Gloster Gamecock

infobox Aircraft
name = Gamecock
type = Fighter aircraft
manufacturer = Gloster

---

caption = Gloster Gamecock operated by the Finnish Air Force
designer =
first flight = February 1925
introduced =
retired =
produced =
number built =108
status = Retired from service
unit cost =
primary user = Royal Air Force
more users = Finnish Air Force
developed from =Gloster Grebe
variants with their own articles = The Gloster Gamecock was a biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force, a development of the Mk III Grebe, that first flew in February 1925. It differed from the Grebe primarily by way of its Bristol Jupiter engine, which replaced the unreliable Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar. Other changes included improved ailerons, refined fuselage contours, and internally mounted machine guns.

The Gamecock had a fairly short RAF service life, partly because of its high accident rate - of the 90 operated by the RAF, 22 were lost in landing or spin accidents. These faults were remedied in the Mk. II version, by means of a longer upper wing and a modified tail unit.

Variants

* Gamecock Mk I : Single-seat fighter aircraft for the RAF. 90 built. James 1971, p.350.]
* Gamecock Mk II : Single-seat fighter aircraft with revised wing and tail. One new built for RAF with another Mk I converted to Mk II standard. James 1971, p.119.] Three were three exported to Finland in 1928, with a further 15 built under licence in Finland from 1929-1930 as the "Kukko". James 1971, p.121-122.]
* Gamecock Mk III : One RAF Gamecock Mk II modified with lengthened fuselage for spin trials. James 1971, p.118.]

Operators

;FIN
* Finnish Air Force;UK
* Royal Air Force
** No. 3 Squadron RAF
** No. 17 Squadron RAF
** No. 19 Squadron RAF
** No. 23 Squadron RAF
** No. 32 Squadron RAF
** No. 43 Squadron RAF
** No. 2 Flying Training School
** No. 3 Flying Training School
** Central Flying School RAF
** RAF College, Cranwell
** Home Communications Flight

pecifications (Mk. I)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= prop
ref=The Era-Ending Gamecock Green and Swanborough 1983, p.7.]
crew= one, pilot
capacity=
length main= 19 ft 8 in
length alt= 5.99 m
span main= 29 ft 9½ in
span alt= 9.07 m
height main= 9 ft 8 in
height alt= 2.94 m
area main= 264 ft²
area alt= 24.52 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,930 lb
empty weight alt= 875 kg
loaded weight main= 2,860 lb
loaded weight alt= 1,297 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)= Bristol Jupiter VI
type of prop= 9-cylinder radial
number of props=1
power main= 425 hp
power alt= 317 kW
power original=
max speed main= 155 mph Thetford 1957, p.223.]
max speed alt= 135 knots, 250 km/h
max speed more= at 5,000 ft (1520 m), 145 mph (126 knots, 233 km/h) at 10,000 ft (3,050 m)
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 365 mi Taylor 1989, p.421.]
range alt= 316 NM, 587 km
ceiling main= 22,100 ft
ceiling alt= 6,735 m
climb rate main= 7,066 ft/min
climb rate alt= 36 m/s
climb rate more= at 1,000 ft (305 m)
loading main= 10.8 lb/ft²
loading alt= 52.9 kg/m²
power/mass main= 0.15 hp/lb
power/mass alt= 0.24 kW/kg
more performance=
*Climb to 10,000 ft (3050 m): 7.6 min
* Endurance: 2.5 hours
guns= 2×0.303 inch (7.7mm) Vickers machine guns
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=*Gloster Grebe
similar=
lists=*List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. "The Era-Ending Gamecock". "Air Enthusiast", Number 21, April-July 1983.Bromley, Kent:Pilot Press. p. 1-8, 58-62. ISSN 0143-5450.
* James, Derek N. "Gloster Aircraft since 1917." London: Putnam, 1971. ISBN 0 370 00084 6.
* James, Derek N. "Gloster Aircraft since 1917." London: Putnam and Company Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-807-0.
* Taylor, M.J.H. (editor) "Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation". London:Bracken, 1989. ISBN 1 85170 324 1.
* Thetford, Owen. "Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918-57". London:Putnam, First edition 1957.
* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=322 British Aircraft Directory accessed 21st February 2008]

External links

* [http://avia.russian.ee/air/england/gloster_gamecock.php Virtual Aircraft Museum]
* [http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac6/Gloster%20Gamecock%20J8033.html Ed Coates collection]