A prewar Gloster Gladiator skinpack including Flight leaders and 3 additional aircraft from each of A (Red), B (yellow) and C (Blue) Flights of No. 72 Squadron RAF based at Tangmere and Church Fenton in 1937 and 1938.
Acknowledgments: Many of the layers used creating this skin are from templates by Friendly Flyer, Nightshifter and Turnipkiller.
Technical: to be flyable the skins must be copied to the J8A folder in IL2.
Originally a First World War squadron, RAF No 72 Squadron was reformed 22 February 1937, when 'B' Flight of No 1 Squadron at Tangmere was increased to squadron strength. No 72 Squadron was the first RAF Squadron to be equipped with the Gloster Gladiator, flying Gladiators at Tangmere from March 1937 to May 1937 under Flt Lt E.M. Donaldson and then at Church Fenton in Yorkshire from June 1937 to April 1939 under Sqn Ldr E. J. L. Hope.
The unit also operated Gladiators for two weeks in March 1940 from Acklington on the Northumberland coast due to the bad state of the Acklington airfield at this time.
These early mkI Gladiators were originally fitted with Vickers machine guns in the fuselage and Lewis machine guns in the wings. The Vickers and Lewis guns were later replaced with the licence built Colt Brownings fitted standard to all later production Gladiators.
Note that there is some discrepancy between published profiles about the correct order of the red/blue coloring for 72 Squadron Insignia. Some show the outer border of the insignia to be red (the scheme used on the Fighter Collection Gladiator) others show the outer border as blue (Historian Rick Kent's profiles and some published books). Examination of black and white photographs from the period clearly show the inner part of the squadron insignia in shading matches the outer part of the roundels (Blue). This arrangement also agrees with the Fighter Collection's restored gladiator and the details at http://www.rafweb.org That is the scheme used here.
Aircraft included in this skinpack:
A (Red) Flight
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Flight Leader
K6130
22/02/37 From Manufacturer
11/05/39 Transferred to HMS Argus to form 112 Sq.
18/07/40 Hit a hill obscured by a cloud at Qaret el Naga. Aircraft destroyed. F/O Gray-Worcester killed.
K6133
22/02/37 From Manufacturer
23/07/37 Flew into ground out of cloud on ferry flight, Sealand – Church Fenton, Barmby, Yorkshire , and destroyed by fire, pilot killed.
Written off (63.10 hours)
K6138
04/03/37 From Manufacturer
29/06/38 Collided with K6139 2 miles South of Selby in Yorkshire but returned safely to base.
11/05/39 Transferred to HMS Argus to form 112 Sq.
09/02/41 CR.42 claimed by Sgt Gregory of 80 Sq.
K6139
04/03/37 From Manufacturer
11/03/37 Engine cut and a/c force landed and overturned at Odiham.
Returned to Squadron after repair.
29/06/38 Collided with K6138 and crashed 2miles South of Selby, Yorkshire.
Pilot killed, Aircraft destroyed .
Written off (105.27 hrs)
B (Yellow) Flight
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Flight leader
K8004 06/08/37 From Manufacturer
10/07/39 Transferred to 615 Sq.
K6144 31/03/37 From Manufacturer
01/12/38 Abandoned in spin, Monk Freyston, Yorks.
Written off (122.45 hours)
K7969
05/10/38 From 85 Sq.
10/03/39 Engine cut and hit hedge in forced landing, Ledsham, Yorkshire. Aircraft repaired.
11/05/39 Transferred to HMS Argus to form 112 Sq.
K7934
26/05/37 From Manufacturer.
07/02/38 Hit high tension cables on hill in mist and crashed 4 miles north of Brough.
Aircraft destroyed by fire and pilot killed.
Written off (107.20 hours)
C (Blue) Flight
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Flight Leader
K6140
04/03/37 From Manufacturer
11/05/39 Transferred to HMS Argus to form 112 Sq.
K6131
22/02/37 From Manufacturer
26/03/38 Ran out of fuel on approach to forced landing while lost and overturned and wrecked.
Wreck transferred to 9 FTS.
K6142
12/03/37 From Manufacturer
11/05/39 Transferred to HMS Argus to form 112 Sq.
K6143
12/02/37 From Manufacturer
11/05/39 Transferred to HMS Argus to form 112 Sq.
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Other skin packs in this series:
Click here for 73rd Fighter Sqdn RAF, Debden 1937 / Digby 1938
Click here for 3rd Fighter Sqdn RAF, Kenley in Surrey, Early 1937
Click here for 3rd Fighter Sqdn RAF, Kenley in Surrey 1938
Click here for 87th Fighter Sqdn RAF, Debden 1937/1938