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97-591: The Ajeet is a derivative of the British Folland Gnat light fighter aircraft. The Gnat, which had been procured in large numbers for the IAF and produced under license by HAL, had acquitted itself favourably during its Indian service, including in active combat roles during multiple conflicts with Pakistan, including the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 . As such,

194-429: A company is brought to an end. The assets and property of the business are redistributed. When a firm has been liquidated, it is sometimes referred to as wound-up or dissolved , although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation. The process of liquidation also arises when customs , an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties , determines

291-582: A shareholders' liquidation or members' liquidation , although some voluntary liquidations are controlled by the creditors). The term "liquidation" is also sometimes used informally to describe a company seeking to divest of some of its assets. For instance, a retail chain may wish to close some of its stores. For efficiency's sake, it will often sell these at a discount to a company specializing in real estate liquidation instead of becoming involved in an area it may lack sufficient expertise in to operate with maximum profitability. A company may also operate in

388-451: A "receivership-like" state but calmly sell its assets, for example to prevent its portfolio being written off in the event of an actual compulsory liquidation. The parties which are entitled by law to petition for the compulsory liquidation of a company vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but generally, a petition may be lodged with the court for the compulsory liquidation of a company by: The grounds upon which an entity can apply to

485-535: A Gnat at Lake Luonetjärvi . Gnat F.1 proved initially problematic in the harsh Finnish conditions. Finland was the first operational user of Gnat F.1, and the plane still had many issues yet to be resolved. All Gnats were grounded for half a year on 26 August 1958 after the destruction of GN-102 due to a technical design error in its hydraulic system, and the aircraft soon became the subject of severe criticism. Three other aircraft were also destroyed in other accidents, with two pilots ejecting and one being killed. Once

582-509: A capable lightweight fighter aircraft. Work to develop the Gnat went ahead, irrespective of any external orders or financing; there was no funding provided to support the type's early development from any British government department, such as the Ministry of Supply . Petter believed that a compact and simplified fighter would offer the advantages of low purchase and operational costs, and that

679-703: A common strike/attack light fighter with which to equip the air forces of the various NATO members. Although never used as a fighter by the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Gnat T.1 jet trainer variant was adopted and operated for some time. In the United Kingdom, the Gnat became well known due to its prominent use as the display aircraft of the RAF's Red Arrows aerobatic team. The Gnat F.1 was exported to Finland, Yugoslavia and India. The Indian Air Force became

776-466: A different powerplant from later-built prototypes and production aircraft, the demonstrator still used a nearly identical airframe along with similar onboard systems so that these could be proved in advance of the Gnat itself being built. This demonstrator was designated Fo-139 Midge . On 11 August 1954, the Midge performed its maiden flight , piloted by Folland's chief test pilot Edward Tennant . Despite

873-404: A discretion for a period of time after dissolution to declare the dissolution void to enable the completion of any unfinished business. In some jurisdictions, the company may elect to simply be struck off the companies register as a cheaper alternative to a formal winding-up and dissolution. In such cases an application is made to the registrar of companies, who may strike off the company if there

970-548: A hundred Ajeets were ultimately procured and the whole programme was effectively terminated barely a decade after its initiation. The aircraft built had relatively short and uneventful careers, and were retired from IAF service during 1991. The Ajeet was never deployed in combat operations. Survivors are listed at List of surviving Folland Gnats . Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982–83 General characteristics Performance Armament Avionics An Ajeet and four privately owned Gnat T.1s portrayed

1067-456: A large tailplane was not needed, as would have been on designs without a canard configuration. The Fo.147 was to have been capable of speeds in excess of Mach 2, with the speed limit set by the temperature of the structure as a result of kinetic heating. It had a maximum all-up weight of 18,500 lb (8,400 kg), comparing well with the Gnat 5's more restrictive 11,100 lb (5,000 kg) maximum. According to aviation author Derek Wood,

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1164-491: A person for the appointment of a liquidator and possibly of a supervisory liquidation committee. The person appointed by the holder of a floating charge debenture over a company’s assets to collect in and realise the assets of that company and to repay the indebtedness to the debenture holder. Administrative receivers can no longer be appointed by floating charge holders with the exception of floating charges created prior to 15 September 2003. Voluntary liquidation occurs when

