Gloster Gladiator

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Gloster Gladiator

Gladiator in pre-WWII RNoAF colours
Type	fighter
Manufacturer	Gloster Aircraft Ltd
Maiden flight	1934
Introduced	1937
Primary user	RAF
Number built	756

The Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter, used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy (as well as a number of other air forces), during World War II. The aircraft had a top speed of around 257mph (414 km/h). Gladiators were also modified for carrier operations and flown by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA) as the Sea Gladiator. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft.

It had an enclosed, single-seat cockpit, cantilever landing gear and a 2-blade fixed-pitch propeller driven by a Bristol Mercury air-cooled engine. A total of 756 airframes were built (480 RAF, 60 RN; 216 exported to 13 countries). Gladiators were sold to Belgium, China, Egypt, Finland, Free French, Greece, Iraq, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, South Africa and Sweden.

1 History
2 Variants
3 Quotes
4 Notable Gloster Gladiator pilots
5 Specifications (Gloster Gladiator Mk.I)
6 Operators
7 Units using the Gloster Gladiator
8 External links
9 References
10 Related content

[edit] History

The Gladiator was developed from the Gloster Gauntlet. It first flew in 1934 and entered service in 1937. Even as it was introduced, the design was being eclipsed by the new generation of monoplane fighters, such as the RAF's new Hurricanes and Spitfire and the Luftwaffe's Messerschmitt Bf 109.

It performed reasonably well in limited Finnish service against Soviet fighters during the Winter War, but was found to be outclassed by German fighters in other theatres.

Despite this, the planes of the Norwegian Jagervingen (fighter wing) at Fornebu Airport, consisting of seven functional Gladiators, managed to shoot down a total of five German aircraft on April 9, 1940, the first day of Weserübung. During that day, the Luftwaffe lost two Messerschmitt Bf-110 fighters, two He-111 bombers and a Ju-52 transport. One Norwegian fighter was shot down during the air battle, by the future Experte Helmut Lent, while two were destroyed on the ground, while refueling and rearming, at Fornebu airport. The four remaining fighters were ordered to land wherever they could, just not on their Fornebu base. The fighters scattered, landing on frozen lakes around Oslo and never returned to combat.

The Gladiators were also used by two RAF fighter squadrons during the remaining two months of the Norwegian campaign. No Norwegian Army Air Force aircraft were able to evacuate after the June 10 surrender of the mainland Norwegian forces. Only aircraft of the Norwegian Naval Air Force had the range to fly all the way from their last bases in Northern Norway to the UK.

In the North African and Greek theatres, RAF Gladiators achieved some success against the Italian Regia Aeronautica, which was mainly equipped with Fiat CR.32 and Fiat CR.42 biplanes. It suffered heavier losses against the Fiat G.50 and Macchi C.200 monoplanes.^{[citation needed]}

During the siege of Malta, the entire island of Malta was protected by a small force of Gladiators, giving rise to a myth that only three Sea Gladiator aircraft, named Faith, Hope and Charity formed the entire air defence of the island.^{[citation needed]} In fact, more than three aircraft were operational, though not always at the same time; others were used for spare parts[1]. A stock of 18 aircraft from No. 802 Squadron FAA had remained at Malta after HMS Glorious was sunk in 1940. The three Sea Gladiators were part of the Hal Far Fighter Flight, which was comprised of both RAF and FAA personnel. (Hope was destroyed in an air raid on February 4, 1941. Charity was shot down on July 29, 1940 and its pilot, F/O P.W. Hartley RAF, was badly burned. The fuselage of Faith has been preserved in Malta.)

In the Far East, the Gladiator fared little better against Japanese aircraft than it had against those of the Germans and the Italians. It played a part in the short-lived defence of Singapore.

Iraqi Gladiators were used against British and Indian forces in 1941. The Iraqis used them until 1949 for ground attack missions against the Kurds.

Chinese Gladiators scored several victories over Japanese aircraft between 1938-1940.

Irish Gladiators shot down several British barrage ballons that had broken from their moorings.

Greek Gladiators destroyed many Italian aircraft in 1940 and 1941, as well as some German aircraft during the 1941 Invasion.

