The Gloster Gladiator (also known as the Gloster SS.37) is a 1930s British biplane fighter.The Gladiator entered service with the Royal Air Force in 1937 and was used in front-line fighter duties until around 1941, after being declared obsolete RAF Gladiators did non-combat work like meteorological work, Finland still used the Gladiator in combat duties until 1945. The battle became confused. The Gladiator's last air combat with an Italian fighter was on 24 October 1941, with the CR.42 of Tenente Malavolti (or, according to historian Håkan Gustavsson, sottotenente Malavolta). [8][9], In spring 1934, Gloster embarked on the construction of a single SS.37 prototype. [83], On 2 May 1941, in response to a blockade established by increasing numbers of Iraqi forces on RAF Habbaniya and demands from the revolutionary Iraqi government, a preemptive RAF attack was launched to break the encirclement. No Norwegian Army Air Service aircraft were able to evacuate westwards before the 10 June surrender of the mainland Norwegian forces. Six days later, the Fiat CR.42s intercepted an RAF Hawker Audax and clashed with escorting Gladiators in what was to prove the final air-to-air combat of the brief campaign. British pilots claimed 13 to 16 confirmed victories and one to seven probables, while losing two Gladiators. The last of the RAF’s biplane fighters, the Gladiator had some modern features, such as an enclosed cockpit, a first for an RAF fighter, as well as an armament of four machine guns. Based on the Gauntlet, the prototype SS37 was designed by Henry Folland and first flew on 12th September 1934 with evaluation by the RAF commencing in April 1935. Instruction sheets. They were also assigned the mission of defending Aden airspace at day and night, and to protect Allied shipping operating in the vicinity. [20], In October 1937, the Chinese Central Government ordered 36 Gladiator Is, which were delivered in two crated batches to Guangzhou via Hong Kong. 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 non-combatant (although Swedish volunteers fought for Finland against USSR as stated above); and Norway, Belgium, and Greece resisting Axis invasion of their respective lands. [59] Charity was shot down on 31 July 1940. In at least some Sea Gladiators, provision existed for a pair of Brownings to be fitted under the upper wings as well, bringing the total to six. [96], The Irish Air Corps was supplied with four Gladiators on 9 March 1939. On 1 July 1935, the aircraft formally received the name Gladiator. Shores, Christopher and Brian Cull with Nicola Malizia. South African Air Force." The last biplane fighter used by the Royal Air Force, the Gladiator entered service in 1937 although just two years later the type was considered obsolete and was being phased out of service. [39] Numerous German aircraft were downed by Gladiators during this deployment. Folland's team at Gloster to meet Specification F.7/30. As the Allied troops retreated, Gladiators covered them, before flying to Crete during the last week of April. In Part two, we add the harnesses to the seat and install the cockpit. Graffer, was shot down during a combat where seven aircraft were downed, four of them British. One Gladiator was shot down during the air battle by the future experte Helmut Lent, while two were strafed and destroyed while refuelling and rearming at Fornebu airport. [29] The aircraft belonged to and were crewed by the Swedish Air Force but flew with Finnish nationality markings. AIMS | 32PE012: Gloster Gladiator Cockpit for 1:32 ICM Kit Reviewed by Iain Ogilvie. [17], Although, by 1941, all Gladiators had been withdrawn from front-line duties defending the British Isles, a need to defend Britain's trade routes throughout the overseas territories of the British Empire had been recognised and therefore the RAF redeployed many of its Gladiators to the Middle East to defend the theatre and the crucial Suez Canal. "Gladiator, Gauntlet, Fury, Demon". The Gloster Gladiator was the RAF’s last biplane fighter. On 5 April, German forces invaded Greece and quickly established air superiority. According to the Italian historian Nico Sgarlato, the CR.42 was intercepted by three Gladiators and managed to shoot down two of them, but was then itself shot down and the pilot killed. [48] Gladiators also saw action against the Vichy French in Syria.[49]. The Finnish Air Force obtained 45 aerial victories by 22 pilots with the aircraft during the Winter War and one victory during the Continuation War. At some point this year I hope to make a Gauntlet based on this kit, the AIMS cockpit set arrived this morning. ", "Flight Lieutenant Marmaduke Thomas St. John Pattle, D.F.C. 72 operated the type until April 1939, longer than any other home-based frontline unit. The Gloster Gladiator-page contains all related products, articles, books, walkarounds and plastic scale modeling projects dedicated to this aircraft.. 3 Squadron at Kenley also received Gladiators from the remainder of the first production batch, replacing their obsolete Bristol Bulldogs. Initially it was thought that only the old CR.32s were involved, but there were also many CR.42s; it is likely that the then inexperienced Pattle was shot down by another future ace, Franco Lucchini. Single-seat fighter biplane for the Royal Navy, 38 modified Gladiator II aircraft. [6] On 12 September 1934, the SS.37 prototype conducted its maiden flight, piloted by Gloster chief test pilot Gerry Sayer. Although no combat sorties took place at the height of the aerial battles, 247 Squadron Gladiators intercepted a Heinkel He 111 in late October 1940, without result. [95], As late as mid-1941, the RAF Chief-of-Air Staff offered 21 Gloster Gladiators gathered from various meteorological and communications flights in the Middle East, as well as five from a Free French unit, to AOC Singapore in order to strengthen the colony's defences against the emerging Japanese threat. [4] Gloster, being already engaged with development of the Gloster Gauntlet, did not initially respond to the specification, which would later prove to be beneficial. [17] Between March and April 1937, No. Serial numbers: N2265 – N2302. The 1941 Anglo-Iraqi War was unique in that the RAF and Royal Iraqi Air Force, used the Gladiator as their main fighter. 