Fighter Master Folland and the Gladiators

This book provides a history of the Gloster Gladiator, the biplane fighter made famous during the defense of Malta in World War Two, and of its designer, H.P. Folland. The Gladiator began its life as a private venture; the last British biplane fighter, it was a development of the Gauntlet with an enclosed cockpit and cantilever landing gear. It was used during The Second World War in theatres where the RAF could not afford better equipment and Gladiators were also sold to Belgium, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Norway, China, Ireland, Greece, Portugal, Egypt, Iraq, and South Africa. Compared to its successors, the Hurricane and the Spitfire, the Gloster Gladiator has received little attention. This book, including 150 illustrations, seeks to redress the balance and tell the story of the Gladiator, taking in the history of Gloster Aircraft Co., the designer, Folland, and also looking at the Gladiator's predecessor, the Gauntlet, and its other forefathers.