1261-474: A potential use for the type as a trainer aircraft. Accordingly, the aircraft was modified to conform with the requirements of Specification T.185D, which had called for an advanced two-seat trainer aircraft that could transition pilots between the current de Havilland Vampire T 11 and operational fighters, such as the supersonic English Electric Lightning . Folland proposed the two-seat Fo. 144 Gnat Trainer. The trainer model featured several changes, including

1358-415: A time to 50,000 ft (15,000 m) of 3 minutes, Folland estimated that a prototype could be flown as early as the end of 1962 and that the Gnat 5 could be readied for operational service within four or five years. In 1960, Maurice Brennan joined Folland as its chief engineer and director. Hawker Siddeley wanted to use his knowledge of variable-geometry wings in future designs. Under his direction,

1455-457: A variable geometry wing was applied to the basic Gnat 5 design to produce two different configurations – one tailless and one with a conventional tail – for a multipurpose fighter/strike/trainer, designated the Fo.147. The design used a unique mechanism to sweep the wings; this mechanism used a combination of tracks positioned on the fuselage sides, the centerline, and on the underside of the wings, and

1552-465: A voluntary winding-up of a company has begun, a compulsory liquidation order is still possible, but the petitioning contributory would need to satisfy the court that a voluntary liquidation would prejudice the contributors. The liquidator will normally have a duty to ascertain whether any misconduct has been conducted by those in control of the company which has caused prejudice to the general body of creditors. In some legal systems, in appropriate cases,

1649-445: Is held by the company on trust for third parties will not form part of the company's assets available to pay creditors. Before the claims are met, secured creditors are entitled to enforce their claims against the assets of the company to the extent that they are subject to a valid security interest . In most legal systems, only fixed security takes precedence over all claims; security by way of floating charge may be postponed to

1746-408: Is made by a board resolution, but instigated by the director(s). 75 percent of the company's shareholders must agree to liquidate for liquidation proceedings to advance. If a limited company’s liabilities outweigh its assets, or the company cannot pay its bills when they fall due, the company becomes insolvent. If the company is solvent , and the members have made a statutory declaration of solvency,

1843-399: Is more beneficial to start again by creating a new company, often referred to as a phoenix company . In business terms this will mean liquidating a company as the only option and then resuming under a different name with the same customers, clients and suppliers. In some circumstances it may appear ideal for the directors; however, if they trade under a name which is the same or substantially

1940-445: Is reasonable cause to believe that the company is not carrying on business or has been wound-up and, after enquiry, no case is shown why the company should not be struck off. However, in such cases the company may be restored to the register if it is just and equitable so to do (for example, if the rights of any creditors or members have been prejudiced). In the event the company does not file an annual return or annual accounts, and

2037-414: Is to collect its assets, determine the outstanding claims against the company, and satisfy those claims in the manner and order prescribed by law. The liquidator must determine the company's title to property in its possession. Property which is in the possession of the company, but which was supplied under a valid retention of title clause will generally have to be returned to the supplier. Property which

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2134-569: The Bangladesh Liberation War , Gnats flew anti-shipping operations, ground attack , bomber/transport escort and close air support operations. The IAF was impressed by the Gnat's performance in the two wars, but the aircraft had many technical problems including hydraulics, a temperamental pair of Aden 30 mm cannons which often failed in-flight, significant 'bent thrust' on take-off, leading to many aborted take-offs and an unreliable control system. To address these failings,

2231-664: The General Dynamics F-111K strike aircraft. The Folland Gnat was a purpose-built light fighter aircraft, suitable as both a trainer and a combat aircraft in ground-attack and day-fighter roles. The cockpit offered many features expected in standard fighter aircraft: full pressurisation , climate control , and an ejection seat . According to Folland, the Gnat offered advantages over conventional fighter aircraft in terms of cost, man-hours, handling, serviceability, and portability. Its tricycle landing gear let it operate from austere grass airstrips, thanks to

2328-510: The designation Gnat T Mk. 1 . The final Gnat T.1 for the RAF was delivered in May 1965. Folland sought to develop more capable versions of the Gnat; one of the more substantial of these proposals was tentatively designated as the Gnat Mk.5. This model was to be capable of supersonic speeds and was intended to be made available in both single-seat and twin-seat configurations, enabling its use in

