The Shuttleworth Collection's Gloster Gladiator, L8032 (currently appearing as K7985), G-AMRK displaying at Old Warden Aerodrome during the Shuttleworth Season Premiere Airshow 2022.
L8032 was the last production Gladiator I built in 1937 but not actually assembled until 1938. In 1948 it, together with Gladiator II N5903, was bought by Glosters. In 1950 the two were delivered to Air Service Training for use as instructional airframes at Hamble and Ansty. When Ansty closed the aircraft were bought by Viv Bellamy for a nominal sum. L8032 was restored using the engine from N5903 and flew again as G-AMRK. L8032 was bought back by Glosters in 1953, in 1956 returned to full military specification in 72 Squadron markings, albeit with the fictitious serial K8032. When Gloster Aircraft closed the Gladiator was presented to The Collection for safe keeping on 7 November 1960.
In 1990 the aircraft was repainted in a camouflage scheme, with No 247 Squadron codes and wore these until a fabric re-cover was carried out in 1996. Part of the restoration work was funded by donations in memory of the late Robin Bowes, a good friend of The Collection, who was killed flying his Fokker DR1 replica on Sunday 20 July 1995. When finished, the Gladiator emerged in Norwegian colours for filming.
In 2007 it re-appeared as K7985 of 73 Squadron RAF, the aircraft flown by the WWII Ace ‘Cobber’ Kain at the 1937 Hendon Air Pageant.
The origin of the Gloster Gladiator was in a private venture modification of the Gloster Gauntlet, to meet the requirements of Specification F.7/30 which called for an aircraft capable of at least 250 mph. The prototype that emerged was the single Gloster SS.37 (later allocated serial K5200) which had an open cockpit - later production Gladiator aircraft were fitted with an enclosed, sliding canopy.
The aircraft was powered by a Bristol Mercury engine and featured a clean cantilever undercarriage with internally-sprung Dowty wheels.
The SS.37 flew for the first time on 12th September 1934 in the hands of Gloster Chief Test Pilot Gerry Sayer. During flight testing, it attained a top speed of 242 mph, a level which left some Ministry officials so sceptical towards such a perfomance level being achieved from a radial engine design that they ordered a protracted series of additional tests.
The production Gladiator I was finally ordered against Specification F.14/35 with 23 aircraft being initially procured and the type entering RAF service in February 1936. It was then officially designated as Gloster Gladiator.
All manufacturing took place at the Hucclecote Factory with the first production aircraft (K6129) being accepted into service on 16th February 1937.
The Gladiator II was similar, but made use of a Fairey fixed-pitch three-blade metal propeller.
50 were ordered in 1938 with many being delivered as Sea Gladiators. These were then followed by a further order for 300 aircraft (also split between Gladiator II and the arrester hook-equipped Sea Gladiator models).
No.72 Squadron at Tangmere were the first RAF unit to be equipped with the Gladiator and they were soon joined by No.3 Squadron at Kenley, replacing their Bristol Bulldogs. The Gladiator served with considerable distinction during the Second World War, notably in the defence of Malta, in Air Force service in Egypt and Norway whilst a number formed the spearhead of the RAF London Air Defence Force.
No.247 Squadron at RAF Roborough (Devon) also operated Gladiators during the Battle of Britain although no combat sorties actually took place due to the altitude of the aerial dogfights.
In addition to their use by the RAF, overseas sales included:
Gladiator I: Latvia (26) Lithuania (14) Belgium (22) China (36) Ireland (4) Greece (2).
Norway ordered 6 Gladiator I and 6 Gladiator II whilst Sweden purchased 37 Gladiator I and 18 Gladiator II.
30 ex-RAF Gladiator II were supplied to Finland, 17 to Greece and 15 to Portugal.
Egypt received 18 ex-RAF Gladiator I and 27 Gladiator II, some of these types being subsequently taken back into RAF service whilst a single, ex-RAF Gladiator I, and 11 Gladiator II aircraft were transferred to the South African Air Force.
The Gladiator ended its RAF service life in a meteorological role in 1944.
The single engine Gladiator was the last biplane design fighter aircraft to be used by the RAF.
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