WOW113 Gloster Gladiator

Description

WOW113: The Gloster Gladiator was a single seat British built fighter, the last Bi-plane to see service in the RAF and RNAS. It was obsolete before it even entered service, as the newer faster monoplanes being produced for the worlds other air-forces worldwide had already superseded it in terms of performance. Though often pitted against more formidable opponents during the early days of WW2, the Gladiator performed well in combat. The Gladiator saw action in just about every theatre during WW2 being utilized by the RAF in France, Norway, Greece and most notably in the defence of Malta. It was here that Gladiators from the RAF base at Hal Far were at one stage (for 10 days) the only fighter cover available to the island of Malta, where they fought bravely against the Italian and German air-forces. The myth that 3 particular aircraft Faith, Hope and Charity were the only Allied aircraft in operation has now become the stuff of legend and it is fitting that our first Gladiator is ‘Faith’ from the Hal Far flight. The Gladiator was also used by China against Japan and on the Eastern front by Finnish and Swedish pilots fighting the Russians, both producing several notable aces. Armed with 4 x Browning .303 machine guns and with a top speed of 253 MPH, the Gladiator was well liked by its pilots with the Allied Ace Pat Pattle, scoring 15 of his 50 aerial victories whilst flying a Gladiator. Finally withdrawn from service on all fronts by 1944, the Gladiator passed into history leaving behind a enduring legacy that still lasts to this day. This 1/30 scale hand carved Mahogany model is limited to 12 models worldwide and also includes the RAF pilot figure with cricket bat as per the pictures or similar if pilot not available. The $ price shown includes an additional charge for postage and therefore no further charges will apply at checkout.