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The last of the Gloster fighter designs created by H P
Folland, the single-seat all-metal cantilever monoplane
evolved to Specification F.5/34 (which ultimately produced
the Hurricane and the Spitfire) was powered by
an 840hp Mercury IX nine-cylinder radial engine and
carried an armament of eight 7.7mm Browning
guns. This aircraft, to which no designation was
assigned other than that of the specification that it was
intended to meet, suffered somewhat protracted development
owing to the company's preoccupation with
the Gladiator. The first of two prototypes did not commence
flight trials until December 1937, with the
second following in March 1938. By the time that the
Gloster fighter made its debut, the Hurricane had
entered service and the Spitfire had reached production,
and further development of the Mercury-engined
monoplane was not pursued.
 | A three-view drawing (1663 x 1213) |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 2449 kg | 5399 lb |
| Empty weight | 1900 kg | 4189 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 11.63 m | 38 ft 2 in |
| Length | 9.76 m | 32 ft 0 in |
| Height | 3.09 m | 10 ft 2 in |
| Wing area | 21.36 m2 | 229.92 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 508 km/h | 316 mph |
| Tomasz, aeronauticus(@)wp.pl, 30.08.2009 With an upgraded Mercury XV engine it would have been a very promising support aircraft for the Royal Navy had the vision been there. | | Leo Rudnicki, leo_rudnicki(@)hotmail.com, 24.06.2009 Sorry but the Bristol 146 is way too ugly(aesthetically challenged) for even my imagination,as well as proportionally awkward. Glad you didn't mention the Vickers Venom. | | Steve Gorton, steveg(@)abkj.com, 24.06.2009 Like the similar Bristol 146, the Gloster F.5/34 suffered from the choice of a too-small engine, which made the aircraft uncompetitive with the Spitfire and Hurricane. I agree that the use of the Hercules engine poses an exciting prospect. I would anticipate performance similar to the Fw-190, and an air-cooled engine would better suit the low-altitude/ground attack mission than the Merlin. Carrier applications are obvious. | | leo rudnicki, leo_rudnicki(@)hotmail.com, 14.04.2009 In my version of alternate history, Adm Boyd ruled the navy,the Fleet Air Arm had priority, Roy Fedden had a free hand and this aircraft became the fleet fighter that they never had until Sea Fury, post war. of course, it had a 90degree twist in the undercarriage per Curtiss, like F6f & F4U, 4 Hispano 20's with 150 round box magazine, Hercules engine with aft-facing exhaust as later developed, centerline and wing plumbed hardpoints for fueltanfs or bombs. Gladiator never existed, nor did Skua, Roc, Defiant, Battle,( Hurri-Bombers filled in), Fulmar etc. I had plans.....Looks Zeroish, doesn't it? Could have saved 2 Battleships, 2 cruisers and an aircraft carrier. |
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