Gloster Gladiator II (oz855)

About this Plan

Gloster Gladiator II. Rubber scale WWII biplane fighter. Scale is 1/36.

Quote: "No, it's not a plastic! Doug McHard, the maestro of mini-scale tells how to make a 1 /36th scale rubber-driven Gloster Gladiator.

There is nothing particularly difficult about building the Gladiator and all the information needed by anyone who has previously built a flying model, is shown on the full sized plan. Further details clarifying the basic assembly may be gleaned from the accompanying photographs.

The model is not recommended as a first attempt, since workmanship must be accurate, and warps - a seemingly essential part of any first try - are to be avoided at all costs! It is also important to keep the weight to a minimum and, if adequate strength is to be maintained, this largely depends on careful material selection and the use of no more adhesive than absolutely necessary. Heavy wood, globs of glue and excess dope can double the weight in no time and this would destroy any chance of a satisfactory flying performance.

Don't be too discouraged by these remarks just keep weight and workmanship in mind all the time and your Peanut Gladiator will be a winner.

In designing the model I have avoided over-sophistication. For instance, it would certainly be possible to reduce the weight below the 18g (0.6 oz) of the original, if (a) material cross sections were reduced and (b) colour dope omitted.

However, the first would put the construction into the 'experts only' class, and the second would have reduced the model's photographic appal. If though, you have no spray gun enabling the application of a really thin coat of colour, then don't use colour dope at all. The weight of even one brushed-on coat of colour dope will certainly reduce flyving performance.

Use coloured lightweight tissue (Jap if you can ghet it(, steamed to shrink it, and given one thin coat of clear dope to stregthen and seal the pores.

If you cannot get 1/64 in sheet balsa for the fuselage forward covering, reduce thickness of some 1/32 by using fine sandpaper on a flat block..."

Update 02/10/2018: Replaced this plan with a clearer version, re-stitched to align central page join.

Update 12/2/2024: Replaced this plan with a clearer copy scanned at 600 dpri, thanks to GuyColeman.

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