Gloster Aircraft Company

Author: Derek James
Publisher: Fonthill Media
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 278

Book Description
The Gloster Aircraft Company had its foundation in 1917 and in 1934 the company was taken over by Hawker Aircraft, though it continued to produce aircraft under its own name. In that same year the company produced the famous Gladiator biplane. Having no modern designs of its own in production, Gloster undertook manufacture for the parent company Hawker. During the Second World War it built more than 6,000 Hurricanes and Typhoons. The Gloster Meteor was the first operational Allied jet fighter aircraft of the Second World War, commencing operations in mid-1944, only some weeks later than the world's first operational jet, the German Messerschmitt Me 262. In 1945 a Meteor gained a World Airspeed Record of 606 mph. Meteors remained in service with several air forces and saw action in the Korean War. In 1952, the two seat, delta winged Gloster Javelin was developed as an all-weather fighter that could fly above 50,000 feet. In 1961, the company was merged with Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Limited to form Whitworth Gloster Aircraft Limited. Following re-organisation, the firm became part of the Avro Whitworth Division of Hawker Siddeley Aviation in 1963, and the name Gloster disappeared.

Gloster Aircraft Company

Author: Derek N. James
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781781552599
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 192

Jet Prototypes of World War II

Author: Tony Buttler
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472835999
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 81

Book Description
While World War II raged, pioneering aircraft and engine designers were busy developing the world's first practical jet-powered research aircraft to test and prove the new technology. This book examines the aircraft that paved the way for Germany's Me 262 and Britain's Meteor - the world's first jet fighters. Throughout the war, Germany, Italy and Britain engaged in top-secret jet programmes as they raced to develop the airpower of the future. Various experimental aircraft were trialled in order to achieve the goal of producing an effective engine and fighter that could harness the potential of the jet power. These included the German Heinkel He 178 research aircraft and Heinkel He 280 jet fighter prototype, the famed British E.28/39 research aircraft built by Gloster Aircraft as well as the stillborn E.5/42 fighter and E.1/44 Ace fighter prototype, and finally the remarkable Italian Caproni-Campini N.1/CC 2 research aircraft. Illustrated throughout with full-colour artwork and rare photographs, this fascinating study examines the fore-runners to the military jet age.

Hurricane R4118

Author: Peter Vacher
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 168

Book Description
In this book Peter Vacher relates the account of his discovery of the remains of a Mark I Hurricane in India, his long battle to bring it back to Britain, and how he restored it to working order and reunited three men who had originally flown the craft during the Battle of Britain.

Gloster Aircraft Since 1917

Author: Derek N. James
Publisher: Brassey's
ISBN:
Category : Gloster aircraft
Languages : en
Pages : 464

Book Description
This revised and updated edition reveals many new details about the construction, development and operational history of Gloster aircraft. Appendices provide information on more than 100 Gloster projects.

Gloster Gladiator Aces

Author: Andrew Thomas
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9781841762890
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Never before has a single volume been devoted exclusively to the intrepid and disparate band of pilots who could claim to be Gladiator aces. Flying the ultimate British biplane fighter, pilots in China, Finland, East Africa, North Africa, Western Europe, the Mediterranean, Norway and the Middle East all scored the prerequisite five kills to become aces. The first individuals to do so were fighting marauding Japanese fighters and bombers attacking targets in China in 1938. The likes of Sheen, Tuck and Carey will also be featured in this volume, as they were among the many early war acers who cut their teeth in Fighter Command on the Gladiator.

The Aeroplane

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 870

Book Description

Gloster Aircraft Since 1917

Author: Derek N. James
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781781554173
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Although most renowned for its series of seaplane racers for the Schneider Trophy Contests and for fighters like the Gamecock and the Gladiator, the Gloster Aircraft Company ran the gamut of design ingenuity, even though no type was ordered into quantity production. The company was chosen to produce Britain's first jet aircraft, the E28/39 and followed its success with the ubiquitous Meteor and the all weather, missile-carrying Javelin, of which some 4000 were built. This updated edition of of Gloster Aircraft since 1917 describes the company's formation and development in the face of a diminishing need for military aircraft and provides some fascinating insights into the manner to which it struggled to surmount the engineering and financial problems of the four decades of its existence before succumbing to the economic and political pressures of the post 1957 Defence White Paper era. Each chapter in this book covers a specific airplane, discussing its construction, development and operational history and comprehensive appendices give year by year production figures, UK and export sales, air racing successes and record achievements.

British Secret Projects

Author: Tony Buttler
Publisher: Voyageur Press (MN)
ISBN: 9781857800951
Category : Aircraft
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
A large number of fighter projects have been drawn by British companies over the last fifty years, but very few have turned into hardware, and very little has been published about these fascinating "might-have-beens". This book makes extensive use of previously unpublished, primary-source material-much recently declassified. It gives an insight into a secret world where the public has had little idea of what was going on, while at the same time presenting a coherent nationwide picture of fighter development and evolution. Particular emphasis is placed on tender design competitions and some of the events that led to certain aircraft either being canceled or produced. Some of the many and varied types included are the Hawker P.1103/P.1136/P.1121 series, and the Fairey "Delta III". The book includes many illustrations, plus specially commissioned renditions of "might-have-been" types in contemporary markings.

Schneider Trophy Aircraft 1913-1931

Author: Derek N. James
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781781554180
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 368

Book Description
At the end of 1912 Jacques Schneider announced his intention of presenting an annual trophy for an international seaplane contest. There were only twelve Schneider contests but they were major international events with the major rivals being Britain and Italy, followed by France and the US. Biplane seaplanes and flying-boats predominated the early contests and some very advanced twin-float biplanes were among the winners as late as 1925. However, it was the monoplane which was to become the symbol of Schneider Trophy, with Supermarine and Macchi designs reaching the peak of racing seaplane performance. The final winning combination of Supermarine airframe and Rolls-Royce engine was to make a vital contribution to Britain's defence in 1940 in the form of the Rolls-Royce powered Hurricane and Spitfire. This book records the contests and, in considerable detail, the design, development and achievements of the participating aircraft; those which failed to take part; and the projects, some of which embodied very advanced ideas even if they were proved to be unrealistic.