Gloster Grebe

Infobox Aircraft
name = Gloster Grebe
type = Fighter
manufacturer = Gloster Aircraft Company



caption = Gloster Grebe of the NZPAF leads Bristol Fighters, late 1920s.
designer = H.P.Folland
first flight = 1923
introduced = 1923
retired = RAF 1928, RNZAF 1938
status = extinct
primary user = Royal Air Force
more users = Royal New Zealand Air Force
produced =
number built = 133
unit cost =
developed from = Gloster Grouse
variants with their own articles = Gloster Gamecock

The Gloster Grebe was developed from the Gloster Grouse (an experimental aircraft later developed as a trainer), and was the Royal Air Force's first post World War I fighter aircraft, entering service in 1923.

Design

In 1923 Gloster produced two Gloster Grouse research aircraft / advanced trainer. Air Ministry officials ordered three prototypes of a Jaguar III engined fighter derivative, which entered production Jaguar IV engine as the Grebe IV.

The Grebe retained the same single seat biplane layout, fabric-covered wooden structure and twin Vickers machine gun armament as the Sopwith Snipes it replaced, the only real advance – a 162 mph (261 km/h) top speed - coming from the extra power of the 400 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar, (a prepared Grebe claimed a British record with a speed of 212.2 miles per hour).

ervice history

Grebes entered service with No. 111 Squadron RAF during October 1923. The service found the Grebe to be very agile, but it suffered from wing flutter, which led to all RAF aircraft being modified with additional wing struts.

A total of 133 Grebes were produced, including dual-control trainers. All but 4 were Mark IIs. Grebes were retired from the RAF in 1929, replaced in part by the Gloster Gamecock which was in essence a developed Grebe, (Gloster fighter design, from Nighthawk to Gloster Gladiator was essentially evolutionary). Two Grebes were modified for suspension beneath the R33 Airship on a 'trapeze' for "parasite" trials.

The Grebe was developed into the Gloster Gamecock fighter, which also entered production for the RAF.

A single Grebe was gifted to New Zealand by Sir Henry Wigram, and subsequently another two Grebes were acquired by the New Zealand Permanent Air Force, fore-runner of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, entering service in March 1928 and serving more than 10 years until the mid-1938. The two survivors were used as instructional airframes until destroyed in 1943/44.

Variants

* Gloster Grouse : Experimental aircraft.
* Grebe Mk I : Single-seat fighter prototype.
* Grebe Mk II : Single-seat fighter aircraft for the RAF.
* Grebe (Dual) : Two-seat training aircraft.

Operators

;NZL
* New Zealand Permanent Air Force
** Pilot Training School;UK
* Royal Air Force
** No. 19 Squadron RAF
** No. 25 Squadron RAF
** No. 29 Squadron RAF
** No. 32 Squadron RAF
** No. 56 Squadron RAF
** No. 111 Squadron RAF

pecifications (Grebe Mk.II)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= prop
ref=Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918-57 Thetford 1957, p.221]
crew= one, pilot
capacity=
length main= 20 ft 3 in
length alt= 6.17 m
span main= 29 ft 4 in
span alt= 8.94 m
height main= 9 ft 3 in
height alt= 2.82 m
area main= 254.0 ft²
area alt= 23.60 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,720 lb
empty weight alt= 780 kg
loaded weight main= 2,614 lb
loaded weight alt= 1,189 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)= Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IV
type of prop= 14-cylinder air-cooled two-row radial engine
number of props=1
power main= 400 hp
power alt= 298 kW
power original=
max speed main= 132 knots
max speed alt= 152 mph, 245 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= 23,000 ft
ceiling alt= 7,000 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= 10.3 lb/ft²
loading alt= 50.4 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 0.15 hp/lb
power/mass alt= 0.25 kW/kg
more performance=
*Climb to 20,000 ft (6,100 m): 23 minutes
*Endurance: 2 h 45 min
guns=2×0.303 inch (7.7mm) Vickers machine guns
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
* Gloster Grouse
*Gloster Gamecock
similar aircraft=

sequence=

lists=
* List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force
* List of fighter aircraft
see also=
* Parasite aircraft

References

Notes

Bibliography

* James, Derek N. "Gloster Aircraft since 1917." London: Putnam and Company Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-807-0.
* Thetford, Owen. Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918-57. London:Putnam, First edition 1957.