The Folland Gnat 'Red Arrow'
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The Plane
The Folland Gnat was designed and built as a light fighter aircraft for the Royal Air Force, first flying in 1955, although it never got used for this purpose. It was primarily used by the RAF as a trainer aircraft, and became well known as the RAF's Red Arrows aerobatic team. It was used by the Red Arrows from their inception in 1965 until it was replaced by the Hawk in 1979.
The Model
This was built from the 1:72 Airfix kit. Despite its size measuring only 6 inches long, I was able to add a reasonable amount of detail to it. I started with an aftermarket cockpit as the kit parts are very basic. I was able to create a lot of detail in here, which is visible through the open canopy. I used the same techniques for painting as on larger models, so all the panel lines were pre-shaded first and then the colour coat was applied over this allowing the shading to show through. I added a dirty wash over the plane to give it a ‘used’ look. The pitot was replaced with a metal pin to replace the plastic kit part. I also modified the wings to have the flaps down, as they were commonly seen on the ground like this.
Completed Feb 2014
