Follant Gnat arrives into Tauranga Finally

 Local pilot and aircraft owner Matt Willcock purchased a former Red Arrow Folland Gnat XR987/N7CV from California City Municipal Airport, California City and  after many transport delays shipping across the pacific,it finally arrived into Solo Wings hangar in Tauranga in mid February,to be emptied and become re-assembled back to its former glory.

It is a great sight to see a good possible flying Gnat to be based here at Tauranga and cant wait to see it in the flesh as a former RAF painter and Finisher of 12 years ,my very first training frame was a Gnat at RAF St Athan   XR541 back in 1986 !!!!

First view of XR987 arriving out of the shipping container outside Solo Wings.

Following by the set of wings the day before

XR987  during its glory years for the RAF at possible Little Rissington before moving to RAF Kembe

And finally,the Gnat XR541 which was used by 4S of TT at RAF St Athan during the 80,s where i was taught as a Painter and Finisher for the RAF in TG13 to learn how to strip paint to bare metal,prepare and then learn to spray Poly Paint on all types of RAF aircraft.
The number PF179 was the PTR//FNR TG13 entry course number applied to the forward nose ,which was 2 courses after mine at PTR//FNR 177.It now resides at Bruntingthorpe airfield in Leicestershire in UK.

 Pixs courtesy of Peter Mole and the Matt Willcock and myself.