Gloster Grebe
| Grebe | |
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| Gloster Grebe of No. 25 Squadron RAF. | |
| Role | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Gloster Aircraft Company |
| Designer | Henry Folland |
| First flight | 1923 |
| Introduction | 1923 |
| Retired | RAF 1928, RNZAF 1938 |
| Primary users | Royal Air Force Royal New Zealand Air Force |
| Number built | 133 |
| Developed from | Gloster Grouse |
| Variants | Gloster Gamecock |
The Gloster Grebe was developed from the Gloster Grouse (an experimental aircraft later developed as a trainer), and was the Royal Air Force's first post First World War fighter aircraft, entering service in 1923.
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[edit] Design
In 1923 Gloster produced two Gloster Grouse research aircraft / advanced trainer. Air Ministry officials ordered three prototypes of a Jaguar III engined fighter derivative, which entered production with the Jaguar IV engine as the Grebe IV.
The Grebe retained the same single seat biplane layout, fabric-covered wooden structure and twin Vickers machine gun armament as the Sopwith Snipes it replaced, the only real advance – a 162 mph (261 km/h) top speed - coming from the extra power of the 400 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar, (a prepared Grebe claimed a British record with a speed of 212.2 miles per hour).
[edit] Service history
Grebes entered service with the RAF during October 1923 when a single flight of 111 Squadron re-equipped with the new fighter.[1] The service found the Grebe to be very agile, but it suffered from wing flutter, which led to all RAF aircraft being modified with additional wing struts.
A total of 133 Grebes were produced, including dual-control trainers. All but 4 were Mark IIs. Grebes were retired from the RAF in 1929, replaced in part by the Gloster Gamecock which was in essence a developed Grebe, (Gloster fighter design, from Nighthawk to Gloster Gladiator was essentially evolutionary).
Two Grebes were modified for suspension beneath the R33 Airship on a 'trapeze' for "parasite" trials.[2]
The Grebe was developed into the Gloster Gamecock fighter, which also entered production for the RAF.
A single Grebe was gifted to New Zealand by Sir Henry Wigram, and subsequently another two Grebes were acquired by the New Zealand Permanent Air Force, fore-runner of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, entering service in March 1928 and serving more than 10 years until the mid-1938. The two survivors were used as instructional airframes until destroyed in 1943/44.
[edit] Variants
- Gloster Grouse : Experimental aircraft.
- Grebe Mk I : Single-seat fighter prototype, 4 built.
- Grebe Mk II : Single-seat fighter aircraft.
- Grebe (Dual) : Two-seat training aircraft.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Specifications (Grebe Mk.II)
Data from Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918-57 [4]
General characteristics
- Crew: one, pilot
- Length: 20 ft 3 in (6.17 m)
- Wingspan: 29 ft 4 in (8.94 m)
- Height: 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m)
- Wing area: 254.0 ft² (23.60 m²)
- Empty weight: 1,720 lb (780 kg)
- Loaded weight: 2,614 lb (1,189 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IV 14-cylinder air-cooled two-row radial engine, 400 hp (298 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 132 knots (152 mph, 245 km/h)
- Service ceiling: 23,000 ft (7,000 m)
- Wing loading: 10.3 lb/ft² (50.4 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.15 hp/lb (0.25 kW/kg)
- Climb to 20,000 ft (6,100 m): 23 minutes
- Endurance: 2 h 45 min
Armament
- Guns: 2×0.303 inch (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns
[edit] See also
- Related development
- Related lists
[edit] References
- Notes
- Bibliography
- James, Derek N. Gloster Aircraft since 1917. London: Putnam and Company Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-807-0.
- Thetford, Owen. Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918-57. London:Putnam, First edition 1957.
- Thetford, Owen. "On Silver Wings — Part 4". Aeroplane Monthly, January 1991, Vol 19 No 1. pp. 10–16. ISSN 0143-7240.
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