Airfix Folland Gnat T.1 in 72th. New year, new attempts. ++Backwards is the new forwards++

[TeeELL]

Rob,

I have just looked through my Gnat ground school notes and, unfortunately, there is no chapter on the avionic fit nor external 'bits'. I have had a look at the fuselage of my Gnat model and I am not sure to which bumps you refer. If you can post a photo I shall see if I can offer an answer.

Now, if you want to know how the 'Hobson Unit' worked with Q-feel and cam K, then I have that to hand!

[Rob G]

TeeELL, the bumps on my Gnat are no longer available for photomagraphic purposes, as they've gone to the great leveller, sandpaper. (Small classical joke there.) If you can look at your kit, they're on the underside, one just aft of the forward triangular antenna thing, and the other behind the underside UHF antenna. They're possibly strobes, but as I said, I can't see them in any photos (which may be my failing, not Airfix's).

[TeeELL]

I cannot identify any bump aft of the lower UHF aerial Neither of my Gnat models have had any W&D near them yet. The bump just behind the forward triangular aerial is not a strobe, I suspect it might be part of the TACAN/DME set up, but I don't know. Ah ha! Just checked a photo, it is the undercarriage indicator lamp. Training aircraft have such a lamp to enable the ATC assistant in the runway caravan to determine if the undercarriage is locked down.

[Rob G]

Well there ya go. I better reinstate it then. Somehow. And no doubt its mate needs replacing too, because I'm sure that Airfix got it right.

Note that I removed then partially accidentally while cleaning up the seam, then the rest on purpose, because they were in the way. Small bit of sprue, meet Mr Needle File.

This'll get paint on it at some point, honest. Thanks for the help!