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Aviation History
1937
1937 - 0557.PDF
MARCH 4- T937- FLIGHT The three-quarter rear view on the right shows the general appear ance of the Gladiator (Bristol Mercury IX). The corresponding key diagram on the opposite page indicates the location of the structural details, which are ex plained by the other sketches on these two pages. bell" section manufactured from high-tensile steel strip. The drag ribs are of steel and duralumin strip and the lighter ribs of duralumin strip. The rounded form of the fuselage is produced by a light secondary structure of light-metal formers and stringers, the latter being attached by a very neat stud-and-split-pin arrangement. The lower wing roots are built integral with the fuselage and have spars of circular-section steel tube. One of the interesting features of the Gladiator is the undercarriage, which, as already mentioned, is of the cantilever type. The "legs" form a letter A as seen from in front, the upper ends meeting at the top of the fireproof engine bulkhead and the lower ends being splayed out to give the necessary wheel track. fk" strut is of double taper, being of small diameter at both ends but of large diameter in the-centre. The °wty internally sprung wheels are in themselves of a form to give low drag, and the shape of the lower end of the strut is such that interference drag is probably reduced to a minimum. That this type of undercarriage is strong was demonstrated when one of Gloster's test pilots had to make a hurried forced landing during a test flight. The machine ran through a couple of hedges and finished up on its nose, but the cantilever under carriage was undamaged. The biplane wing arrangement of the Gladiator is along orthodox lines, with single-bay bracing. Rigging is facilitated by having special fine- adjustment turnbuckles only at the lower ends of the streamline wires. One unusual feature is provided by the trailing-edge flaps, a modern touch not usually found on biplanes. These flaps are quite small and are fitted on both upper and lower wings. They serve to increase drag rather than to increase lift, although there is a difference in stalling speed of 3 m.p.h. between flaps-up and flaps- down minima, the actual figures being 59 m.p.h. and 53 m.p.h. re spectively. For making landings at night, the advantage of being able to steepen the approach angle is obvious. The tailplane of the Gladiator is supported in the usual way by its front spar, and the rear spar is raised and lowered by the screw jack shown. The tailplane has tubular spars as shown in the sketch on the left below
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