"The Heart Of The Gnat"

[Roger Wilco]

I've just been irritating the current Mrs Wilco by playing youtube videos of Folland Gnats. ( The long winter days simply fly around here.. etc) I was hoping to come across a relatively 'clean' example of an Orpheus powering up - you know, just for whimsy..

All a bit disappointing so far in terms of sound quality, so at the risk of subjecting myself to the internet forum equivalent of having my Tom Brown pantaloons being tugged against my fireside shins - are there any known examples available for perusal?

Mick

[Renegadenemo]

I recall seeing one of Ray Hannah with the Red Arrows taxiing out and the sound was good on that one. Not sure if it was on YouTube though.

[Roger Wilco]

Yup, found it. Cheers Sir!

Its here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEIsLS_JnsE for those interested.

Mick

[Mike Bull]

There was also a similar thread here a while ago Mick-

http://www.bluebirdproject.com/message/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=73

[Renegadenemo]

Thats the one I was thinking of. And of course Ray Hanna's famous flying under a bridge scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj73NTO8144

[Roger Wilco]

Thats the one I was thinking of. And of course Ray Hanna's famous flying under a bridge scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj73NTO8144

Superb.

(And just what is it about the Merlin growl that turns the skin of every Englishman to goosefesh!)

[Mike Bull]

Thats the one I was thinking of. And of course Ray Hanna's famous flying under a bridge scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj73NTO8144

I've no idea what film/TV production that clip was from, but it's actually re-using the bridge sequence that was filmed for the TV adaptation of Derek Robinson's superb Battle Of France/Battle Of Britain novel 'Piece Of Cake' in about 1988 (from memory). Ray Hanna did indeed take MH434 under Winston bridge in Co. Durham- the largest single span stone bridge in the UK.

MH43442.jpg

[Mike Bull]

Swinging the thread back onto a Bluebird kind of heading, it's cool to think that not only is it Bluebird that is still very much alive and well, but that to some, Gnat XM691 is still along for the ride too! I mean, if a new-build 'Spitfire' can claim an original identity from just a data plate or a few other small original components, then by that logic the Gnat's tail fin carries it's own identity/history still too. Though, it's not actually being part of a Gnat anymore, so perhaps it doesn't count!

I wonder if K7 for a time had a silver tail fin with the RAF fin flash painted on it, before she was painted blue for the last time? As per sister aircraft XM693 here-

img_1112xm693.jpg

-and here's Bluebird's tail fin on display at Farnborough in 1960, while still attached to XM691-

1210834F.jpg

[bluebirdsback]

I may be wrong but i am almost sure under the blue paint on the tail fin is red.

[Mike Bull]

Obviously you old hands have seen and handled it a lot more than I have, but in this photo from the dry build the fin appears to be a dull, flat silvery-grey colour under the blue-

tail fin.jpg

There is some orange showing along the bottom section though, and quite a bit more of the orange along the same section on the other side of the fin.

I assume that's the original silver of the Gnat flatted down for the repainting, otherwise you'd probably have been able to make out the edges of the RAF fin flash through the blue. Either that, or it's a primer coat?