THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: One of the Gnat aircraft which effectively gained India air supremacy in the Indo-Pak War of 1965, will soon get a rebirth.
The aircraft, displayed in front of the Nehru Bal Bhavan in Thrissur, will be repaired soon if the authorities give nod for a proposal submitted by an NRI entrepreneur.
Richard Menon, a US-based entrepreneur and a native of Thrissur, has come up with a unique project for renovating the aircraft, which is at present in an ill-maintained state.
“In August, Richard had submitted a project to renovate the airplane and make it in a running condition. The project is presently under the consideration of the 32-member managing committee of the Nehru Bal Bhavan which includes the District Collector and the District Panchayat President," said C.R. Das, Bal Bhavan executive director.
“We are interested in the project as it would benefit the children a lot. A final decision regarding this will be taken at the managing committee meeting to be held on November 7," he added.
Richard Menon, an avid airplane enthusiast, is the CEO of the Aero-Sports US, a US-based aero-modelling company, which has just launched a model airplane factory in Thiruvananthapuram.
Having seen the plight of the Gnat aircraft at the Bala Bhavan several years ago, Richard decided to renovate the aircraft and preserve it as a memorial.
The Folland Gnat is a British Aircraft that was inducted into the Indian Air Force just before the 1965 Indo-Pak War.