INSIDE THE FOLLAND GNAT

... And 8 months later I have a book!

Inside the Folland Gnat is a combination of blueprints and photographs, working from the nose and down towards the tail. For certain components I wrote some information about them such as what they are used for and/or how they work, while others are paired with their corresponding blueprint. I wanted to use the medium of photography to take my audience with me on my journey to try and understand more on the workings of the aircraft. Through the use of a wide angle lens and shallow depth of field, I wanted to emphasise the details of the components hidden from the public and put them in the spotlight. 

It was such a cool project to take on. It would have been easier to choose a simple or easy-to-attain subject but I fancied a challenge, and although for the most part it was a pleasure to do, at times seemed like I'd bitten off more than I could chew. It has not been entirely plain sailing, I originally wanted to incorporate a few teams into the project but was rejected by all but 2 (in hindsight the rejections had a positive impact, but to begin with it started to become disheartening), there was a time when I decided that I hated all of the photographs - fortunately that didn't last too long, there was not a lot of information on aero engineering in the library and there were also issues with lack of support from my own year group, resulting in me having to adopt another class for critiques.

Apart from those issues, the project was relatively straight forward. Although distance was never a factor, the close proximity of North Weald Airfield to mine meant that I could jump in my car and revisit the hangar as much as I needed.

My best advice to anyone doing an FMP is to treat at it like a block of cheese, the earlier you start it, the more mature it will be by the deadline. Giving yourself the time will allow for natural development and if any issues arise you will have the time to resolve it.  

Here are a few pages;