An ex-Finnish Air Force Gloster Gauntlet Mk II, GT-400, taking off at Selänpää Airfield, 2008 | |
Role | Fighter |
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National origin | United Kingdom |
Manufacturer | Gloster Aircraft |
First flight | 1933 |
Introduction | 1935 |
Retired | 1943 |
Primary users | Royal Air Force Finland Denmark |
Produced | 1933–1936 |
Number built | 246 |
Developed from | Gloster S.S.18/19 |
Variants | Gloster Gladiator |
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The Gloster Gauntlet can be traced back to the S.S.18 prototype, which made its maiden flight during January 1929.
The airplane was the Gloster-Whittle E.28/39, registration W4041/G, the first of two prototype fighters powered by a turbojet engine.
On 25 May 1935, the first two aircraft were delivered to No. 19 Squadron, while 20 of the first 24 Gauntlets had been completed by the end of the following month,