Folland Gnat Suomen ilmavoimissa - in Finnish Air Force

The Folland FO.141 Gnat was selected as the new jet fighter for the Ilmavoimat, the Finnish Air Force, in 1956 when economical and political options were limited. After evaluations 12 lightweight Gnats were purchased from England. It had the best performance and the lowest price. However, Gnat was still in development phase, which delayed the deliveries. The first aircraft were flown to Finland in the summer of 1958.

The Gnat suffered from continuous deficiencies and flaws, which resulted in extra work for technical personnel. The Gnat was somewhat challenging aircraft to fly due to its handling qualities. It was however agile and fast, and had good climb performance. Its service life was short (1958–1972), but it had an important role in the development of Ilmavoimat's fighter operations.

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