The first Folland Gnat to enter operational service with No. 4 Flying Training School (4 FTS) was XP502. She joined the unit on 7 November 1962, just a few months after her maiden flight on 24 August 1962. As one of the early Gnats delivered to the RAF’s Flying Training Command, XP502 played a role in introducing fast-jet training on the nimble and highly responsive lightweight aircraft that would become a familiar sight in the skies over the UK.
After a lengthy and productive service career, XP502 was retired from flying duties in 1978. She was subsequently allocated the instructional airframe number 8576M and transferred to RAF St. Athan, where she was used for ground-based training purposes. In this capacity, she continued to serve by supporting the education of RAF technicians and engineers long after her flying days had ended.
In 2000, XP502 was sold at auction and acquired by Delta Jets at Kemble. There, she underwent a cosmetic restoration to preserve her appearance and celebrate the Gnat’s place in British aviation history. Although XP502 never flew with the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, she has been repainted in the iconic red, white, and blue colours of the Red Arrows—like many surviving Gnats that pay tribute to the type’s famous association with the team during the 1960s and 1970s.
Today, XP502 is displayed in the markings of Red Arrows aircraft XR540. She is positioned outside the control tower at Cotswold Airport, formerly RAF Kemble, posed dramatically in a take-off attitude. The display serves as a nostalgic reminder of the period when the Red Arrows were based at Kemble, and stands as a striking tribute to both the Gnat and the team that helped make it legendary.
Visit their website at https://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/gnat/survivor.php?id=824
Photo thanks to Ashley Sparrowhawk Photography.