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Gloster
/ Gloster Gauntlet
Gloster Gauntlet
The Gloster Gauntlet was a British single-seat biplane fighter of the RAF.
It was the last RAF fighter to have an open cockpit and the penultimate biplane fighter in service.
Variants
SS.18
Single-seat prototype.
The aircraft was fitted with a 450-hp (336-kW) Bristol Mercury IIA radial piston engine.
SS.18A
The SS.18 was fitted with a 480 hp (358 kW) Bristol Jupiter VIIF radial piston engine.
SS.18B
The SS.18 was later fitted with a 560 hp (418 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Panther III radial piston engine.
SS.19
Single-seat prototype; fitted with a Bristol Jupiter radial piston engine.
SS.19A
The SS.19 was later fitted with two wheel spats and a single spatted tail wheel.
SS.19B
Single-seat prototype; fitted with a 536 hp (400 kW) Bristol Jupiter VIS radial piston engine.
Gauntlet Mk I
Single-seat fighter aircraft for the RAF.
Gauntlet Mk II
Single-seat fighter aircraft; modified version of the Gauntlet Mk I.
Specifications
Crew
1
Length
26 ft 5 in (8.05 m)
Wingspan
32 ft 9.5 in (9.995 m)
Height
10 ft 3 in (3.12 m)
Wing area
315 sq ft (29.3 m2)
Empty weight
2,770 lb (1,256 kg)
Gross weight
3,970 lb (1,801 kg)
Powerplant
1 × Bristol Mercury VI S2 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 645 hp (481 kW)
Propellers
2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller
Performance
Maximum speed
230 mph (370 km/h, 200 kn) at 15,800 ft (4,816 m)
Range
460 mi (740 km, 400 nmi)
Service ceiling
33,500 ft (10,200 m)
Rate of climb
2,300 ft/min (12 m/s)
Time to altitude
20,000 ft (6,096 m) in 9 minutes
Wing loading
12.6 lb/sq ft (62 kg/m2)
Power/mass
0.162 hp/lb (0.266 kW/kg)
Armament
Guns
2 × 0.303 in Vickers machine guns.
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