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Gloster Aircraft
Gloster Gladiator Mk.1


A Gloster Gladiator in RAF markings
Role Fighter
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer Gloster Aircraft Company, Ltd.
Designer Henry Phillip Folland
First flight 12 September 1934
Introduction 23 February 1937
Retired 1953 (Portugal)
Primary users Royal Air Force
Number built 747
Developed from Gloster Gauntlet
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History Gloster Aircraft Company
Gloster Gladiator Mk.1



The Gladiator saw action in almost all theatres during the Second World War, with a large number of air forces, some of them on the Axis side. The RAF used it in France, Norway, Greece, the defence of Malta, the Middle East, and the brief Anglo-Iraqi War (during which the Royal Iraqi Air Force was similarly equipped). Other countries deploying the Gladiator included China against Japan, beginning in 1938; Finland (along with Swedish volunteers) against the Soviet Union in the Winter War and the Continuation War; Sweden as a neutral noncombatant (although Swedish volunteers fought for Finland against USSR as stated above); and Norway, Belgium, and Greece resisting Axis invasion of their respective lands.

The Gloster Gladiator is a British biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) (as the Sea Gladiator variant) and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s..

Design and development aircraft

Origins

Gloster Gladiator in pre-war RAF markings
During the 1920s, Britain's air defences had been based around interceptor aircraft capable of flying only for short ranges and at speeds of 150 to 200 miles per hour (240 to 320 km/h), but by 1930, figures within the Air Ministry were keen to supersede these aircraft. In particular, some dissatisfaction had arisen with the level of reliability experienced with the 'one pilot, two machine guns' design formula previously used; the guns were often prone to jams and being unreliable.The Air Ministry's technical planning committee formulatedSpecification F.7/30, which sought a new aircraft capable of a maximum speed of at least 250 mph (400 km/h), an armament of no fewer than four machine guns, and such handling that that same fighter could be used by both day and night squadrons. Gloster, being already engaged with development of the Gloster Gauntlet, did not initially respond to the specification, which later proved to be beneficial..

 
9.8
Km

Ceiling

660
Km

Max Range

750
Km/h

Performance

One
Pilot

Max Crew

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Gloster Aircraft Company
Gloster Gladiator Mk.1

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Gloster Aircraft Company
Gloster Gladiator Mk.1

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General Info 1

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      • Crew: 1
      • Length: 27 ft 5 in (8.36 m)
      • Wingspan: 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)
      • Height: 11 ft 9 in (3.58 m)
      • Wing area: 323 sq ft (30.0 m2)
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General Info 2

      • Empty weight: 3,217 lb (1,459 kg)
      • Gross weight: 4,594 lb (2,084 kg)
      • Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Mercury IX 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 830 hp (620 kW)
      • Propellers: 3-bladed fixed-pitch metal propeller
plane
3

General Info 3

  • Maximum speed: 253 mph (407 km/h, 220 kn) at 14,500 ft (4,420 m)
  • Cruise speed: 210 mph (340 km/h, 
  • Stall speed: 53 mph (85 km/h, 46 kn)
  • Endurance: 2 hours
  • Service ceiling:(10,000 m)
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General Info 4

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Special Links NASA Sonicboom Lockheed Martin X-59 Quesst

Links to Youtube & Others

N5520 Faith – Sea Gladiator fuselage on static display at the National War Museum in Valletta.[109] It is the only surviving Gladiator from the Fighter Flight.[110] Research on the airframe has indicated that it incorporates parts of at least one other Gladiator.

Gloster Aircraft
Gloster Gladiator Mk.1

In North Africa, Gladiators faced Italian Fiat CR.42 Falcos biplanes, which had a slightly superior performance to that of the Gladiator at higher altitudes.

interior

Youtube Link

The Finnish Air Force was the last to use the Gloster biplane in combat. It was under Finnish insignia that the Gladiator achieved its last air victory. During the Continuation War,

interior
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Read more in NASA Sonicboom Lockheed Martin X-59 QueSST

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