Gladiators in WW2 - Old and New Airfix

[Ed Russell]

The new Airfix Gladiator is an excellent kit. It is pretty accurate and goes together very easily. I was impressed with pretty much every aspect of it. I’ll maybe try a bit more cockpit detail in my next one but what’s supplied is quite good.

The only extra parts are the seat belts. I used the somewhat scarily named “feeling parts” from Kamizukuri (available from HLJ if you can cope with their ponderous ordering system). They are described here

http://z15.invisionfree.com/72nd_Aircraft/index.php?showtopic=4311

I did mine as #G-23 from the Belgian Air Force as I had a set of ABT decals from a long time ago and good pictures of it.

http://www.belgian-wings.be/webpages/navigator/Photos/MilltaryPics/interbellum/Gloster%20Gladiator%20I/Gloster%20Gladiator%20I%20Frontpage.html

G-23, like most of the Belgian Gladiators did not have a distinguished career. It was taken on charge in September 1937 It escaped destruction on the ground as happened to many but crashed after a mid-air collision with G-20 at Schaffen on 14 March 1939.

The uppersurface colour is the subject of speculation but the decals described it as Khaki. I mixed mine from Humbrol 150 and 155. Undersurfaces are Humbrol 11.

 

 

 

The rigging was the subject of some experimentation with Nitinol wire. This stuff is perfect for rigging if you are an extremely good modeller. It requires that you drill the reception holes exactly in the direction the wire is going to go or. if your holes are not near perfect, that you cut the wire to 0.1mm tolerance.

In the end I gave up on it - the 0.005 wire I have is too thin for. most rigging anyway - and used an alloy wire intended for fuses. if rolled and stretched it looks okay. I did use the nitinol wire for the tailplane rigging and the aileron control wires where it looks right.

Some time ago I bought an early Airfix Gladiator as a source of Malta Gladiator decals at a very good price. I was going to throw away the plastic, but, as i have never done the early Airfix offering, I thought I’d quickly build it.

I used the decals from the Frog Gladiator for 423 of the Norwegian Air Force.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Norwegian_Army_Air_Service_Gloster_Gladiator_423.jpg

By modern standards the old Airfix kit is rubbish and I didn’t put too much into it. I amputated the pilot head, replaced it with a piece of card and black decal. replaced the cowling with a white metal one of unknown provenance and painted it in Humbrol 11 overall. The propeller is the second one from the Airfix kit. The rigging is as above but simplified a little.

 

[

x

[jckspratt1]

These are both great.

I just about broke my arm getting my hand in my pocket to buy one of the new Gladiators at our local model expo late last year. I already had the Roden 1/48 which I did in Irish colours, but I really wanted to do the Swedish markings and the skis so I grabbed it - not realising that Roden also did this in 1/48. Frankly, I wasn't too interested in doing the British version (I certainly wasn't going to do the Irish one twice, even if in a different scale), but I'm intrigued by both of these. I particularly like the Belgian, but it may be beyong my drafting efforts to reproduce the fuselage markings so I reckon you've inspired me to try the Norwegian one.

Thanks - that kit may have mouldered away for ages.

[keith in the uk]

Nice pair of Gladiators You dont see them finished in those markings very often either.

[Ed Russell]

I particularly like the Belgian, but it may be beyond my drafting efforts to reproduce the fuselage markings

Thank you! If you can't find the ABT decals (which come up secondhand occasionally) you could use the Kora ones

http://www.modelimex.com/1-72-decals-gloster-gladiator-mk-i-belgian-af

x

[jckspratt1]

Thanks for the tip mate - I'll track them down. I'll probably try to buy locally to support a local business, so it may take a while for me to get started.

You really have presented a nice neat solution (two, really counting the Norwegian), so thanks for the inspiration.

[Martian]

As you say, the new Airfix kit is vastly superior but you have done a good job on both of them all the same.

Martin

[batcode]

Fantastic work,very nice pair of gladiators.but got admit love the scheme on the first one

[Stew Dapple]

Yes, nice work - the new Gladiator is clearly a better kit but you made a really nice job of both

Cheers,

Stew

[IrritableRabbit]

Wow.

Although the difference in the kits is immediately visible, you've done a nice job on both and in the end, a pretty Gladiator is a pretty Gladiator.

Your choice of markings is refreshing as well.

Thank you.

[bunnylurve]

Smashing builds. Wish they were mine! Well done mate.

