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Roden 438 Gloster Gladiator Mk.I/Mk.II/J-8 Meteo Reconnaissance 1:48 |
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| At the beginning of 1942, 62 Gladiators of different versions remained in the complement of the R.A.F. It was decided to transfer them to special units (referred to as Meteorological Flights), that were constantly engaged in monitoring of weather conditions above the territory of the Mother country and in the dominions. Overall 12 such special units were created, two of them based in Britain, one in Gibraltar, and nine more in Africa. For planes adapted for weather reconnaissance, the armament was removed, and special equipment was installed instead. In case of the Gladiator, a thermometer was fitted between the wings to the rear lefthand strut, a headlamp near the cockpit for illumination, and an additional aerial for measurement of air humidity. No pressurisation was provided for the cockpit, and for flights at higher altitudes pilots had to wear substantial sets of warm insulated clothing.
Gloster Gladiator Mk.II (Meteo), N5592, No. 1402 (Met) Flight, based at Aldergrove, Northern Ireland, January 1945.
Gloster Gladiator Mk.II (Meteo), N2309/B, No.1401 (Met) Flight, based at Bircham Newton, 1942-1943.
Gloster Gladiator Mk.I, G-704, 5 Eskadrile, Lithuanian Air Force, 1938-1939.
Gloster Gladiator Mk.I, G-709, Soviet Air Force (ex-Lithuanian aircraft), unknown training unit, Baltic Coast, circa 1941.
Gloster Gladiator Mk.I, "Black 427", Norwegian Army Air Service Fighter Wing, flown by Sgt K F Schye, Fornebu, April 1940.
Gloster Gladiator J-8, Royal Swedish Air Force, 1941.
Gloster Gladiator Mk.I, No.175, Latvian Air Force, 1937.
Gloster Gladiator Mk.I, G.30, 1 Escadrille (les Cometes), 1 Groupe Belgian Air Forces, Schaffen, 1938.
Gloster Gladiator Mk.I, NJ+BO, ErgGr (s) 1, Luftwaffe, Baltic region, 1942-1943. |
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