Author Topic: 10 reasons to bring the Gloster Gladiator to AH (Read 165 times)

Mudshark · « **on:** March 30, 2002, 08:17:05 PM »

Ten reasons why we need the Gladiator in Aces High

1) So the Macchi players know what a bad view really is. (2 Wings in the way and canopy frames...Wheeeeeee)

2) Gives the Gooney Birds something they can actually outrun.

3) No need to worry if the gear is down... It is.

4) Lets you re-map that pesky W.E.P. button to something useful. (Like Way to HO me you useless chute shooting NikDweeb/ SpitDweeb/ LA-7 Dweeb, macro)

5) Gladiator pilots never have to decide whether to stay and fight or run away... At a Gladiators top speed... Your staying.

6) 3 Gladiators (supposedly, Faith, Hope, and Charity.) Defended Sicily against the Luftwaffe.... Always fun to hear a new Luftwhine demanding a perk. (I think, btw that is a wives tale about the 3 Gladiators)

7) Gives HiTech some practice in bi-planes, before modeling the Swordfish for that great Sink the Bismark scenario.

8) GladiatorDweeb does not roll off the tongue well and takes to long to type.

9) No need to wonder if you can glide back to base... With all those wings... You can't.

and finally

10) Gives the Zero's something to boom and zoom against.

Tac · « **Reply #1 on:** March 30, 2002, 08:32:52 PM »

"6) 3 Gladiators (supposedly, Faith, Hope, and Charity.) Defended Sicily against the Luftwaffe.... Always fun to hear a new Luftwhine demanding a perk. (I think, btw that is a wives tale about the 3 Gladiators) "

Actually, against the Regia Aeronautica. They fought mainly the Cr42 and Italian bombers (I think the Mc202 as well? not sure). The 3 glads were indeed Faith, Hope and Charity.

Bring them to AH? Sure, id love to kill n1ks with something more humiliating that a hurri 1

Dux · « **Reply #2 on:** March 30, 2002, 08:42:15 PM »

Lol, I think HiTech's got a little practice with biplanes... heard of Dawn of Aces?

11. Galdiators are so sweet that I want to crap my pants

Karnak · « **Reply #3 on:** March 30, 2002, 08:56:34 PM »

About #2, sadly for the Gooney bird, the Gladiator is indeed faster than the C-47.

220-230mph for the C-47 and 260-270mph for the Gladiator.

J_A_B · « **Reply #4 on:** March 30, 2002, 09:38:50 PM »

Since when did the Macchi have a bad view? I could see fine out of the one I got to fly in the Sicily scenario.

J_A_B

Thrawn · « **Reply #5 on:** March 30, 2002, 10:19:09 PM »

If had a Gladiator I would flip out ALL the time!!;)

LLv34_Camouflage · « **Reply #6 on:** March 30, 2002, 10:59:49 PM »

The Finnish Air Force had 30 Gladiators, and scored 44 confirmed aerial victories with them. 10 of the planes were shot down in air combat, of which 5 in "the biggest disaster in Finnish Air Force history", see the quote below. An additional 2 "GL's" were shot down by anti aircraft fire.

Quote

The Ruokolahti Disaster:

When the fifteen Fokkers and Gladiators of LeLv 24 and LeLv 26 were climbing out of Ruokolahti field they were trapped in a most unfavorable position when they were attacked by an estimated forty I-153 and I-16 fighters (in fact it was thirteen I-16s and six I-153s from 38 IAP, 13 VA).

In the vicious battle that followed three Gladiators were shot down immediately on take-off. In the combat that followed, the Russians destroyed two more Gladiators and one Fokker. The battle lasted only some fifteen minutes before the Russians withdrew. The Finns succeeded in shooting down one I-16 fighter (Senior Lieutenant Yefimov, who was killed) and damaging seven more enemy fighters.

This combat was the biggest single aerial defeat suffered by the Finns during the whole course of the Second World War.

Oiva Tuominen was the highest scoring Finnish Gladiator ace with 6.5 victories. 2 were scored with "GL-258", 4.5 with "GL-255". Tuominen survived the war, scoring 42 victories in total.

HTC, if you choose to model the Gladiator, please paint it in Oiva Tuominen's GL-255's colours. Thank you.

Lots of interesting stuff here: (for example the quote above)

http://www.dalnet.se/~surfcity/gladiator_finland.htm
http://www.dalnet.se/~surfcity/finland.htm
http://www.sci.fi/~ambush/faf/fighters.html#Gladiaattori
http://www.sci.fi/~ambush/faf/gladiatr.html
http://www.elknet.pl/acestory/tuomin/tuomin.htm

Camo

Mudshark · « **Reply #7 on:** March 31, 2002, 06:28:19 PM »

Nope, never heard of Dawn of Aces. But then I do not pay alot of attention

Taiaha · « **Reply #8 on:** March 31, 2002, 07:10:16 PM »

Nude wing-walking exhibitions!

Ossie · « **Reply #9 on:** March 31, 2002, 10:24:44 PM »

Quote

1) So the Macchi players know what a bad view really is. (2 Wings in the way and canopy frames...Wheeeeeee)

Out the front, yeah, pretty bad. Out the sides, still better than a P-38

Quote

3 Gladiators (supposedly, Faith, Hope, and Charity.) Defended Sicily...(I think, btw that is a wives tale about the 3 Gladiators)

The following is taken from http://www.qsl.net/anars/qua_january_2001.htm: In one of these hangars, we found crates that had housed Sea Gladiators destined for HMS Glorious. They were stencilled with serial numbers, N5519, N5520, N5524 and N5531. Here began my interest in Faith, Hope and Charity, the outdated aircraft, manned by a collection of brave non-fighter pilots, that stood between Malta and the Axis.

Buzzbait · « **Reply #10 on:** March 31, 2002, 11:24:13 PM »

S!

Gladiator should be modelled in Squadron Leader "Pat" Pattle's colours and markings.

South African native and highest scoring Western Allied Ace of the War. 41 confirmed victories, with the possibility that he actually shot down 50 aircraft. (records were lost during the retreat from Greece during the 1941 German invasion) Of those victories, at least 11 destroyed and 2 shared were credited to Pattle when he flew Gladiators. Pattle flew the Gladiator and in addition, the Hurricane I, versus CR32's, CR42's, Fiat G50's, MC200's 110C's and 109E's.

Here is a site with some history:

http://rapidttp.com/milhist/vol013dt.html