nazca_steve wrote:Nicely done, Bill - perhaps a repaint project for some of us in the future?
That's why Bill has modelled it with the hook Steve, he will also be releasing a correctly unhooked Gloster F5/34 shortly.
After his recent Boulton Paul Partridge I fired Bill over a selection of pre-war British fighter projects, this is the (first) fruit of those labours. Lovely little beast isn't she!
interesting - there was only one F5/34 built and it was natural aluminum - many of the Gloster workers knew the legend that
after the MOD turned Glosters down in 1938 they sold the plans to Mitsubishi (Total BS by the way) - Two things
1/. the colour?? Every photograph of the aircraft I have ever seen (Including those at the Factory in 1959) It was natural
aluminum
2/. Im not sure where they got the name "Guardian" from as again Glosters referred to it as either the F5/34 or
"the nameless fighter"
Oh yes and as it seems I have to offer Bonafides for anything I post here............
My father was an Apprentice at Brockworth from 1937-1939 and a member of the design loft from 1945-1952 and from 57-to
closure
DispatchDragon wrote:
2/. Im not sure where they got the name "Guardian" from as again Glosters referred to it as either the F5/34 or
"the nameless fighter"
Mea culpa, I'm afraid. Bill thought it should have a name, and people at the Outhouse were going through a list of 'G's - I suggested Guardian as it seemed a little more sensible than Galahad, which was leading the field at that point.
Regarding the colour, yes you're right about the aluminium, I shall mention this to Bill and hopefully he can release the prototype in it's 'correct' colours. To be honest though, I look upon this hooked release as a blank canvas for some interesting "What If..." schemes!!
Very nice model. She flies wonderfully, though I was fooled about the speed. Even knowing she's a fighter, I don't know why I expected a cruise speed of around 135. :flying: Anyway, she's a great and welcomed addition to my hangar. I loved reading the bits history that were posted. I'd really love a bare aluminum finish as well as any and all 'ficticious' repaints our many talented painters would care to throw at me (us). :dance:
One detail that caught my eye are the landing mains. The wheel struts are rather unusual, but make sense and look quite nice.
LOL I can forgive the name - Its photo hung on the wall in Gloster's main office as late as 1959
It was held by many at Glosters that it would have been better than both the Hurricane and Spitfire if developed
purely because the Radial engine made it lighter than both plus it would absorb more punishment.... Unfortunatly
by the time the F5/34 was developed Hawkers had taken Glosters into their corporate structure so there was no
place for an orphan fighter and Glosters were tasked with building Hurricanes - Which was fortunate as it put Glosters
in the front seat when Powerjets opened up shop in Cheltenham - By the way the orginial name for the Meteor was to
"Thunderbolt" until Republic developed their 7 ton milkbottle