Gloster Sparrowhawk

infobox Aircraft
name = Sparrowhawk
type = Fighter
manufacturer = Gloster Aircraft Company


caption =
designer = Henry Folland
first flight = 1921
introduced = 1921
retired = 1928
status =
primary user = Imperial Japanese Navy
more users =
produced =
number built = 91
unit cost =
developed from = Nieuport Nighthawk
variants with their own articles = Goster Grouse The Gloster Sparrowhawk was a British single seat fighter aircraft of the early 1920's. A development by Gloster Aircraft Company of the earlier Nieuport Nighthawk fighter, 50 aircraft were built by Gloster for the Imperial Japanese Navy, with a further 40 being assembled in Japan, being operated from 1921 to 1928.

Development and design

When the British aircraft manufacturer Nieuport & General closed down in 1920, the services of its chief designer, Henry Folland were hired by the Gloster Aircraft Company, who also acquired the rights for Nieuport's Nighthawk fighter, a promising design that had been ruined by the use of the unreliable ABC Dragonfly radial engine. Folland used the Nighthawk as the basis for a series of development known as the Gloster Mars series, with both air racer and fighters being produced. Mason 1992, p.152. When, in 1921, Britain sent the Sempill Mission to Japan to allow the Japanese to develop a Naval Air Arm, Gloster was able to meet the requirements of the Imperial Japanese Navy for a single seat fighter by a modification of the Nighthawk.cite web |url= http://www.j-aircraft.com/drawings/johan/sparrowhawk.htm|title=The Sparrowhawk Ship Born Fighter - Brief history of the Sparrowhawk |accessdate=2007-08-09|author=Johan Myhrman |format= |work= j-aircraft.com] James 1971, p.75.]

The resulting Sparrowhawk was made from existing stocks of stored Nighthawk components, but replacing the Dragonfly with the Bentley BR2 rotary engine, allowing Japan's order for 50 Gloster built aircraft and a further 40 in component form for manufacture at the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal to be quickly met. Of the 50 Gloster built Sparrowhawks, 30 were Sparrowhawk I land based fighters, 10 Sparrowhawk II twin seat advanced trainers and the remaining 10 completed as Sparrowhawk III shipboard fighters. The Sparrowhawk IIIs, which were similar to the 22 Gloster Nightjar carrier fighters produced to operate from the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers, were fitted with appropriate flotation equipment and arrestor gear.. The 40 Yokosuka assembled aircraft were completed as Sparrowhawk Is.

A single additional Sparrowhawk II was built by Glosters as a civil demonstrator. This aircraft, registered "G-EAYN" flew in the 1922 Aerial Derby around London, and was later converted to form the prototype Gloster Grouse. Jackson 1973, p.335.]

Operational history

The Sparrowhawk entered service with the Japanese Navy in 1921, with the 10 Sparrowhawk IIIs being used for flight training operations from ramps built on one of the gun turrets of the Battleship "Yamashiro", as the carrier "Hōshō" was not yet ready. Although used for training from the "Yamashiro", the Sparrowhawks were never operated from the "Hōshō", with it being replaced for shipboard operations by the purpose designed Mitsubishi 1MF fighter before "Hōshō" entered service. The Sparrowhawk continued in service from shore bases until 1928, when it was retired from use as as a trainer.

Variants

;Sparrowhawk I: Also known as Mars II. Land based fighter. 30 built by Gloster, with further 40 assembled in Japan by Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal.;Sparrowhawk II:(Mars III). Two seat trainer. 11 built.;Sparrowhawk III:(Mars IV). Single seat carrier fighter. 10 built.

Operators

;JPN
*Imperial Japanese Navy

pecifications (Sparrowhawk III)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=The Complete Book of Fighters Green and Swanborough 1994, p.241.

crew=One
capacity=
length main= 19 ft 8 in
length alt= 5.99 m
span main= 27 ft 11 in
span alt= 8.51 m
height main= 10 ft 6 in
height alt= 3.20 m
area main= 270 ft²
area alt= 25.1 m²
airfoil=RAF 15 James 1971, p.90.]
empty weight main= 1,850 lb
empty weight alt= 839 kg
loaded weight main= 2,165 lb
loaded weight alt= 982 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=Bentley BR2
type of prop=rotary engine
number of props=1
power main= 230 hp
power alt= 172 kW
power original=
max speed main= 109 knots
max speed alt= 125 mph, 201 km/h
max speed more= at sea level
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 261 nm
range alt= 300 mi, 483 km
ceiling main= 16,900 ft. James 1971, p.79.]
ceiling alt= 5,150 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= 8.02 lb/ft²
loading alt= 39.1 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 0.11 hp/lb
power/mass alt= 0.18 kW/kg
more performance=*Climb to 15,000 ft (4,600 m): 25.5 min
*Endurance: 3 hours

armament=
*Two fixed forward firing .303 in Vickers guns.

avionics=

ee also

aircontent

related=
*Nieuport Nighthawk
*Nieuport Nightjar
*Gloster Grouse

similar aircraft=

lists=

see also=

References

Notes

Bibliography

*.
*.
*cite book |title= Gloster Aircraft since 1917 |last=James |first=Derek N.|edition=First edition |year= 1971|publisher= Putnam|location=London |isbn=0 370 00084 6 |pages= .
*cite book |title=Gloster Aircraft since 1917 |last=James |first=Derek N. |year=1987 |publisher=Putnam and Company Ltd. |location=London |isbn=0-85177-807-0 |pages=
*

External links

* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=513 British Aircraft Directory]

* [http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac6/Gloster%20Mars%20IV%20Sparrowhawk.html Photo of Sparrowhawk]