2425-499: The jigs and test apparatus, had been moved to HAL. Early on, the fledgling aircraft design received the name "Ajeet", Sanskrit for "Invincible" or "Unconquered". As the design developed, differences between the Ajeet and the original model of the Gnat that had served as its starting point became considerable. During the development process, deliberate efforts were made to rectify the encountered shortcomings and troubles discovered within

2522-402: The preferential creditors . Claimants with non-monetary claims against the company may be able to enforce their rights against the company. For example, a party who had a valid contract for the purchase of land against the company may be able to obtain an order for specific performance , and compel the liquidator to transfer title to the land to them, upon tender of the purchase price. After

2619-605: The 1950s, the government of India had come to an agreement with the United Kingdom to procure a large number of Folland Gnat fighters, a light combat-capable jet-propelled aircraft, for the Indian Air Force (IAF). In addition to the acquisition of British-built Gnats, the type was also manufactured under a licensing arrangement in India by aviation company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). During its production run, in excess of 200 aircraft were constructed by HAL for

2716-922: The 1971 war in East Pakistan, were presented to the Bangladesh Air Force . The first production Gnat T.1s for the Royal Air Force were delivered in February 1962 to the Central Flying School at RAF Little Rissington . The major operator of the type was 4 Flying Training School at RAF Valley , the first aircraft being delivered in November 1962. In 1964 4 FTS formed the Yellowjacks aerobatic team with all-yellow painted Gnats. The team reformed in 1965 as part of

2813-727: The Central Flying School as the Red Arrows which operated the Gnat until 1979 as the RAF aerobatic demonstration team. On 14 May 1965 the last Royal Air Force Gnat T.1 to be built was delivered to the Red Arrows. Once pilots graduated from basic training on the BAC Jet Provost and gained their wings they were selected for one of three streams: fast jet, multi-engined, or helicopter. Those selected for fast jets were posted to RAF Valley for advanced training on

2910-407: The Fo.147: "would have provided a first-class flying test-bed for variable geometry theories...even a VG conversion of the standard Gnat Mk 2 fighter would have been an invaluable research tool". However, neither the Fo.147 nor its successor, the Fo.148, would be developed to the prototype stage; the RAF showed little interest in the need for a variable-geometry trainer, although it intended to procure

3007-615: The Gnat T.1, typically 70 hours of flying. Students would then move on to operational training using the Hawker Hunter , followed by a posting to an operational conversion unit for the type of aircraft to be flown. Following the introduction of the Hawker Siddeley Hawk into the training role as a replacement the Gnats were withdrawn from service. The largest operator 4 FTS retired its last Gnat in November 1978. Most of

HAL Ajeet - Misplaced Pages Continue

3104-452: The Gnat should be capable of being manufactured both cheaply and easily. The emergence of new lightweight turbojet engines, several of which were well advanced in their own development process, also enabled the envisioned light fighter concept to be realised. The Gnat was initially intended to be powered by a Bristol BE-22 Saturn turbojet engine, capable of generating 3,800 lbf (16.9 kN 1,724 kgp) of thrust. However, development of

3201-414: The IAF had a positive attitude towards the type, despite observing shortcomings in maintainability and some subsystems. Thus, during 1972, the service issued a requirement calling for the development of an upgraded and more capable variant of the Gnat, leading to the development of the Ajeet by HAL. In the design phase of the Ajeet, HAL redesigned several aspects of the aircraft while seeking to improve both

3298-623: The IAF issued a requirement for an improved "Gnat II" in 1972, at first specifying that the new version was to be optimised as an interceptor but then expanding the specification to include ground-attack. Over 175 of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited -built licensed version, the Ajeet ("Unconquerable"), were produced in Bangalore . Several Gnats remain in use in private hands. Some IAF Gnats, one of which had participated in

3395-469: The IAF; as much as 85 per cent of the airframe and 60 per cent of the engine were domestically produced. During 1958, the first Gnat fighter was accepted by the IAF into squadron service. During its service life with the IAF, the Gnat proved to be relatively successful when deployed for active combat missions. The type was used in both the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the follow-up Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 against neighbouring Pakistan. Operationally, it

3492-457: The Indian government signed a contract for the production of the aircraft and Orpheus engine in India. The first 13 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) were assembled at Hamble-le-Rice , they were followed by partly completed aircraft and then sub-assemblies as Hindustan Aircraft slowly took over first assembly, and then production of the aircraft. The first flight of an Indian Air Force Gnat

