It should be attending airshows this season. Big sister XP924 will be at several airshows as well:cool:

As you can see, eight aircraft in all, usually operated as seven display aircraft plus one reserve. Date for the above was 8 August 1976

I don’t know why there’s only eight listed there but the Reds had been operating as a nine ship team long before 1976. I’m also pretty sure XR537 was the lead aircraft that year too. (1976-79).

Coincidentally, XR537 is still airworthy and I’ve seen it flying around these parts just recently. Still sporting it’s glorious Red Arrows scheme as well. 🙂

The exhibition flight used to tout XM693 around the country in the mid-70s. It was displayed at one time in a car showroom in Worcester.

Thanks for that Doc, nice to know we’re both still tearing around the sky:)

It might have been a recruitment display but I seem to remember it just being a car showroom/garage. Early 80’s probably about right.

Best

D

Red Arrow Gnat serials

Can anyone tell me what the serials were for the leader’s aircraft were during the 1965 to 1970 seasons? Thank you.

Well, not exactly, but…the following Gnats were recorded as making up the Red Arrows team at the 1976 Teesside Air Show:

XR534 Folland Gnat T.1 RAF Red Arrows
XR540 Folland Gnat T.1 RAF Red Arrows
XR572 Folland Gnat T.1 RAF Red Arrows
XR981 Folland Gnat T.1 RAF Red Arrows
XR987 Folland Gnat T.1 RAF Red Arrows
XR991 Folland Gnat T.1 RAF Red Arrows
XR993 Folland Gnat T.1 RAF Red Arrows
XS107 Folland Gnat T.1 RAF Red Arrows

As you can see, eight aircraft in all, usually operated as seven display aircraft plus one reserve. Date for the above was 8 August 1976, back in the days when Durham-Tees Valley Airport was known as “Teesside Airport” (to me, it will always be “Middleton St. George”…). Source http://www.dtvmovements.co.uk/Info/Historic%20Logs/TeesAirShow76.htm

Red Arrow Gnat serials

As a young lad, my Dad took me to a garage in East London where XS101 was on display. Got to sit in it, more fuel to the fire of my ambition to become a pilot…must have been late 70s…anyone else remember that?

Gnat T.1 XS101 (c/no FL595) first flew 10/9/1964, and was delivered 6/10/1964. XS101 joined the CFS at Little Rissington, moving on to become one of the Red Arrows jets in February 1971. Final flight was to RAF Cranwell on 17th September 1979, at the end of its career, it became Ground instructional airframe 8638M, before being sold off: she was acquired by Arnold Glass at Cranfield and civil registered G-GNAT as 14/4/1982. After a change of ownership on 28/9/1983, it was sold off on 25/2/1997 to Australia as VH-XSO

See here: http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/gnat/survivor.php?id=840 and http://www.facebook.com/pages/XJET/340306122340?v=wall for the facebook page of this aircraft’s current owners. XS101 also has its own website at https://www.xjet.com.au/about-us/aircraft/

Anyway, the point is, in reply to your post, if you sat in XS101, it was probably sometime between 17/9/1979 (date of last flight) and 14/4/1982 (date it was sold off). In other words, your memory dates from 1980-81 rather than “the late 1970s”.

The RAF Exhibition Flight, home based at RAF Abingdon, and which toured the UK with a number of aircraft in tow, putting up Recruitment Displays, definitely had a Gnat or two on their strength in the 1970s and early 1980s – perhaps XS101 was one of them?

When leaving Farnborough after the show in 1972 I remember passing a dump with a pile of wreckage of at least one and possibly two Red Arrows Gnats. Does anyone have any further info on this/these please?
Jim

As a young lad, my Dad took me to a garage in East London where XS101 was on display. Got to sit in it, more fuel to the fire of my ambition to become a pilot…must have been late 70s…anyone else remember that?

ms shackleton, there was a thin monograph published by Aviation News, compiled by Paul Jackson many years ago, with individual aircraft histories, dates, fates etc – and colour scheme plans too.

Probably impossible to find one on the open market, however consult your PMs.

Can anyone tell me what the serials were for the leader’s aircraft were during the 1965 to 1970 seasons? Thank you.