Yugoslav Gnats

[uk 75]

The Gnat features often in the what if parts of this site and the Indian Gnat story has also been covered so I was pleased to find this page about the Yugoslav Gnats
https://www.muzejvazduhoplovstva.org.rs/eksponati.php?jez=eng&id=26Sadly the plane was not adopted and Yugoslavia developed its own succesful family of trainers and light attack aircraft.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soko_G-2_Galeb

 

[uk 75]

Finland had a similarly difficult time with the Gnat
http://www.elisanet.fi/~g621741/WWV/gnat/finland.htmIt is a shame that two potentially lucrative, and useful to Western interests, deals were stymied by a frankly poor product. Those who wish various paper designs from British companies had proceeded might bemefit from a look at two actual case studies.

 

[Foo Fighter]

Not sure how problematic they could have been, they served for a long time and India used them extensively. How many were lost in Finnish service?

 

[Rickshaw]

The Gnat was able to satisfy the needs of the Indians quite happily. The RAF modified theirs early on with improved elevator controls. I wonder if the Indians did similar and that Finland/Yugoslavia didn't?

 

[Fluff]

FYI, the last 'operational' UK Gnats, were at RAF Cosford, and were used to train groundcrew on flighline operations.

They were operated by NCO groundcrew, with a mechanical throttle limiter, to prevent any adventures.....

I would imagine a few are still hanging around somewhere, at Cosford.

 

[uk 75]

I think your comments dont alter my initial reference that two customers were dissatisfied and didnt order any more.

 

[martinbayer]

FYI, the last 'operational' UK Gnats, were at RAF Cosford, and were used to train groundcrew on flighline operations.

They were operated by NCO groundcrew, with a mechanical throttle limiter, to prevent any adventures.....

I would imagine a few are still hanging around somewhere, at Cosford.

Here's a list of survivors, with two at Cosford: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_surviving_Folland_Gnats

 

[JohnR]

Who operated the Gnats that were used in the Hot Shot films from the early nineties, and what was their ancestry.

 

[Foo Fighter]

I think your comments dont alter my initial reference that two customers were dissatisfied and didnt order any more.

I think they are hardly the worst aircraft of the time and this has to be taken in context, similarly the Harrier has a high loss rate with the USMC but they apparently have little regard for updates and regularly done at that etc. Context is everything.

 

[Rickshaw]

The loss rate with the USMC and Harriers was because the USMC refused two seat trainers for Harriers. The result was a lot of dead Marine pilots.

 

[Fluff]

FYI, the last 'operational' UK Gnats, were at RAF Cosford, and were used to train groundcrew on flighline operations.

They were operated by NCO groundcrew, with a mechanical throttle limiter, to prevent any adventures.....

I would imagine a few are still hanging around somewhere, at Cosford.

Here's a list of survivors, with two at Cosford: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_surviving_Folland_Gnats

Nice, there are lots!

I guess, as intended by the designer, they are easy to maintain, and repair, and cheap to run.