3589-517: The Saturn was cancelled; in its place, the more capable but not immediately available Bristol Orpheus turbojet engine was adopted instead. In order that the project would not be delayed before reaching the prototype stage, Petter's unarmed proof-of-concept demonstrator for the Gnat was instead powered by the less powerful Armstrong Siddeley Viper 101 turbojet engine, capable of generating 1,640 lbf (7.3 kN / 744 kgp) of thrust. While using

3686-579: The adoption of a new wing with additional fuel capacity, which in turn allowed for more internal space within the fuselage to be allocated for additional equipment. A more powerful variant of the Orpheus engine was also used, while the length of the forward fuselage area was increased, and the tail surfaces were enlarged. The inboard ailerons of the fighter variant were reconfigured to an arrangement of outboard ailerons and conventional flaps. On 7 January 1958, an initial contract for 14 pre-production Gnat trainers

3783-403: The aircraft was required for. In response to the issuing of the original requirement, HAL set about designing their revision of the Gnat. Their work was greatly aided by an earlier decision by India to, upon the liquidation of Folland Aircraft during the 1960s, acquire many former assets of the company. The residual rights for the type had been transferred to the IAF while other items, such as

3880-399: The aircraft were heavily redesigned from the Gnat, such as the much enhanced hydraulic systems, the improved landing gear arrangement, and refined control systems, to produce superior performance, compared to their original counterparts. The control surfaces were enhanced via the adoption of a all-moving tail plane configuration, which was unique to the Ajeet. It was also decided to outfit

3977-460: The aircraft with improved Martin-Baker GF4 ejection seats for improved survivability. During 1977, the HAL Ajeet was accepted into operational service with the IAF. However, only one squadron of the IAF ultimately operated the type, this being No.2 Squadron. According to political author Chris Smith, the lack of enthusiasm on the part of the IAF for the Ajeet was down to a change in attitudes;

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4074-407: The aircraft's low weight. The Gnat design used a conventional metal stressed-skin structure, with extensive flush- rivetting . To reduce workload and cost, intensive fabrication methods such as machining , forging , and casting were minimised. The airframe could be constructed using simple jigs without any specialised skills or tooling. The wing (for example) could be produced at a quarter of

4171-462: The application, the court may either dismiss the petition or make the order for winding-up. The court may dismiss the application if the petitioner unreasonably refrains from an alternative course of action. The court may appoint an official receiver, and one or more liquidators , and has general powers to enable rights and liabilities of claimants and contributories to be settled. Separate meetings of creditors and contributories may decide to nominate

4268-464: The company's affairs, the liquidator must call a final meeting of the members (if it is a members' voluntary winding-up), creditors (if it is a compulsory winding-up) or both (if it is a creditors' voluntary winding-up). The liquidator is then usually required to send final accounts to the Registrar and to notify the court. The company is then dissolved. However, in common jurisdictions, the court has

4365-440: The company's file remains inactive, in due course, the registrar will strike the company off the register. Under the corporate insolvency laws of a number of common law jurisdictions, where a company has been engaged in misconduct or where the assets of the company are thought to be in jeopardy, it is sometimes possible to put a company into provisional liquidation , whereby a liquidator is appointed on an interim basis to safeguard

4462-475: The cost, with less than one-fifth the labour, required for the wings of other contemporary fighter aircraft. Similarly, the layout and construction techniques used allow the airframe to be rapidly disassembled into its major subsections, without the use of cranes or ladders ; the Gnat was vastly easier to service than most other aircraft. The Finnish Air Force received the first of its 13 Gnats (11 fighters and 2 photo-reconnaissance planes) on 30 July 1958. It

4559-399: The court for an order of compulsory liquidation also vary between jurisdictions , but normally include: In practice, the vast majority of compulsory winding-up applications are made under one of the last two grounds. An order will not generally be made if the purpose of the application is to enforce payment of a debt which is bona fide disputed. A "just and equitable" winding-up enables

4656-415: The design of the Gnat had both positive and negative attributes; while being inexpensive to construct and to operate, several of the onboard systems had been allegedly prone to low levels of reliability, particularly the control system of the aircraft, while some aspects had proved to be difficult to maintain. The reliability issues had been a known contributing factor to several accidents which had resulted in

