Folland Gnat - GRTDA

[benskipper]

Ahh the land of the WHIF, where my imagination is loosened upon an unsuspecting world...

Amid continuing poor relations with the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) a 'Cold War' was in full flow between the Great British Commonwealth (GBC) and the Holy Roman Empire. As the GBC was an island nation it had developed it's defenses accordingly and in 1968 the Secretary for the Air Ministry the then Rt Hon John Fowler asked parliment to consider rearming some of the RAuxAF Sqn's with cheap, light and fast jets that could provide quick homeland defence.

He also tasked Folland, English Electric, Hawker, Gloster and Blackburn with looking at what they could come up with. EE and Gloster were developing the next generation ground support and intercept aircraft. Hawker and Blackburn were also developing new aircraft, so Folland stepped up.

Follands answer was simple. Merely up grade the avionics, communications and defensive ability of the thier Gnat Jet trainer. The resulting aircraft first flew in 1970 and was termed the Ground Role Tactical Defense Aircraft, known by crews as "Gerta". The premise was thus, a centrally mounted 20mm Arden Cannon, and 2 multiple launch rockets, or 4 x 125kg Bombs. A single seat version was developed as an Intermediate Air Defense Aircraft (Ida), this carried 2 Red Top Missiles / Sparrows and two 20mm Arden cannon, plus a small ranging radar.Tests proved the ideas were sound and in March 1972 503 (city of Lincoln) Sqn based at RAF Binbrook, began replacing their ageing Supermarine Swifts with the Gertas. The Sqn establishment of 12 A/C was complete by June.

The aircraft have been scrambled numerous time to protect Ministry of Agriculture Food and Fisheries and Ministry of Energy and Power assessts, as well as assisting RN Coastguard operations against possible incursions by Vinlandian (Scandinavian) Raiders. The success of the type in this role is best illustrated by events in 1977 which saw a multiple rocket armed 503 Sqn Gerta destroy a HRE type 27 'Milan' class frigate that had opend fire on GBC trawlers 20nm from Cleethorpes. This ensured the types continued role in GBC Homeland defense until 1984 when a new Hawker aircraft, currently labelled Project Accipiter, is envisaged to be in RAuxAF service in the Tactical Defence Role, replacing both the "Gerta" and "Ida"...

[deathjester]

Most Cool!

[Pablo1965]

Little fearsome.

[NARSES2]

Nice and an interesting alt history concept with the HRE still around 

[GTX]

Nice intro

[benskipper]

Cheers for the positive comments. I've updated the intro slightly (spell checked) so that future posts will carry on this WHIF.

[pyro-manic]

Great backstory, and the Gnat is a little stunner. (I saw one fly for the first time at Kemble a few weeks back, and it's a brilliant thing to watch! )

[James]

Great Gnat.

Great backstory, and the Gnat is a little stunner. (I saw one fly for the first time at Kemble a few weeks back, and it's a brilliant thing to watch! )

For something so small it sure can move!

[Rheged]

Great backstory, and the Gnat is a little stunner.

Please may I be associated with these remarks?

   This particular GNAT would carry a nasty sting!  I seem to recall a Folland Midge too,and  taking the acronym in the excellent backstory as my guide, did this stand for
Microfigher
In
Defensive
Ground
Environment
??