Gloster Gauntlet

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The Gloster Gauntlet was a single-seat, biplane fighter of the RAF. It was the last RAF fighter to have an open cockpit and the penultimate biplane.

The prototype first flew in 1933 and the Gauntlet Mk. I entered service in May 1935. This was replaced in production by the Gauntlet Mk. II after 24 had been completed. The new model used different construction methods following the merger of Gloster with Hawker-Siddeley and entered service in May 1936; 204 Mk. IIs were produced.

The Mk. I was withdrawn from front-line service in 1938, while the Mk. II survived until the outbreak of World War II.

[edit] Operators

• Australia
  • Royal Australian Air Force
    • No. 3 Squadron RAAF
• Denmark
• Finland
• Rhodesia
• South Africa
• United Kingdom

[edit] Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 26ft 9in (8.05m)
• Wingspan: 32ft 9in (9.99m)
• Height: 10ft 4in (3.12m)
• Loaded weight: 3,970lb (1,801kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Bristol Mercury VI S2 9-cylinder radial , 645hp ()

Performance

• Maximum speed: 230mph at 15,800ft (370km/hr at 4,825m)
• Range: 460mi (740km)
• Service ceiling: 33,500ft (10,210m)

Armament

• 2x0.303in Vickers machine guns