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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 2435.PDF
GLOSTER'S SUPER FIGHTER The Delta-wing, Sapphire-powered G.A.5—a Great-grandchild of the E.28/39 IN every respect the newly announced Gloster delta-wing,long-range, all-weather, radar-equipped fighter appearsto be a very remarkable aircraft—certainly the most unorthodox of its class in the world. That fact makes all the more regrettable the necessity for saying little more of its design and construction other than can be learned from the officially approved photograph heading this page and from a formal announcement. This statement gives the designation as G.A.5, tne function as "multi-purpose fighter," and the power plant as two Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire tjirbojets. We may, however, suggest, without laying ourselves open to incarceration in the Tower, that the new fighter has been designed to meet the same require- ments as the twin-boom, twin-Avon D.H.110, the first flight of which was on September 26th, and which, it may be recalled, appears to be a two-seater. The G.A.5 was flown for the first time on November 26th by S/L. W. A. Waterton, A.F.C. and Bar, chief test pilot of the Gloster Aircraft Co., Ltd., at the company's Moreton Valence airfield, and was airborne for 35 minutes. Because, it may be surmised, of the recent accident to the Avro 707B, Waterton had no pre- vious delta experience, though during a protracted sojourn in Canada he became thoroughly accustomed to the Avro Canada CF-100, a twin- jet heavy fighter intended for the same duties as the new Left to right: W. G. Carter, C.B.E., F.R.Ae.S. technical director, the Gloster Aircraft Co., Ltd.); R. W. Walker, F.R.AeS. (chief designer); S/L W. A. Waterton, A.F.C. and Bar (chief test pilot). Gloster development, though having in this instance a con- ventional wing plan. Responsible for the G.A.5, under the technical direction of Mr. George Carter, was Mr. Richard Walker, the com- pany's chief designer. Gloster's general manager, Mr. Percy Crabbe, has commented on the new delta in the following terms : "Since the war we have been building Meteors in a variety of developments. However, whilst Meteor production has been going on, we have been steadily at work in our design and experimental departments on new aircraft just as versatile as the Meteor but adapted for the maximum use not only of current jet power but foreseeable power into the future. "The G.A.5 delta is our answer to this vital design- problem. The low aspect-ratio of the delta wing provides minimum change in stability and control characteristics at sonic speeds. The delta plan-form permits engines, undercarriage, fuel and equipment to be contained inside one smooth envelope and the shape permits a very rigid and economical construction. The airframe design itself is
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