Gloster III

infobox Aircraft
name = Gloster III
type = Racing seaplane
national origin=United Kingdom
manufacturer = Gloster Aircraft Company

---

caption = Gloster IIIA at 1925 Schneider Trophy
designer = Henry Folland
first flight = 1925
introduced = 1925
introduction=
retired =
status =
primary user = Royal Air Force
more users =
produced =
number built = 2
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = The Gloster III was a British racing floatplane of the 1920s intended to compete for the Schneider Trophy air race. A single-engined, single seat biplane, two were built, with one finishing second in the 1925 race.

Design and development

In 1924, the Gloster Aircraft Company designed and built the Gloster II, a development of the Gloster I racing aircraft to compete in that year's Schneider Trophy air race. The first aircraft was written off during trials, however, and as there were no other competitors, the American Aero Club postponed the competition to 1925. James 1971, pp.107-109.]

In order to compete in the 1925 race, the British Air Ministry placed an order with Gloster for the design and build of two examples of a new racing seaplane in February 1925.ref label|Note1|a|a The resulting design, the Gloster III, like the Gloster II, was a wooden biplane with single bay wings and powered by a 700 hp (522 kW) Napier Lion VII engine. The aircraft was fitted with Lamblin radiators on the leading edge of the lower wings. Donald 1997, p.454.] With a 20 ft (6.1 m) wingspan, the Gloster was the smallest British aircraft ever built with that power at that time. James 1971, p.124.]

The first prototype, with the serial number "N194" was flown by Hubert Broad on 29 August 1925, with the second aircraft (with the civil registration "G-EBLJ" and the military serial "N195") being flown a few days later by Bert Hinkler. James 1971, p.125.]

Operational history

The pilots had little time to practice flying the Gloster IIIs, with "N194" only flying four times and "N195" flying once before being departing for America. James 1971, pp. 125, 127.] When the Supermarine S.4 crashed during navigation trials on 23 October 1925, "N195", which was brought as a reserve was prepared to take part in the race instead of the Supermarine monoplane, to be flown by Hinkler. James 1971, p.127.] On the morning of the race, however, "N195" was damaged during taxiing tests, leaving Broad in N194 to carry British hopes in the afternoon's race.

When the race took place, the Gloster III was outclassed by the Curtiss R3Cs of the United States, with the race being won by Lieutenant James Doolittle, flying a Curtiss R3C at an average speed of 232.573 mph (374.443 km/h), Flight 29 October 1925, p.703.] convert|33|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on faster than Broad, who recorded a speed of 199.091 mph (320.537 km/h), Flight 12 November 1925, p.752.] with De Briganti in the Macchi M.33 finishing third and the remaining two Curtiss R3Cs failing to finish.

Following the race, the two Gloster IIIs were returned to the United Kingdom. After modification, they were used for training pilots of the RAFs High Speed Flight in preparation for the 1927 race.

Variants

;Gloster III:Original variant, powered by 700 hp (522 kW) Napier Lion. Two built.;Gloster IIIA:Modified tail to resolve stability problems encountered on first flight. James 1971, p.125.] ;Gloster IIIB:Modification of N195 following return of aircraft from 1925 Schneider Trophy.Low drag surface radiators fitted to all four wings and modified cantilevered tail. Maximum speed increased to convert|252|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on. James 1971, pp.128-129.]

Operators

;UK
*Royal Air Force
**High Speed Flight RAF

pecifications (Gloster IIIA)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=Gloster Aircraft since 1917 James 1971, p.129]
crew=One
capacity=
length main= 26 ft 10 in
length alt=8.1 m
span main= 20 ft 0 in
span alt= 6.09 m
height main= 9 ft 8 in
height alt= 2.94 m
area main= 152 ft²
area alt= 14.1 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 2,028 lb
empty weight alt= 920 kg
loaded weight main= 2,687 lb
loaded weight alt= 1,218 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)=Napier Lion VII
type of prop=12-cylinder water cooled W block engine
number of props=1
power main= 700 hp
power alt=522 kW
power original=
max speed main= 225 mph
max speed alt= 196 knots, 362 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= 17.7 lb/ft²
loading alt= 86.4 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 0.26 hp/lb
power/mass alt= 430 W/kg
more performance=
armament=
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=*Gloster II
*Gloster IV
similar aircraft=*Supermarine S.4
*Curtiss R3C
sequence=
lists=
see also=*Schneider Trophy

References

Notes

*note label|Note1|a|aIn addition, the Air Ministry also placed an order with Supermarine for the S.4 monoplane. Flight 24 September 1925, p.612.]

Bibliography

*" [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1925/1925%20-%200609.html The Schneider Cup Seaplane Race: British Representatives Leave on Saturday ] ". "Flight". 24 September 1925. pp.609-614.
* " [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1925/1925%20-%200703.html The 1925 Schneider Trophy Race] ". "Flight". 29 October 1925. p.703.
* " [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1925/1925%20-%200726.html The 1925 Schneider Trophy Race:Average Speed Raised from 45.75 m.p.h. in 1913 to 232.573 m.p.h. in 1925] ". "Flight". 5 November 1925. pp.726-732.
*" [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1925/1925%20-%200747.html The 1925 Schneider Trophy Race:"Flight" Correspondent's Special Account] ". "Flight". 12 November 1925. pp.747-752.
*" [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1926/1926%20-%200063.html THE SCHNEIDER CUP RACE, 1925] .
*Donald, David (editor). "The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft". Leicester, UK: Blitz, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
*Jackson, A.J. "British Civil Aircraft since 1919: Volume 2". London:Putnam, Second edition 1973. Pages 454-455. ISBN 0 370 10010 7.
*James, Derek M. "Gloster Aircraft since 1917". London:Putnam, 1971. ISBN 0 370 00084 6.

External links

* [http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/gloster-3.php Gloster III - "Aviastar"]