Gnats and Sidewinders

[Thud4444]

Where any of the Gnats capable of carrying Sidewinders? I thought the fighter versions could but I can't find any evidence to back it up. Where they wired for any A2A missle?

[David Womby]

I've no idea if that's true (I hope it is) but what a great concept! Kind of like an earlier version of arming the Hawks with Sidewinders for point defence.

David

[Selwyn]

Where any of the Gnats capable of carrying Sidewinders? I thought the fighter versions could but I can't find any evidence to back it up. Where they wired for any A2A missle?

Wasn't a Sidewinder bigger than a Gnat?

Selwyn

[Procopius]

Wasn't a Sidewinder bigger than a Gnat?

I believe the intent was to use student pilots in the Gnat -- the Sidewinder would detect a target with the IR seeker, then fire the Gnat at it. The plan was abandoned because the Gnat's guidance system proved unreliable.

[JohnT]

I believe the intent was to use student pilots in the Gnat -- the Sidewinder would detect a target with the IR seeker, then fire the Gnat at it. The plan was abandoned because the Gnat's guidance system proved unreliable.

And the sidewinder had a far greater range

[canberra kid]

No Sidewinder's here but there are are Firestreaks!

John

Edited April 13, 2016 by canberra kid

[tweeky]

There Firestreak's

[canberra kid]

There Firestreak's

Whoops! There are Firestreaks

John

[Teuchter]

Some accounts here of single seat Gnats in combat. No reference to missiles bring carried. Lots of good stories of the IAF to be found on this site.

https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/history/1965war/1332-manna-murdeshwar.html

[fatalbert]

I think they were on the cards for a developed version that never got off the drawing board. There is a drawing in a book called project canceled that shows a sidewinder armed gnat derivative.

[perdu]

So we'll say no then

Pity too, would have been a great store to display on a Gnat

[dalea]

On p.193 of my copy of "Project Cancelled" There's a drawing of a Gnat "Mk.5". Still no Sidewinders.

[Duncan B]

Canberra Kid has actually misinterpreted the photo, it isn't a load out for the Gnat but the Gnat and all the other bits are actually part of the proposed load out for the Vulcan to the left (including the cars, the fire-engine and the Policeman). Under the other wing there was 21x 1000lb bombs, an icecream van and a rather angry looking platoon of 'Rock Apes'. Only the load out of Rock Apes was finally approved as a war load due to restrictions forced by the Geneva convention prohibiting the use of Ice-cream vans, Policemen were regularly dropped for practice on St Kilda during the 1950's until uniform costs forced their use to be abandoned. It is rumoured that there is still a secret bunker at Portland Down containing a platoon of heavily modified angry Rock Apes just in case.

Duncan B

[AaCee26]

Some accounts here of single seat Gnats in combat. No reference to missiles bring carried. Lots of good stories of the IAF to be found on this site.

https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/history/1965war/1332-manna-murdeshwar.html

Hi all,

At least Finnish single-seaters didn't carry missiles nor do I remember reading or seeing pics of Indian Gnats or Ajeets so armed.

Cheers,

AaCee

[tweeky]

I would imagine a Gnat launching a Firetreak (or a Sidewinder for that matter) would send it tumbling from the sky.

[Selwyn]

I would imagine a Gnat launching a Firetreak (or a Sidewinder for that matter) would send it tumbling from the sky.

Unlikely, the launch of the missile puts no stress on the airframe as such, the main problem would probably be plume ingestion by the engine, causing surge problems.

Selwyn

Edited April 14, 2016 by Selwyn

[tweeky]

i was thinking of the asymmetric handling and weight. When working on Lightning's i knew the igniters fired when the guns/missiles fired.

[charlie_c67]

You mean they didn't use the Sidewinders as a form of JATO in disguise? Or that little extra boost when they went into attack a la SR.177

[Ptmvarsityfan]

Don't think the Gnat would be capable of carrying Firestreaks, would be unable to house the associated electronics. Dont know about the Sidewinder but never seen a photo of one with missiles so assume it wasnt a practical proposition.

Cheers, Paul