4753-399: The design of the earlier Gnat. In support of the development programme, HAL decided to modify the final pair of Gnats on the production line to serve as prototypes for the Ajeet. On 6 March 1975, the first of these prototypes conducted its maiden flight while the second prototype following on 5 November that year. The flight testing phase of the programme reportedly validated the success of

4850-399: The desire to do so. The twin factors of the anticipated imminent phaseout of the Ajeet fighter and pessimism over the project's value from officials heavily contributed to the trainer initiative being curtailed without any further examples being produced. The two surviving aircraft were dispatched to briefly serve with the IAF's No.2 Squadron, where they were used until the phaseout of the Ajeet

4947-458: The fictional carrier-based "Oscar EW-5894 Phallus" tactical fighter bombers flown by US Navy pilots in the 1991 comedy Hot Shots! . Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Folland Gnat The Folland Gnat is a British compact swept-wing subsonic fighter aircraft that was developed and produced by Folland Aircraft . Envisioned as an affordable light fighter in contrast to

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5044-427: The fictional carrier-based "Oscar EW-5894 Phallus" tactical fighter bombers flown by US Navy pilots in the 1991 comedy Hot Shots! . Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists The initial version of this article was based on a public domain article from Greg Goebel's Vectorsite . Liquidation Liquidation is the process in accounting by which

5141-479: The final computation or ascertainment of the duties or drawback accruing on an entry. Liquidation may either be compulsory (sometimes referred to as a creditors' liquidation or receivership following bankruptcy , which may result in the court creating a "liquidation trust"; or sometimes a court can mandate the appointment of a liquidator e.g. wind-up order in Australia) or voluntary (sometimes referred to as

5238-475: The final two licence-produced Gnat fighters, conducted its maiden flight . The satisfactory performance of these prototypes contributed to the issuing of a production order for the Ajeet. On 30 September 1976, the first production aircraft performed its maiden flight. Introduced to service during the following year, the Ajeet had a relatively brief and unremarkable service life, equipping only a single IAF squadron and being withdrawn from service during 1991. During

5335-484: The firm, Petter conducted a study into the economics behind modern fighter manufacturing, and concluded that many combat aircraft entailed far too great a cost in terms of man-hours and material to be readily mass-produced during a major conflict. While the British Air Staff emphasised quality over quantity, the economics involved in the anticipated vast wartime production of many of the RAF's aircraft of

5432-841: The flight test centre but no further aircraft were ordered. One aircraft was destroyed in a crash in October 1958 while the other is preserved and on display in Serbia. Several Gnats survive including some airworthy examples (particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom) and others on public display. Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1958-59, The Great Book of Fighters General characteristics Performance Armament Avionics Four privately owned Gnat T.1s together with an Ajeet portrayed

5529-454: The fuselage and wings, more affordable, Folland promptly commenced work upon this lightweight fighter concept, financing the project using existing company funds. The light fighter project soon received the Fo-141 designation along with the name Gnat. Development of the Gnat and the specifics of its design were heavily influenced by the issuing of Operational Requirement OR.303 , which sought

5626-407: The grounds to subject the strict legal rights of the shareholders to equitable considerations. It can take account of personal relationships of mutual trust and confidence in small parties, particularly, for example, where there is a breach of an understanding that all of the members may participate in the business, or of an implied obligation to participate in management. An order might be made where

5723-506: The initial problems were ironed out, the plane proved to be extremely manouevreable and had good performance in the air, but also to be very maintenance intensive. The availability of spare parts was always an issue, and its maintenance a challenge to the conscript mechanics. The Gnats were removed from active service in 1972 when the Häme Wing moved to Rovaniemi , and when the new Saab 35 Drakens were brought into use. In September 1956

5820-604: The installation of a 30 mm ADEN cannon in each intake lip. The first prototype Gnat was built as a private venture by Folland. Subsequently, six further aircraft were ordered by the British Ministry of Supply for evaluation purposes. On 18 July 1955, the Folland prototype, serial number G-39-2 , first flew from RAF Boscombe Down , Wiltshire . Although the evaluation by the British brought no orders for

5917-515: The largest operator and eventually manufactured the aircraft under licence . Impressed by its performance during combat, India proceeded to develop the improved HAL Ajeet , a modified variant of the Gnat. In British service, the Gnat was replaced by the Hawker Siddeley Hawk . In October 1950, W. E. W. "Teddy" Petter , a British aircraft designer formerly of Westland Aircraft and English Electric , joined Folland Aircraft as its managing director and chief engineer. Almost immediately upon joining

