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Let's talk about Fuse 13. But first, let's meet the Folland Gnat.
65 years ago today the Gnat made its maiden flight, and looking at those stumpy little legs I can't help worry about the flare on landing.
The Gnat owes its origins, of all places, to the prototype for the Lightning. Widely accepted as the greatest fighter ever to be built with an effective range of [checks notes] about three miles, perhaps someone should have thought about fitting bigger fuel tanks.
![The Gnat owes its origins, of all places, to the prototype for the Lightning. Widely accepted as the greatest fighter ever to be built with an effective range of [checks notes] about three miles, perhaps someone should have thought about fitting bigger fuel tanks.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdNPb1sXkAcuHLm.jpg "The Gnat owes its origins, of all places, to the prototype for the Lightning. Widely accepted as the greatest fighter ever to be built with an effective range of [checks notes] about three miles, perhaps someone should have thought about fitting bigger fuel tanks.")
The Lightning was being designed by WEW "Teddy" Petter.
But fed up of inter-departmental infighting, company politics, and possibly not getting a bigger design department, Petter quit. Having to stare at this godawful nose every day can't have helped his mood either.
But fed up of inter-departmental infighting, company politics, and possibly not getting a bigger design department, Petter quit. Having to stare at this godawful nose every day can't have helped his mood either.
Petter had no problem getting a new job with Folland. He'd got a long history of designing useful aircraft with just enough faults and quirks to make them interesting, such as the Lysander.
The second prototype was covered in glider fabric to save weight.
Even more weight was saved during diving tests, when the flimsy fabric was immediately ripped off the wings.
Even more weight was saved during diving tests, when the flimsy fabric was immediately ripped off the wings.
The Lysander was the RAF's definitive short field aircraft. The Wendover derivative was... not.
What you have here, really, is a cautionary tale about leaving a Lysander and a Lancaster in a hangar overnight without a chaperone.
The perpetually delayed Whirlwind, meanwhile, initially had the hot exhausts running through the wings and - more alarmingly - the fuel tanks. This was abandoned when a leak developed and nearly melted the wing structure.
The Welkin prototype was obviously informed by the Whirlwind, but Petter had learnt not to try melting the wings.
This time the cabin pressurisation system nearly melted the pilot. Petter refused to change it until the poor guy nearly died.
Petter was not a people person.
This time the cabin pressurisation system nearly melted the pilot. Petter refused to change it until the poor guy nearly died.
Petter was not a people person.
The Canberra, in an unusual development, was virtually vice free from the beginning. That's probably because Petter quit whilst they were still working it up.
The front end had to be redesigned as the radar wasn't available. The 'Blue Circle' mod has a long ancestry...
The front end had to be redesigned as the radar wasn't available. The 'Blue Circle' mod has a long ancestry...
Now at Folland, Petter reacted against the rapidly increasing bulk and weight of fighters by designing the Midge.
Using the next generation of compact, high powered jets, the diminutive Midge could easily go supersonic in a dive.
Using the next generation of compact, high powered jets, the diminutive Midge could easily go supersonic in a dive.
Having proved the "light fighter" concept had promise, if not purchasers, the Midge was scaled up to take the new Orpheus engine. The Gnat F1 was born.
The RAF weren't interested, at least partly as Petter refused to fit bigger tyres to allow austere runways to be used. Finland, Yugoslavia and India were interested, however.
The Gnat later proved itself as a dogfighter for India against Pakistani Sabres, downing several.
The Gnat later proved itself as a dogfighter for India against Pakistani Sabres, downing several.
The RAF were, however, interested in a proposed trainer variant. The Vampire was becoming increasingly outdated as their fast jet trainer and something hotter was required.
Folland had just the thing...
Folland had just the thing...
The Gnat T1 had issues as a trainer, because... Petter. The concept of a simple, cheap fighter hadn't stopped Petter filling it with all sorts of weird systems. None of these were found in the planes you were nominally being trained to fly...
In fact, the only plane the Gnat trained you to fly was, er, the Gnat. Perhaps Petter was hoping that the RAF would eventually realise this and buy some fighter variants?
Where the Gnat really excelled though was with the RAF display team. First the Yellowjacks...
...and then reformed as the Red Arrows.
The Red Arrows were created out of the Yellowjacks as the former were thought to be "too maverick" - something that makes the subsequent Fuse 13 story even more amusing.
The Red Arrows were created out of the Yellowjacks as the former were thought to be "too maverick" - something that makes the subsequent Fuse 13 story even more amusing.
The Gnat was great for display as it had a staggering roll rate. So much so that another of Petter's systems kicked in to limit aileron travel above 150 knots and keep it under control. But take Fuse 13 out, and it didn't work. The Reds pulled the fuse...
The roll rate was so quick, in fact, that it was noted that the Reds consistently overshot horizontal by 10 degrees. Eventually it dawned on everyone that the problem was caused by their eyeballs rotating slower than everything else.
Unfortunately somebody managed to rip the fin off a Gnat whilst demonstrating this. He'd actually used too much rudder, but no matter, Fuse 13 was to be reinstated.
It took less than three days for a mechanic to point out the obvious. Fuse 13 just had to be back in its socket.
Nobody said you couldn't make sure it had already blown...
Nobody said you couldn't make sure it had already blown...
