Irish Gnats
In the early 1970s the Irish Air Corps started looking to replace the now elderly De Havilland Vampire trainers they'd been flying since 1956. Several contenders were available ranging from the US-built F-5 or T-38, the French Fouga Magister, the Dornier Alpha Jet and the HS Hawk. They'd rejected the possibility of having the Vampires rebuilt and zero-hour rated as not being a suitable long-term solution.
The Hawk and Alpha Jet were still undergoing trials and would not be available soon enough plus the costs were deemed too high. The US option was just too much for Irish needs and even with the offer of a low cost loan the price was too high.
The Gnat was an outside runner in this race but ironically the Troubles in Northern Ireland gave it a winning chance. The British wanted to keep the Irish Government on side following several unfortunate shooting incidents across the border and elsewhere. The RAF were phasing the HS Gnat out of service in readiness for the new Hawk and had many surplus well-looked after machines. So, the deal was made. Ireland would receive 10 ex-RAF Gnats fully rebuilt to zero-hour standard and a huge pile of spare parts.
In 1974 six pilots from the Irish Air Corps attended the Gnat training course at RAF Central Flying School, six more would do the same in 1975. After the end of each course they each flew home in a new Gnat painted with the Irish tricolour.
Given that the Gnat was the star of the RAF's Aerobatic Display Team it didn't take long to create an airshow display with 4 Gnats under the banner of The Silver Swallows
This is the modern Airfix 1/72 Folland Gnat with Irish markings from the Airfix Fouga Magister kit.
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