[Lightningboy2000]

Oooohh!! I'm loving that Belgian scheme! Superb, very well done. Seems the Belgians have always been good at fancy markings.

Martin

[grahamwalker]

hope airfix do a sea version for the RN

[Tom R]

I like them both. Is that the same mix of greens that you would use for Latvian Gladiator? Does anyone know exact colour of Latvian green?

[Manipled Mutineer]

A great job and two schemes I would love to build!

[Richard B.]

Nice pair of Gladiators,

I did the Roden 1/48 version, a 1/48 Lindberg version and an Inpact (or was it Life Like), anyway the Glad is one of my favourites.

The Norwegian one looks great as does the Belgian.

If you can manage these Glads in 1/72, why not give the Airfix 1/72 swordfish a go? It is well engineered and superbly detailed.

Congratulations.

[Ed Russell]

Nice pair of Gladiators,

why not give the Airfix 1/72 Swordfish a go? It is well engineered and superbly detailed.

Thanks to you and the others who responded.... I have a small pile of Airfix Swordfish on the 'to build' list and the Mark1 'Dozen' book... should keep me going for a while.

[Nobby57]

Thanks to you and the others who responded.... I have a small pile of Airfix Swordfish on the 'to build' list and the Mark1 'Dozen' book... should keep me going for a while.

And I thought Richard was about to say a nice pair of...

But you've done them both justice, I 'likee velly' much; and I can't wait for your Swordfish so all the best with those too.

Cheers Ed,

Nobs57

[Ed Russell]

Is that the same mix of greens that you would use for Latvian Gladiator? Does anyone know exact colour of Latvian green?

There's a thread on the Latvian Gladiators here

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234951983-latvian-gladiator-khakiolive/

It's sort of on my list to do. I'll post here again if I can add anything

[le wombat agile]

The new Airfix Gladiator is an excellent kit. It is pretty accurate and goes together very easily. I was impressed with pretty much every aspect of it. I’ll maybe try a bit more cockpit detail in my next one but what’s supplied is quite good.

The only extra parts are the seat belts. I used the somewhat scarily named “feeling parts” from Kamizukuri (available from HLJ if you can cope with their ponderous ordering system). They are described here

http://z15.invisionfree.com/72nd_Aircraft/index.php?showtopic=4311

(..)

Great suggestion! I used in the past the Kamizukuri sunflowers and palm and they are excellent. I ddn't know that there were the seat belts too. I'll order them right now.

Thank you Ed

Ezio

[jean]

Oh my God!!! ABT decals!!!! Haven't heard that name since the late seventies or so. I can't remember when Max Abt passed away, but that was many, many moons ago!

Having said that, they were fantastic decals (arguably the best) in their days and they still look great on your Gladiator.Plus the khaki colour looks absolutely spot on.

The old Gladiator still scrubs rather well with some (a lot!) of TLC...

Congrats

JR

[JWM]

Ed - I like very much your Belgian on. I made the same markings (almost - another number) in my youth using Matchbox kit and Esci decals - but it does not look good... I like your Khaki - i will try to follow it with Belgian machines, I want to do Avro 504 N, one day.

Gladiator can be done in realy a variety of interesting markings. Besides Belgian and Norwegian also was mentioned Irish, Swedish (also from winter war), Chineese, Iraq.... - also RAF from France, Malta or East Africa - all are very attractive. But how many Gladaitors one can have in collection, if one is not collecting only Britts?

Cheers

Jerzy-Wojtek

[woody37]

Must of missed these first time round Ed, lovely builds

[Head in the clouds.]

Very nice indeed and unusual subjects, I take it the wire is rigid hence the holes at an angle ?

[Ed Russell]

I take it the wire is rigid hence the holes at an angle ?

Yes, that's right. You need to drill them at the angle of the rigging. Nitinol is quite bendable but goes back to its original shape when not under strain so if you get the angle or length wrong you will have a bowed wire. I have got some more and I'll have another go. Gladiator or Swordfish?

Thanks for the encouragement all of you...........

[2996 Victor]

Hi Ed,

 

apologies for resurrecting this thread after so long, but I just wanted to say that these are two excellent Gladiators. The Belgian example looks particularly good, and I've got one of my Airfix Gladiator kits earmarked for the same scheme. May I just ask where the information for the blue rudder stems from? I've seen this mentioned elsewhere, so wondered if you had found anything definitive.

 

Many thanks and kind regards,

 

Mark