Gloster Gladiator....useful or Useless?

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The Gladiator and other bipes were great in a point defense situation like Malta where the bad guys came to them, but no good in a long range escort mission. The problem with speeds over about 275 mph with two wings is "biplane interference" where the low pressure area above the bottom wing impinges on the underside of the top wing,increasing the drag and losing lift.
 
Yes, its true that they weren't very useful for escort duties but they were quite effective as roaming scouts looking for targets (as in the Gladiators in Norway in April 1940) as you say they had their uses and when they were used - more often than not they performed excellently... 8)

And C.C - as for your challenge...

I'll fly the Tiger Moth and spray you with 'Paris Green' as you pass me in the Glad!
 
cheddar cheese said:
well, er, il build up to my max ceiling of 33,500ft and wait for you to catch me
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Ha! 8) i'll just confuse you by flying in circles in my tiny yellow plane and you'll get dizzy and lose altitude then when you least expect it i'll kamikaze your fighter and bail out...the Tigermoth wasn't a difficult plane to fly (precisely why it was a trainer) and pilots loved it..which is why its so popular- but its also so small that flying at speed it wouldn't be easy to see or hit (as long as it wasn't painted yellow that is!)

 

i wont get dizzy though 8) i have the lastest high tech leather flying goggles that prevent dizzyness

yeah, well you'll be all day getting there C.C.........................
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i hope that wasnt a dig at the gladiator it higher than the lancaster can go 8)
 
s**t myself and start praying!
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nothing wrong with trainers - i was reading recently that a young new raf pilot was training in an avro anson, when a he-111 flew by and started bombing the airfield. the anson pilot the flew across the path of the 111. the 111 then turned it attention to the anson and started to fly towards it, the anson pilot then usen his starboard wing to swipe the front of the 111, thus bringing the 111 down. all the crew of the 111 died, and the anson pilot got away with light damage to his legs after he crash landed 8)
 
Yes...but slight difference there between an Avro Anson and a DH Tigermoth!!

for a start the Anson wasn't origianlly designed as a trainer it was actually a costal recon and light-bomber monoplane capable of carrying a crew of 5 people and had two engines! it even had a rear gun turret! it was only later in the war it was relegated to training - so you can imagine how tough they built them 8)

it weighed 9300lb compared to the Tigermoths 1825lb and the Tigermoth was made of streched fabric and was a biplane! if a Tigermoth rammed an He111 the Tigermoth would be in peices and the only thing the He111 crew would've died of would be laughter at the sight of a little tigermoth trying to ram them out of the sky!
 
I know - I still think the Roc was the worst plane of WW2 - truly an embarrassing mess of a British plane
 
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