The Gloster Gladiator was a British built single seater biplane fighter manufactured by the Gloucestershire Aircraft Company.  It was used by the RAF and was also exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s.   Although a biplane, the Gladiator was very different from the older types.  It was powered by the 840hp British Mercury VIIIA 9-cylinder air-cooled radial engine; it had a top speed of 257 mph and accommodating four Browning 303 machine guns. 

RAF Church Fenton in Yorkshire was opened in April 1937 as a result of the RAF’s massive expansion programme and in response to the escalating military activity in Germany under Adolf Hitler. The station was intended as a fighter base to protect the North’s industrial cities and was home to both offensive and defensive squadrons as part of No. 13 Group, including No. 72 Squadron, who had been allocated the Gloster Gladiators.

Despite being one of the remaining survivors of a previous aviation era, the Gladiator was also one of the last Allied bi-planes to see service in WWII and its career in the conflict came to an end in May 1940, when it was superseded by the superior and more up to date Hurricane.  However, the Gladiator played an ongoing role in home based reconnaissance duties rather than active combat.

Our 1:72 scale replica of K6130 Gladiator Mk I is decorated in all over silver with red and blue markings. The RAF roundel features on the upper and lower wings as well as along the fuselage. Intricate detail includes rust brown exhaust pipe and lighter brown cowling edge. The tyres, guns and engine are black and the wheel hubs are finished in bright red.

K6130 was subsequently transferred overseas and on 18^th July 1940 while flying over Egypt in cloud, the plane crashed into a hill, killing the RAF pilot and it was totally destroyed.