Belgian Gladiators suffered heavy losses to the Germans in 1940.

Swedish Gladiators, part of a volunteer squadron, performed well against the Soviet Airforce during the Winter War.

Carrier-based Sea Gladiators were more successful, since their slower speed made them more suitable for carrier operations and they were less likely to be facing more modern fighter opposition.

The Gladiator was exported for use by the air forces of 13 other countries.

Gladiators have been preserved at the Shuttleworth Collection, Gloucestershire Aviation Collection (in Bedfordshire, UK), National War Museum (in Fort St Elmo, Malta) and the RAF Museum (in Hendon and Cosford, UK).

[edit] Variants

SS.37

Prototype.

Gladiator Mk.I - 378 built.

Swedish Air Force designation for the Gladiator Mk I.

Gladiator Mk.II - 270 built.

J8A

Swedish Air Force designation for the Gladiator Mk II.

Sea Gladiator - 98 built.

Royal Navy version.

[edit] Quotes

Anonymous Maltese
- "[The Gladiators] worked miracles and must have frightened the Italians." (1 - p.37)

[edit] Notable Gloster Gladiator pilots

[edit] Specifications (Gloster Gladiator Mk.I)

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 27 ft 5 in (8.4 m)
Wingspan: 32 ft 3 in (9.8 m)
Height: 11 ft 7 in (3.2 m)
Wing area: 323 ft² (30 m²)
Empty weight: 3,444 lb (1,560 kg)
Loaded weight: 4,864 lb (2,205 kg)
Max takeoff weight: lb (kg)
Powerplant: 1× Bristol Mercury IX radial engine, 850 hp (630 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 257 mph (414 km/h) at 14,600 ft (4,500 m)
Range: 444 mi (710 km)
Service ceiling: 33,500 ft (10,200 m)
Rate of climb: 2220 ft/min (11.2 m/s)
Wing loading: lb/ft² (kg/m²)
Power/mass: hp/lb (W/kg)

Armament

Guns: Two .303in. Browning machine-guns on sides of front fuselage, and one beneath each lower wing.

[edit] Operators

Australia (RAAF), Belgium, China, Egypt, Eire (Ireland), Finland, Greece, Iraq, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, South Africa (SAAF), Sweden, United Kingdom (Fleet Air Arm, Royal Air Force),

[edit] Units using the Gloster Gladiator

[edit] Royal Air Force

No. 1 Squadron RAF
No. 3 Squadron RAF
No. 6 Squadron RAF
No. 14 Squadron RAF
No. 25 Squadron RAF
No. 33 Squadron RAF
No. 54 Squadron RAF
No. 56 Squadron RAF
No. 65 Squadron RAF
No. 72 Squadron RAF
No. 73 Squadron RAF
No. 80 Squadron RAF
No. 85 Squadron RAF
No. 87 Squadron RAF
No. 94 Squadron RAF
No. 112 Squadron RAF
No. 117 Squadron RAF
No. 123 Squadron RAF
No. 127 Squadron RAF
No. 141 Squadron RAF
No. 152 Squadron RAF
No. 237 Squadron RAF
No. 247 Squadron RAF
No. 261 Squadron RAF
No. 263 Squadron RAF
No. 267 Squadron RAF
No. 274 Squadron RAF
No. 520 Squadron RAF
No. 521 Squadron RAF
No. 603 Squadron RAF
No. 604 Squadron RAF
No. 605 Squadron RAF
No. 607 Squadron RAF
No. 615 Squadron RAF

[edit] Royal Australian Air Force

No. 3 Squadron RAAF

[edit] Finnish Air Force

Swedish Voluntary Air Force (Winter War)

[edit] Fleet Air Arm

No. 800 Squadron FAA
No. 801 Squadron FAA
No. 802 Squadron FAA
No. 804 Squadron FAA
No. 805 Squadron FAA
No. 806 Squadron FAA

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Gloster Gladiator

[edit] References

John Bierman and Colin Smith (2002). The Battle of Alamein: Turning Point, World War II.

[edit] Related content

Comparable aircraft

Designation sequence

Gauntlet - Gladiator - F.9/37- E.28/39 - Meteor - E.1/44 - Javelin