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6014-554: The lightweight fighter, orders were placed by Finland and Yugoslavia. India placed a large order for the type, which included a licence for production by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Although the Gnat's development is considered a factor which motivated the Mutual Weapons Development Team to issue the NATO NBMR-1 requirement for a low level strike/attack light fighter , the Gnat itself

6111-446: The liquidation will proceed as a members' voluntary liquidation (MVL). In that case, the general meeting will appoint the liquidator(s). If not, the liquidation will proceed as a creditors' voluntary liquidation, and a meeting of creditors will be called, to which the directors must report on the company's affairs. Where a voluntary liquidation proceeds as a creditors' voluntary liquidation, a liquidation committee may be appointed. Where

6208-407: The liquidator may be able to bring an action against errant directors or shadow directors for either wrongful trading or fraudulent trading . The liquidator may also have to determine whether any payments made by the company or transactions entered into may be voidable as a transaction at an undervalue or an unfair preference . The main purpose of a liquidation where the company is insolvent

6305-429: The low-powered engine, the compact jet was able to break Mach 1 while in a dive and proved to be very agile during its flying trials. On 20 September 1955, the Midge was destroyed in a crash, which had possibly been due to human error by a pilot from a potential overseas purchaser. The Midge, partly due to its nature as a private venture, had only a short lifespan, however had served as a proof-of-concept demonstrator for

6402-406: The majority shareholders deprive the minority of their right to appoint and remove their own director. Once liquidation commences (which depends upon applicable law, but will generally be when the petition was originally presented, and not when the court makes the order), dispositions of the company's generally void , and litigation involving the company is generally restrained. Upon hearing

6499-401: The members of a company resolve to voluntarily wind up its affairs and dissolve. Voluntary liquidation begins when the company passes the resolution, and the company will generally cease to carry on business at that time (if it has not done so already). A creditors’ voluntary liquidation (CVL) is a process designed to allow an insolvent company to close voluntarily. The decision to liquidate

6596-422: The older Gnat. In general, the Ajeet was equipped with a variety of more capable avionics and onboard systems than the original design. However, the addition of these extra subsystems and features was not without consequence, as the Ajeet was less agile than the original Gnat. One of the more significant changes made for the Ajeet was the addition of a wet wing , housing aviation fuel in the interior space within

6693-450: The position of the company pending the hearing of the full winding-up petition. The duty of the provisional liquidator is to safeguard the assets of the company and maintain the status quo pending the hearing of the petition; the provisional liquidator does not assess claims against the company or try to distribute the company's assets to creditors. In the UK, many companies in debt decide it

6790-496: The process, before being shot down. Gnat pilot Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon was posthumously honoured with the Param Vir Chakra (India's highest gallantry award), becoming the only member of the IAF to be given the award. By the end of 1971, the Gnat proved to be a frustrating opponent for the larger, heavier and older Sabre. The Gnat was referred to as a "Sabre Slayer" by the IAF since most of its combat "kills" during

6887-443: The programme's manufacturing effort. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, HAL undertook work on a project intending to produce a training-oriented variant of the Ajeet. During 1982, this programme had progressed to the point where the initial flight of a prototype for evaluation purposes occurred. This sole aircraft was soon lost in a crash later that same year. The following year, a second prototype performed its maiden flight and

6984-444: The re-designed aircraft, leading to a production order being placed for the Ajeet. On 30 September 1976, the first production aircraft performed its maiden flight. Despite this, as late as 1979, additional development tasks and changing requirements were being added onto the programme; these were attributed by defense analyst Amit Gupta as having caused the Ajeet's associated costs to substantially rise as well as having led to setbacks in

7081-405: The reliability and effectiveness of several subsystems, such as the avionics and hydraulic systems. The adoption of a wet wing expanded the fighter's internal fuel capacity and freed-up several underwing hardpoints for other purposes, effectively increasing both the range and payload capability of the aircraft. On 6 March 1975, the first of two Ajeet prototypes, producing via the conversion of

7178-409: The removal of all assets which are subject to retention of title arrangements, fixed security, or are otherwise subject to proprietary claims of others, the liquidator will pay the claims against the company's assets. Generally, the priority of claims on the company's assets will be determined in the following order: Unclaimed assets will usually vest in the state as bona vacantia . Having wound-up

