Throughout aviation history, many of the most iconic aircraft have been named after powerful animals. From the F9F Panther to the F-15 Eagle, big cats, birds of prey, and other fearsome creatures have been invoked to highlight speed, strength, and aggression.Yet when British designer W.E.W. “Teddy” Petter set about creating a new fighter in the early 1950s, he knew only one name would do: the Gnat.Like the minuscule insect it was named after, this aircraft was truly tiny. Less than thirty feet long and weighing little more than 6,500 pounds at a time when prevailing trends favored the big and the heavy, it was a radical departure that flew in the face of fifties fighter fashion. Yet like its namesake, it could also torment far larger adversaries with relentless persistence, turning its diminutive size into a lethal advantage.Though it was deemed too unconventional for combat use in its homeland, the Folland Gnat would find a new home half a world away. Soon, this pint-sized hero would find itself taking on one of the greatest dogfighters of all time: the F-86 Sabre…