Gloster Gladiator
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| Gloster Gladiator in pre-war RAF markings | |
| Role | Fighter |
| 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 |
The Gloster Gladiator (or Gloster SS.37) was a British-built 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. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it was being introduced. Though often pitted against more formidable foes during the early days of the Second World War, it acquitted itself reasonably well in combat.
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 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.
The South African pilot Marmaduke "Pat" Pattle was the top Gladiator ace with 15 victories.
During the 1920s, Britain's air defences had been based around interceptor aircraft capable of flying only for short ranges and at speeds of 150-200 MPH; however, by 1930, figures within the Air Ministry were keen to supersede these aircraft. In particular, there had been some dissatisfaction with the level of reliability experienced with the 'one pilot, two machine guns' design formula previously used, the guns often prone to jams and being unreliable. The Air Ministry's technical planning committee formulated Specification 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 less 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 would later prove to be beneficial.
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