Gloster Grouse

Infobox Aircraft
name = Gloster Grouse
type = Experimental Aircraft, Fighter
manufacturer = Gloster Aircraft Company


caption =
designer = H.P.Folland
first flight = 192
introduced = 1924
retired =
status = extinct
primary user = Swedish Air Force
more users =
produced =
number built = 1
unit cost =
developed from = Gloster Sparrowhawk
variants with their own articles = Gloster Grebe

The Gloster Grouse was a British biplane of the 1920s developed by the Gloster Aircraft Company.cite web|url=http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=514|title=Grouse|date=25 April 2004|publisher=British Aircraft Directory|accessdate=2008-09-03] Often referred to as the prototype to the Gloster Grebe, [cite web|url=http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Elevon/gustin_military/db/br/GROUSEGL.html|title=Gloster Grouse|last=Department of computer science|first=University of Western Ontario|accessdate=2008-09-03] the Grouse originally built as an experimental aircraft and then later developed as a trainer.cite web|url=http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/gloster_grebe.php|title=Gloster grebe — fighter|publisher=aviastar.org|pages=Virtual Aircraft Museum|accessdate=2008-09-03] Despite its compact design and maneuverability, the Grouse was not in itself a commercial success, although it formed the basis for the Gloster Grebe and Gamecock fighters which were used by Britain's Royal Air Force into the 1930s.

Design and development

The design of the Gloster Grouse was an experiment to combine the advantages of the monoplane with those of a biplane. It was designed by English aviation engineer and aircraft designer Henry Folland, the designer of the S.E.5 among other aircraft. The top wing had a thick, high lift aerofoil, while the bottom wing was smaller, with a thinner medium lift aerofoil set at a smaller angle of attack than the upper wing. This arrangement was meant to produce high lift for take-off with low drag. James 1971, p.89.] cite web|url=http://www.avrosys.nu/aircraft/Skol/443OE3.htm|title=Gloster Grouse (1926–1929)|last=Henriksson|first=Lars |date=2008-01-04|publisher=www.avrosys.nu|accessdate=2008-09-03]

To test this arrangement, new wings were fitted to a modified Gloster Sparrowhawk fuselage to produce the Gloster Grouse. The resulting aircraft was a small biplane with single bay wooden wings. The fuselage was rather short,cite web|url=http://www.avrosys.nu/aircraft/Skol/443OE3.htm|title=Gloster Grouse (1926–1929)|last=Henriksson|first=Lars |date=2008-01-04|publisher=www.avrosys.nu|accessdate=2008-09-03] with a single seat for the pilot in an open cockpit. The Grouse retained the Bentley BR2 rotary engine of the Sparrowhawk driving a two blade propeller.

The prototype Grouse Mk I (registration "G-EAYN") first flew in 1923, Jackson 1973, p.335.] proving during testing that Folland's theories were correct. After evaluation by the RAF, orders were placed for three fighter derivatives, to be powered by Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar radial engines, designated Gloster Grebe. James 1971, pp. 90–91.]

In 1924, Gloster rebuilt the Grouse into a two seat basic trainer, the Grouse II, powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Lynx radial to replace the RAFs aging Avro 504s, emerging in this form in 1925. James 1971, p.72.]

Operational history

The Grouse II was unsucessfull in meeting the RAF's needs, a new version of the Avro 504, the 504N, also powered by the Lynx engine, being preferred. The Swedish Army Aviation Company purchased the Grouse II prototype as an advanced trainer. The aircraft was delivered just a short time before the Swedish Air Force was founded in the summer of 1926. During its time in Sweden, it only flew 109 hours. The pilots were impressed with the good performance of the aircraft, but no more Gloster Grouses were provided to the Air Force.

Operators

;SWE
*Royal Swedish Air Force

pecifications (Grouse II)

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

ref= Gloster Aircraft since 1917 James 1971, p. 93.]

crew=2
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
payload more=

length main= 20 ft 4 in
length alt= 6.19 m
span main= 27 ft 10 in
span alt= 8.47 m
height main= 9 ft 5 in
height alt= 2.86 m
area main= 205 ft²
area alt= 19.0 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,395 lb
empty weight alt= 619 kg
loaded weight main= 2,118 lb
loaded weight alt= 960 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=Armstrong Siddeley Lynx
type of prop= seven=cylinder air cooled radial engine
number of props=1
power main= 185 hp
power alt= 138 kW
power original=
max speed main= 120 mph
max speed alt= 104 knots, 193 km/h
max speed more=at sea level
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
cruise speed more=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
range more=
ferry range main=
ferry range alt=
ferry range more=
ceiling main= 18,000 ft
ceiling alt= 5,500 m
celing more=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
climb rate more=
loading main= lb/ft²
loading alt= kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= hp/lb
power/mass alt= W/kg
more performance=*Endurance: 3.75 hours
*Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 17 min

armament=
guns=
bombs=
rockets=
missiles=
hardpoints=
hardpoint capacity=

avionics=

ee also

aircontent
see also=

related=*Gloster Sparrowhawk
*Gloster Grebe
*Gloster Gamecock

similar aircraft=*Avro 504

lists=

References

*cite book |title=British Civil Aircraft since 1919: Volume 2 |last=Jackson |first= A.J.|authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1973 |publisher=Putnam |location=London |isbn=0 370 10010 7 |pages= |url= .
*cite book |title= Gloster Aircraft since 1917|last=James |first= Derek N.|authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1971 |publisher=Putnam |location=London |isbn= 0 370 00084 6|pages= |url= .