54 Squadron at Hornchurch became the first unit to receive Browning-armed Gladiators. In the Mediterranean Theatre during 1940–41, Gladiators saw combat with four Allied air forces: the RAF, Royal Australian Air Force, South African Air Force and Ellinikí Vasilikí Aeroporía (Royal Greek Air Force) squadrons. Download | 14757Kb (.jpg) Marketplace. The top ace was Flight Lieutenant Pat Pattle, from No. Further three naval M.F.11s and one He 115 flew to Finland, landing on Lake Salmijärvi in Petsamo. French fighter ace Pierre Le Gloan shot down the Gladiator for his 15th confirmed kill. 1,585 81. It began series production to Specification F.14/35 in July 1935 and the first flight of the Gloster Gladiator was made in the January of 1937. [50] In the siege of Malta in 1940, for ten days the fighter force defending Malta was the Hal Far Fighter Flight, giving rise to a myth that three aircraft, named Faith, Hope and Charity, formed the entire fighter cover of the island. Sea Gladiator. [39] Overall, British action in the theatre was short but intense before the squadrons, due to the British government's response to the invasion of France, were instructed on 2 June to prepare for evacuation. Besides that, I'd like to build an Irish Army Air Corps Gladiator. Development of what would become the Gladiator began as a private venture, internally designated as the SS.37, at Gloster by a design team headed by H.P. The Gladiator was developed from the earlier Gloster Gauntlet and still sported the preceding type’s biplane wing appearance but situated the pilot in an enclosed cockpit. It was the last of three biplanes to see operational service in the war, the others being the Fiat C.R.42 Falco and the Polikarpov I-15. On 28 October 1940, Italy issued an ultimatum to Greece, which was promptly rejected; a few hours later, Italian troops launched an invasion of Greece, initiating the Greco-Italian War. 33225. None of our partner shops or mates has this currently for sale. ", "Luftwaffe use of the Gloster Gladiator during the Second World War. 263 Squadron. [30] On 18 May 1940, a Luftwaffe bombing raid destroyed many of the BEF's Gladiators and Hurricanes on the ground at Vitry-en-Artois, shortly after which the BEF's withdrawal to Dunkirk for evacuation to mainland Britain began. 80 Squadron. [46], The Gloster Gladiator was in operational service with 247 Squadron, stationed at RAF Roborough, Devon during the Battle of Britain. To me it seems that this aircraft more than any other in the Collection spans the gap between the age of graceful 1930’s silver- winged biplanes and … Discover (and save!) The flight was fired upon by Royal Navy ships in attendance, consequently, the Irish Gladiators withdrew. Flying the Gladiator Often described as one of the last great biplane fighters, the Gloster Gladiator is one of my favourite aircraft. [72], In Eastern Africa, it was determined that Italian forces based on Ethiopia posed a threat to the British Aden Protectorate, thus it was decided that an offensive would be necessary, in which the Gladiator would face off against the Italian biplane fighters: Fiat CR.32s and CR.42s. Obsolete by the outbreak of World War II, nevertheless Gladiators fought with some success on several fronts. The Flying Regiment F 19 arrived in Finnish Lapland on 10 January 1940 and remained there until the end of hostilities. Pier Giorgio Bonassin | Hendon - RAF Museum Royal Air Force | Gloster Gladiator. FSADDON have released another WWII Fighter ie the GLOSTER GLADIATOR, designed specifically for FSX. Hot on the heels of the superb ICM kit of the Gloster Gladiator Mk.I, John at AIMS has been very busy creating some really useful after-market sets/decals for the kit.From this reviewers perspective one of the most useful is the photo-etched brass detail set for the cockpit area as featured here. "Oriental Gladiators: The combat debut for the Gloster biplane.". Folland soon identified various changes to increase the aircraft's suitability to conform with the demands of the specification. [17] Most accidents were caused by pilots being caught out by the fighter's increased wing loading, and many aviators had little experience in landing aircraft with such a wide flap area. Production of the initial batch was performed simultaneously, leading to many aircraft being completed around the same time. In a confused battle, both sides lost one aircraft shot down and one severely damaged. [6] Initially powered by a 530 hp (400 kW) Mercury IV engine, the prototype was quickly re-equipped with a more powerful 645 hp (481 kW) Mercury VIS engine. The Italian pilot took off to strafe British airfields at Dabat and Adi Arcai. 47484V) Lieutenant Lancelot Charles Henry "Paddy" Hope, at Dabat airfield, scrambled to intercept the CR.42 (MM7117). He was the leading Allied pilot of the campaign. [62] Woods shot down Antonio Chiodi, commander of the 75a Squadriglia five miles east of Grand Harbour. [76], According to Gustavsson, SAAF pilot (no. [39] After less than a week, all the squadron's aircraft were unserviceable and the personnel were evacuated back to Britain. 94 Sqn Gladiators; one Fiat was shot down by a Gladiator flown by Wg Cdr Wightman, close to Khan Nuqta. On 16 February 1937, K6129, the first production Gladiator, was formally accepted by the RAF; on 4 March 1937, K6151, the last aircraft of the initial batch, was delivered. "On Silver Wings – Part 20". Developed privately as the Gloster SS.37, it was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it was being introduced. Those old Gladiators aren't made of stressed steel like a Hurricane or a Spit. [31], Gladiators typically flew patrol flights that led to occasional clashes with Luftwaffe reconnaissance aircraft. 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