+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Folland Gnat was a British compact swept-wing subsonic fighter aircraft that had been developed and produced by Folland Aircraft. Envisioned as an affordable light fighter in contrast to the rising cost and size of typical combat aircraft. It was procured as a trainer aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as well as by export customers, who used the Gnat in both combat and training capacities.
Designed by W. E. W. Petter, the Gnat had its origins in the preceding private venture Folland Midge. The issuing of Operational Requirement OR.303 by the British Air Ministry served to motivate the type's development; the Gnat was later submitted to meet this requirement. Its design allowed for its construction and maintenance tasks to be carried out without specialised tools, making it suitable for use in countries that had not yet become highly industrialized.
In order that the project would not be delayed before reaching the prototype stage, Petter's unarmed proof-of-concept demonstrator for the Gnat was powered by the less powerful Armstrong Siddeley Viper 101 turbojet engine, capable of generating 1,640 lbf (7.3 kN / 744 kgp) of thrust.While using a different powerplant from later-built prototypes and production aircraft, the demonstrator still used a nearly-identical airframe along with similar onboard systems so that these could be proved in advance of the Gnat itself being built. On 11 August 1954, the Midge performed its maiden flight, piloted by Folland's chief test pilot Edward Tennant. Despite the low-powered engine, the compact jet was able to break Mach 1 while in a dive and proved to be very agile during its flying trials. On 20 September 1955, the Midge was destroyed in a crash, which had possibly been due to human error.
The Midge failed to interest the RAF as a combat aircraft at that time, but officers did issue encouragement of the development of a similar aircraft for training purposes. The larger Gnat, which was being developed in parallel with the Midge, was an improved version of the original fighter design; it was differentiated by larger air intakes to suit the Orpheus engine, a slightly larger wing, and provision for the installation of a 30 mm ADEN cannon in each intake lip. The first prototype Gnat was built as a private venture by Folland. Subsequently, six further aircraft were ordered by the British Ministry of Supply for evaluation purposes. On 18 July 1955, the Folland prototype, serial number G-39-2, first flew from RAF Boscombe Down, Wiltshire.
Although the evaluation by the British brought no orders for the lightweight fighter, orders were placed by Finland, Yugoslavia and the former British colony Rhodesia. India placed a large order for the type, which also included a licence for production by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and this led to further, more capable variants of the Gnat designed and produced in India.
The Royal Rhodesian Air Force received the first of its 12 Gnats (9 F.1 day fighters with a simple gun-ranging radar and 3 FR.1 photo-reconnaissance planes, all were outfitted with four underwing pylons) on 30 July 1959, as a part of several procurements to modernize the country's air force during the late Fifties, from 1954 onwards, 16 Canberra B2 and T4 bombers were purchased beyond the Gnats, as well as Provost T52 trainers, Douglas Dakota and Canadair DC-4M Argonaut transports. The Gnats were delivered in standard RAF day fighter colors and allocated to day fighter duties as well as to tactical reconnaissance.
However, the Gnat was soon found to be a problematic aircraft in service and required, despuite easy handling due to the aircraft's small size and simple construcution, a lot of ground maintenance, and the engines suffered initially in the harsh African climate. In 1962, Hawker Hunter fighter aircraft were obtained, and the Gnats and older Vampire FB9 and T55s were reallocated to advanced training and ground attack roles. The Gnats received at that time, like the rest of the Rhodesian aircraft fleet, a different camouflage in dark green and dark earth on the upper surfaces, more suitable for the type's theatre of operations. In 1970, when Rhodesia declared itself a republic, the "Royal" was dropped and the machines received new, subdued national markings: the former RAF type D roundel with a single superimposed assegai spear in six standard positions became a green ring with a lion and tusk on a white center, only carried on the fuselage flanks.
By that time the Rhodesian Air Force was already heavily involved in the so-called Bush War, also called the Second Chimurenga and the Zimbabwe War of Liberation. The conflict pitted three forces against one another: the Rhodesian white minority-led government of Ian Smith (later the Zimbabwe-Rhodesian government of Bishop Abel Muzorewa); the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army, the military wing of Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union; and the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army of Joshua Nkomo's Zimbabwe African People's Union.
Once the initial problems were ironed out, the plane proved to be extremely manouevreable, popular among its pilots and had good performance in the air, but it remained very maintenance-intensive and frail, resulting in a low operational ready rate. The availability of spare parts was always an issue, and its maintenance a challenge to the conscript mechanics. When the Rhodesian Bush War intensified after 1972, the age of the aircraft, the shortage of spares and a deteriorating air safety record became a growing concern for the Air Staff. Until then, three Gnats had already been lost, two of them through avoidable maintenance and fatigue issues, and one Gnat had been fallen victim to small caliber ground fire while operating at low altitude.
Nevertheless, the small Rhodesian Gnat fleet remained active (it simply had to, because there was no alternative or replacement available) and took part in many operations, primarily providing close air support for friendly ground troops. In this role, the Gnat - despite its limited payload - excelled due to its high agility, the powerful 30 mm cannon, an excellent field of view for the pilot and its sheer small size which made identification and aiming at it difficult. By then, operational Rhodesian Gnats had their original silver undersides overpainted with dark earth, for an integral camouflage best suited for low-level operations.
