Gloster Gladiator 1/48

[Second Air Force]

Time to start a new topic on one of the last biplane fighters, the Gladiator. I've had a very old Inpact kit on the shelf for some time and will also build the more "modern" Roden kit in parallel. My intention is to build both kits at the same time.

First a couple of photos of what I've got to start with:

Gloster Gladiator 1/48

Gloster Gladiator 1/48

The instruction sheets give an idea of each kit's complexity--the Inpact is one sheet printed on both sides, the Roden takes 13 pages!

Gloster Gladiator 1/48

The parts sprues (many parts are already removed but you see the idea) with Roden on left of photo and Inpact on right:

Gloster Gladiator 1/48

Gloster Gladiator 1/48

The fuselage halves:

Gloster Gladiator 1/48

The builds are under way, more later!

[No.1]

This is great idea, I have one in smaller scale and hesitate for a long  time to start build

[Second Air Force]

As you might expect, the old kit has a very basic cockpit. Since the Roden cockpit is fairly detailed I decided to scratchbuild the same elements in the Inpact kit. Basic styrene and metal parts and a seat from the spares bin will make this more "busy". I must say that much less is visible with the entry door left closed!

Gloster Gladiator 1/48

Then both taped together for comparison:

Gloster Gladiator 1/48

One item I can't quite understand is the Roden cowling. It is molded in three pieces that don't exactly match as they should. Since this will create a lot of filling and sanding I've decided to make an RTV mold of the Inpact one-piece cowl. Not only is it easier to construct, the small cylinder-head fairings are more correct than the Roden ones. While the RTV is being mixed I've decided to make a mold of the excellent skis in the newer kit for future projects!

[No.1]

Bottom look like have a bit longer fuselage

[Second Air Force]

The fuselages actually measure quite the same from the cowling back. The way that the fuselage tapers at the front (where it goes under the cowl) is very different and this probably makes them look different lengths.

[No.1]

Thank you for explanation

[Second Air Force]

I placed the two halves together after you mentioned this, and they are nearly identical except for the turtledeck opening on the fuselage. On the Inpact the small rear windows are a little shorter than the Roden. When laid on my drawing the Roden looks to be the correct one This is very easy to fix on Inpact by trimming the turtledeck back a little. I'm going to use vacuformed canopy parts on the Inpact kit at any rate so this will pose no problems!

[Tweety]

And you will do that too !!! 

[Second Air Force]

Here is the start of some interior scratchbuilding on the Inpact kit. After I finished making the parts to go in this one it was time to seal the fuselages on both machines:

Gloster Gladiator 1/48

Then I brewed a pot of coffee and decided to continue on with lower wings and tail surfaces, then the main landing gear legs. Both of these kits have a slightly annoying joint where the landing gear slips into the fuselage. The Roden kit required some careful filing of plastic to get a nice looking installation and the Inpact needed a bit of filler for proper fit. After all these parts were cured I slid the new resin skis on one and Roden's excellent tires on the other for perspective:

Gloster Gladiator 1/48

Next step was underside camouflage:

Gloster Gladiator 1/48

[Nico Braas]

I have built this kit many years ago as a Lindbergh kit.
Must have been some 40 years ago when I did not even bother to wire wings and tail.
I am almost sure it is the same as your Impact kit!
As you see; never throw things away!

[No.1]

Good old kit

[Second Air Force]

Great results on that one, Nico, and nice to see this here! We can call this a "Gladiator Group Build" now, even though yours was built a few years ago.

This is the same exact kit as my Inpact, even down to the decals. The series of biplanes was marketed by Inpact, Life-Like, Pyro and Lindberg if memory serves. Lindberg still has the molds and this Gladiator is currently in their product line, I think. It is such fun to build that I may find the rest of the series and build them as well. I did build the Hawker Fury thirty years ago and still have parts of it in my spares bin.

[Nico Braas]

Except for the Gladiator and the Hawker Fury Lindberg also had similar kits of the Fairey Flycatcher and the Bristol Bulldog. I also have built kits of these three from the same period.

[Tweety]

Nico , 

[Second Air Force]

The top camouflage coloring has started on each. Not much progress on these, I'm afraid--other chores again!

Gloster Gladiator 1/48