7275-571: The requirement had called for the type to be produced to function as an interceptor , it was subsequently modified to incorporate a secondary ground-attack role for the new model as well. According to a report by the Public Accounts Committee of the Indian Parliament, the IAF officials tasked with overseeing the programme lacked realistic concepts of what was involved in the development process nor firm ideas on what

7372-484: The retired Gnats were delivered to No. 1 School of Technical Training at RAF Halton and other training establishments to be used as ground training airframes. When the RAF had no need for the Gnats as training airframes they were sold off. Many were bought by private operators and a number are still flying today. Yugoslavia ordered two Gnat F.1s for evaluation; the first aircraft flew on 7 June 1958 and both were delivered to Yugoslavia by rail. The aircraft were flown by

7469-493: The rising cost and size of typical combat aircraft, it was procured as a trainer aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as well as by export customers, who used the Gnat in both combat and training capacities. Designed by W. E. W. Petter , the Gnat has its origins in the preceding private venture Folland Midge . The issuing of Operational Requirement OR.303 by the British Air Ministry served to motivate

7566-466: The service had allegedly become increasingly opposed to the use of single-engine aircraft while a preference for fighters capable of supersonic speeds had also grown, as such, the Ajeet contrasted poorly with these new priorities. However, also according to Smith, the Ajeet benefitted both from the positive combat reputation garnered by the Gnat, as well as for its relatively low radar cross-section (RCS). Having fallen out of political favour, fewer than

7663-436: The subsequent aircraft. It had failed to interest the RAF as a combat aircraft at that time, but officers did issue encouragement of the development of a similar aircraft for training purposes. The larger Gnat, which was being developed in parallel with the Midge, was an improved version of the original fighter design; it was differentiated by larger air intakes to suit the Orpheus engine, a slightly larger wing, and provision for

7760-471: The time, such as the Hawker Hunter and the Gloster Javelin interceptors , were viewed as questionable. Petter examined the prospects for producing a more affordable but capable "light fighter", including a survey of available modern engines to power the type. Having identified suitable powerplant arrangements along with methods of making multiple key design aspects, such as the manufacturing of

7857-415: The total loss of individual Gnats and the deaths of several pilots. Accordingly, while the Gnat had been determined to be effective as a combat aircraft, it was also viewed that there was room for improvement on the design of its subsystems. During 1972, the IAF therefore issued a formal requirement, calling for the development and production of an improved model of the Gnat. Although the original revision of

7954-402: The trainer and interceptor role. The Gnat 5 was to be powered by either a pair of Rolls-Royce RB153R engines or two Viper 20 engines; in the interceptor role, it would be also equipped with a Ferranti AI.23 Airpass radar and armed with a pair of de Havilland Firestreak air-to-air missiles . Featuring an estimated maximum speed around Mach  2 (2,500 km/h; 1,500 mph) and

8051-528: The two wars were against Sabres despite the Canadair Sabre Mk 6 being widely regarded as the best dogfighter of its era. Tactics called for Gnats taking on the Sabres in the vertical arena, where the Sabres were at a disadvantage. As the Gnat was lightweight and compact in shape, it was hard to see, especially at the low levels where most dogfights took place. Apart from air defence operations, in

8148-417: The type's development; the Gnat was later submitted to meet this requirement. Its design allowed for its construction and maintenance tasks to be carried out without specialised tools, making it suitable for use in countries that had not yet become highly industrialised . The Gnat has been viewed as a major motivating factor towards the issuing of the NATO NBMR-1 requirement, which sought to make available

8245-515: The undercarriage; almost all new pilots would find it difficult to control the anticipated pitch up. With sufficient experience, pilots would exploit the nimble mini-sized aircraft to its limits. The Gnat is credited by many independent and Indian sources as having shot down seven Pakistani North American F-86 Sabres in the 1965 war . During the initial phase of the 1965 war, an IAF Gnat, piloted by Squadron Leader Brij Pal Singh Sikand, landed at an abandoned Pakistani airstrip at Pasrur and

8342-462: The wing. This had several effects on the overall design, including the substantial expansion of its internal fuel capacity and the freeing up of several underwing hardpoints that had been previously occupied by external fuel tanks, allowing for their use in the carriage of other equipment and armaments. Furthermore, the carriage of even-greater payloads was also enabled via the installation of an additional pair of underwing hardpoints. Certain aspects of

