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The Gloster Gauntlet Biplane History
Developed from the Gloster S.S.19B
design, the Gloster Gauntlet was a British Royal Air Force single
seated biplane, built as a fighter with an open cockpit. The Air
Ministry placed an initial order for twenty four, each
carrying two .303 caliber Vickers Mk V machine guns. Following
Hawker’s takeover of Gloster, a further order was placed for the
improved Gloster Gauntlet Mk II. The Mk IIs were built using
Hawker’s construction methods which allowed easier building and
repair. Variants to the Gloster Gauntlet included the following:
SS.18, SS.18A, SS.18B, SS.19, SS.19A, SS.19B, Mk I,
Mk II.
The Gloster Gauntlet Biplane
Operations
In May 1935, No. 19 Squadron, based at RAF Duxford, Cambridgeshire,
became the first squadron to receive the Mk I. With
a maximum speed of 230 mph, it was a full 56 mph faster than the
Bristol Bulldog it was replacing. In fact it was the RAF’s fastest
aircraft between 1935 and 1937. A year later, in May 1936, the Mk II
came into service, resulting in a total of fourteen RAF squadrons
being equipped with this aircraft at it’s peak. As WW2 began, the Gauntlets were retired
from front line duties and used as training aircraft. Apart from the
Royal Air Force, they were also used by the Royal
Australian Air Force, the Royal Danish Air Force, The Finnish Air
Force, the Southern Rhodesian Air Force and the South African Air
Force.
There is only one airworthy
example in the world today. It is a Mk II which is
displayed in the Kymi Airfield Aviation Museum near Kotka, Finland.
Various scale
models, model kits and plans of this aircraft have been available in
the market place.
Gloster Gauntlet Biplane Specifications:
Gloster
Gauntlet Crew: Pilot only
Gloster Gauntlet
Length: 26ft 5in (8.05m)
Gloster Gauntlet
Wingspan: 32ft 9½in (10.0m)
Gloster Gauntlet
Height: 10ft 3in (3.13m)
Gloster Gauntlet
Wing area: 315ft² (29.3 m²)
Gloster Gauntlet
Empty weight: 2,770lb (1,259kg)
Gloster Gauntlet
Engine: Single Bristol Mercury VI S2 9-cylinder radial
engine, 645 hp (481 kW)
Gloster Gauntlet
Maximum speed: 230mph (370 km/h)
Gloster Gauntlet
Range: 460 mi (740 km)
Gloster Gauntlet
Service ceiling: 33,500ft (10,210m)
Gloster Gauntlet Biplane Armament:
Bombs:
244lb (111kg) mounted externally
Guns:
2 x .303 inch Vickers Mk V machine guns
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