However, even though quite effective and successful, two more Gnats were lost in fatal crashes in 1974 and they were removed from active service in 1975 and temporarily replaced by thirteen Vampire FB.52s on loan from South Africa. The surviving machines were intially mothballed at Thornhill Air Force Base, but their state detriorated quickly, so that all machines were scrapped in early 1979, when the short-lived Zimbabwe-Rhodesia government of Bishop Muzorewa was installed and Rhodesia subsequently became independent as Zimbabwe.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 29 ft 9 in (9.07 m)
Wingspan: 22 ft 2 in (6.76 m)
Height: 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)
Wing area: 136.6 sq ft (12.69 m²)
Airfoil: RAE 102 modified
Empty weight: 4,800 lb (2,177 kg)
Gross weight: 6,575 lb (2,982 kg) interceptor
8,765 lb (3,976 kg) tactical, with external tanks and armament
Max takeoff weight: 9,040 lb (4,100 kg)
Fuel capacity: 175 imp gal (210 US gal; 800 l) in seven fuselage tanks + 25 imp gal (30 US gal; 110 l)
in two optional rear fuselage tanks + two optional 66 imp gal (79 US gal; 300 l) jettisonable
under-wing slipper tanks
Maximum fuel: 332 imp gal (399 US gal; 1,510 l)
Powerplant:
1× Bristol Siddeley BOr.2 Orpheus 701-01 turbojet engine with 4,705 lbf (20.93 kN) thrust
Performance:
Maximum speed: 604 kn (695 mph, 1,119 km/h) at 20,000 ft (6,096 m), Mach 0.98
Range: 434.5 nmi (500.0 mi, 804.7 km)
Endurance: 1 hour 10 minutes (normal)
2 hours 15 minutes (max fuel)
Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
Rate of climb: 20,000 ft/min (100 m/s)
Time to altitude: 45,000 ft (13,716 m) 5 minutes
Take-off distance to 50 ft (15 m): 2,190 ft (668 m) (interceptor)
3,780 ft (1,152 m) (tactical with full external load)
Landing distance from 50 ft (15 m): 2,200 ft (671 m)
Armament:
2x 30mm ADEN cannon with 115 rpg
Four underwing hardpoints for drop tanks, iron bombs and unguided missiles,
for a total ordnance load of 1.500 lb (681 kg)
The kit and its assembly:
The idea for this build was spawned about two years ago when I coverted a P-51D into a COIN aircraft with a nose wheel and two turboprop engines, which ended up in late Rhodesian markings. I wondered, since Rhodesia originally procured a lot of material from Great Britain (including Vampires, Hunters and even Canberras), if there was a space for the nimble Gnat single-seater? The idea lingered and I had in the meantime stashed away one Special Hobby's recent Gnat F.1 kits, and I felt that the time had come to tackle this literally little project during the 2020 Xmas holidays.
The Special Hobby kit is really nice - a very positive surprise. Fit is very good, almost as good as Airfix' latest new offerings, but with less pronounced engraving "trenches". Details are excellent, and the kit comes with a lot of optional parts to build various Gnat versions, plus a wide range of ordnance. It went together easily, and I placed a lot of lead beads into the nose and the areaa behind the cockpit to keep its nose down. The only problem I had was the fit of the cockpit tub and the resulting issues with the fuselage halves, which only closed through the use of force and lots of glue.
Being a standard Gnat F.1, the kit was built OOB, I just added a blade antenna under the nose and used the optional part for a slightly bulged spine in front of the fin (from an early Finnish aircraft). The ordnance came from the scrap box, though, and consists of a pair of Matchbox SNEB rocket launchers and a pair of 500 lb (225 kg) bombs, left over from a Special Hobby SM2B Super Mystère. It's probably close to the maximum ordnance the Gnat could carry. The OOB rocket launchers were not used because I think they belong to an Indian aircraft and look as if they were of Soviet origin.
Painting and markings:
Basically very simple. In the Sixties, Rhodesian aircraft changed from the RAF day fighter scheme in Dark Green/Dark Sea Grey with "High Speed Silver" (aluminum lacquer) undersides to an upper camouflage in Dark Green/Dark Earth. This does not sound sexy, but these early WWII colors work perfectly in the South African theatre of operations, as already confirmed by the converted Mustang which carried a similar livery. However, in order to give the Gnat a slightly different look I retained the metallic underside (the Mustang had a late-style Dark Earth belly).
The camouflage pattern is based on the original RAF scheme for the Gnat, with RAF Dark Green (Humbrol 163) and a lightened earth tone (Humbrol 29 and 187, in a 2:1 ratio), because I found the pure Humbrol 29 to lack contrast. The undersides became Matt Aluminum Metallizer from Humbrol and the camouflage was wrapped around the leading edges. As a little visual bug I gave the aircraft a replacement rudder on the fin, which is painted in Dark Sea Grey (Humbrol 164), maybe a spare part from an older, already retired aircraft?
The cockpit was painted in a very dark grey (Anthracite, Revell 09, with some dry-brushing with Revell 77) and the landing gear as well as the respective wells became Humbrol 56, for a different, more greyish metallic shade.
As usual, the model received a light black ink wash and some dry-brushed post-panel-shading to simulate wear, tear and constant use. The normally black di-electric fairings on nose and spine were treated with an earth brown tone, because these parts would quickly fade under the influence of sunlight.
The marking are - typical for Rhodesian aircraft in the Seventies - minimal. The small roundels on the fuselage actually belong to a RhAF Vampire trainer (Xtradecal), but due to their small size they work perfectly on the tiny Gnat. The same goes for the fin flashes. The serial number also comes from this machine, and beyond these few markings no other codes were carried. Stencils were taken from the Gnat's OOB sheet and also from the Xtradecal Vampire trainer sheet.
Some soots stains were added around the gun ports and the exhaust, and finally the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.
A quick and simple build, the Special Hobby Gnat turned out to be a very positive surprise and might lead to more whiffy builds, the small aircraft has a lot of potential. And I think that the result looks very good and convincing, despite the livery's simplicity. But the Green/Brown scheme suits the Gnat very well, and it is amazing how well it belnds into the landscape on some of the beauty pics.