8439-400: Was actuated by hydraulically -driven ball screws positioned at the inner ends of the wings. The wings could be swept from 20 degrees to 70 degrees; at the 70-degree position, longitudinal control was maintained by wing tip-mounted elevons , and at the 20-degree position by a retractable canard arrangement. Auto- stabilisation was also to be used. By providing trimming with the canard,

8536-475: Was an extremely difficult aircraft to handle in the early stages of training. Unlike the RAF, the IAF did not buy a trainer version. Inductees were brought in from Hunter aircraft squadrons, having gained experience on powered controls. They then flew dual checks on the Hunter trainer. The pilot would do a brief full throttle run on the runway before flying solo. The Gnat had a tendency to pitch up sharply on raising

8633-539: Was captured by the PAF. Two Lockheed F-104 Starfighters claimed to have forced the Gnat down. Sikand — who had a complete electrical failure on his Gnat while he got separated from the IAF flight to fight a Sabre — had to make an emergency landing at the PAF field at Pasrur. This Gnat is displayed as a war trophy in the Pakistan Air Force Museum, Karachi . After the ceasefire, one Pakistani Cessna O-1

8730-400: Was closely followed by a third. However, information on the Ajeet trainer programme was received with a lack of interest on the part of the Indian government. IAF Air Commodore Jasjit Singh observed that there was little need for a trainer version of the Ajeet as the original Gnat had already been developed into a training aircraft and therefore could have been acquired already if the IAF had

8827-419: Was completed during 1991. The HAL Ajeet was a jet-propelled light fighter, primarily intended to function as a low-level interceptor aircraft , while also being capable of ground-attack missions. Being a derivative of the earlier Gnat, the aircraft appeared to be visually similar to its predecessor; the presence of a pair of extra underwing hardpoints being amongst the only obvious distinguishing features from

8924-537: Was in the United Kingdom on 11 January 1958, it was delivered to India in the hold of a C-119 , and accepted by the Air Force on 30 January 1958. The first Gnat squadron was the No. 23 (Cheetah) , which converted from Vampire FB.52 on 18 March 1960 using six Folland-built Gnats. The first aircraft built from Indian-built parts first flew in May 1962. The last Indian-built Gnat F.1 was delivered on 31 January 1974. The Gnat

9021-528: Was issued. On 31 August 1959, the prototype Gnat Trainer conducted its maiden flight from Chilbolton airfield , Hampshire . The Ministry did not at first place a production order as they were concerned about the size and ability of the company to take on a large order. Following the take over of Folland by Hawker Siddeley Aviation (becoming the Hamble division), further orders for 30, 20 and 41 trainers were placed between February 1960 and March 1962, receiving

9118-475: Was not evaluated in the competition, which was won by the Fiat G.91 . However, the Gnat was evaluated in 1958 by the RAF as a replacement for the de Havilland Venom , as well as other light aircraft such as the BAC Jet Provost . The Hawker Hunter was selected as the eventual winner of the fly-off competition. Although RAF interest in the possibilities for using the Gnat as a fighter had waned, Folland identified

9215-515: Was shot down on 16 December 1965 by a Gnat. The Gnats were used again by India in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 . The most notable action was the Battle of Boyra where the first dogfights over East Pakistan ( Bangladesh ) took place. IAF Gnats shot down two PAF Canadair Sabres and badly damaged one. Another notable dogfight involving a Gnat was over Srinagar airfield where a lone Indian pilot held out against six Sabres, shooting two Sabres in

9312-537: Was soon found to be a problematic aircraft in service and required a lot of ground maintenance. In early 1957 a licence agreement was reached to allow Valmet to build the Gnat at Tampere in Finland, although, in the end, none were built. On 31 July 1958, Finnish Air Force Major Lauri Pekuri , a fighter ace of the Second World War , became the first Finnish pilot to break the sound barrier while flying

9409-483: Was used to conduct both low-level air superiority missions and to perform short range ground attack runs. Due to its effectiveness against Pakistani fighters, such the North American F-86 Sabre , the type was given the moniker of Sabre Slayer . The Gnat was ultimately operated by the IAF for several decades up until its retirement during the 1980s. According to aviation author Pushpindar Chopra,

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