Gnat Boys: True Tales from Raf, Indian and Finnish Fighter Pilots Who Flew the Single-Seat Training and Fighter Aircraft Peacock-Edwards Rick

The Folland Gnat was used by the RAF mainly in the advanced training role, in the 1960s and 70s, where it proved to be an ideal lead-in trainer for high-performance aircraft such as the iconic Lightning, the first RAF supersonic fighter. Lesser known, the Gnat was also used as a lightweight fighter by both the Indian and Finnish air forces. It was also the aircraft used by the famous Yellowjacks formation aerobatic team, formed in 1964, the forerunner of the world-famous Red Arrows team which was equipped with the Gnat for over a decade before being replaced by the Hawk in 1980.

Today, over 60 years since the aircraft first flew, several Gnats continue to be operated from North Weald Airfield in Essex by the Heritage Aircraft Trust In the case of India, the Gnat, later called the 'Ajeet' (Midge), saw combat experience in the Indo-Pakistani wars, most notably in the Battle of Boyra.