Each half of the wing is a very simple structure consisting of top and bottom 2mm Depron sheets drawn over a box spar and 3 intermediate Depron sheer webs. Each are sized to create the symmetrical wing section. There are no ribs.
The box wing spar is a balsa/Depron composite tapered in both depth and width from root to tip.

I did not take any pictures during the wing construction but you can just about see the 3 shear webs through the Depron skin.

The wing has anhedral so has to so has to joined with care.
Once joined formers are added to match the fuselage profile.

The four nylon bolts fix into threaded blocks glued to the inside of the skin.
The ESC is mounted on the side wall of the cockpit.

But with its heat sink flush with the outer surface.

Mounted close to EDF inlets should ensure an adequate flow over the ESC for limited static running.

Nicely done!

The Gnat complete with a solid cockpit canopy that doubles as the battery hatch.

Poor weather allowed me to give it a 'lightweight' colour scheme with just the fuselage painted red.

The white Depron wings and tail only needed a very light 'wash' of white. The dark blue control surfaces are more for 'contrast' visibility than anything else.
It weighs 447 g with a 1500 mAh 3s battery. Pretty light for an EDF that is 1100 mm long with an 800 mm span.

The maiden was reasonably successful with only minor ding in the wing although it showed a tendency to roll to the left requiring almost full right trim.
The second flight did not go well. I forgot to switch on the gyro and my own aileron input was too late to stop a wing tip touching and a cartwheel.
The result!

As I have found with these thin foam monocoque structures is that they absorb crash energy very well so the rest of the structure suffers little or no damage.

I built the first nose so it just a case of building another.

Nice job,
glad the maiden went well for you. Bummer about the second flight, but at least you only have to rebuild the nose.

Dan Eaton

Dan
Thanks for the kind words.
After I have damaged something I like to get straight back on it, to assuage the guilt maybe?

First cut back to a suitable undamaged point to establish the point where the new nose has to start. The lack of peripheral damage resulting from the energy absorbing nature of the thin wall Depron structure make life much easier.

Then cut out the new formers and the build can restart.

The original nose was built as a half shell over the plan but as the battery box was salvaged and I now knew exactly where it had to go to achieve the CofG it would form the basis of a quicker one piece 'vertical' build.

At this point you feel much more confident it will all go back together and hopefully in such a way that you can't even see the join.

Excellent, wish you back to fly soon

The nose rebuilt.

All painted and ready to go.

One advantage of such a repair method is there is virtually no weight increase as the original nose was "added on" anyway.
What was required was a bit of surgery to wing to remove a small unnoticed twist that was causing the turn to the left in the first place.
Hopefully it will work!

With some fine weather and reduced lock down restriction as short edited video of the 'repaired nose' maiden.

Folland Gnat T1 (1 min 8 sec)

Ignore the date shown it is the default for the 808 type camera.
The launch certainly shows the benefit of the gyro. In fact you have to do something about it otherwise it will just fly away all by itself.
As it is very light and as indicated by the sound track it will fly very nicely on a much reduced throttle. I shall have to test for just how long it can cruise
It glides pretty well as shown by the 'long walk' resulting from an enforced high approach.

Brilliant work smooth flyier well done i will take inspiration

Great rebuild and flight video. Thanks for sharing!