+Geezer 3,569 Posted June 25, 2015 Started mapping the Gladiator. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gatling20 753 Posted June 26, 2015 Competition for the CR.42 - outstanding! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wrench 9,851 Posted June 26, 2015 I see a tailhook.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted June 27, 2015 I see a tailhook.... Yep. The Royal Navy had some Sea Gladiators in storage at Alexandria when Italy declared war in mid-1940. The RAF, desperate for any kind of aircraft, "borrowed" the Sea Gladiators for ops in the desert. Dunno if they were repainted in land camo or not. LloydNB agreed to make the Sea Gladiator textures some time ago, but I've not heard from him in a while. Progress shots. Mostly just the fuselage and engine remain to be mapped. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wrench 9,851 Posted June 27, 2015 iirc, some at Malta were also Sea Gladiators, too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Crusader 2,101 Posted June 27, 2015 Ive been on Malta in the early 90's ... visited the War Museum in La Valetta (besides many other places) I think I took a photo of the last remaining Gladiator there .. .must check photo albums... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted June 27, 2015 (edited) Found this for a Malta Sea Gladiator. Looks like land colors were mostly, but not entirely, sprayed over the maritime colors. It also looks like the illustrator got careless? The undersurfaces view specifies SKY, but the side view shows maritime light gray on the lower fuselage. EDIT: The more I look at this art, the more I question it. It depicts a Sea Gladiator cowling (with maritime colors) mounted on a Gladiator with standard land camo. Thing is, the Gladiators on Malta were SEA Gladiators, not land Gladiators. Given the desperate nature of Malta's defense, it seems doubtful that vital aircraft would have been stood down for re-painting in land colors. Edited June 27, 2015 by Geezer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wrench 9,851 Posted June 27, 2015 interesting.. on the profile, the undersides (wings and horizontal stabs) almost look likes silver dope...??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted June 27, 2015 interesting.. on the profile, the undersides (wings and horizontal stabs) almost look likes silver dope...??? Very possible. The first batches of Gladiators sent to the Middle East were painted in over all silver dope. As war became likely, they were given hasty coats of camo. After several months of operations in the desert sun, the locally applied camo started looking pretty scruffy. Dunno about Sea Gladiator colors. Other RAF aircraft, such as the Hurricane Mk1, were initially painted in Dark Earth/Dark Green with silver dope under surfaces, changing to Sky under surfaces in mid-1940. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted June 28, 2015 Got a good start on the fuselage. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wrench 9,851 Posted June 28, 2015 I have the mushroom yellow series book on the gladiator on pdf, if you might need it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted June 28, 2015 (edited) I have the mushroom yellow series book on the gladiator on pdf, if you might need it. Sure! And thanks... I've got a number of Gladiator refs, but it never hurts to have more. At the moment, I'm using the Osprey pub Gloster Gladiator Aces for color scheme info. If I have time, I hope to make two sets of skins. One set will be standard 4-color day camo (inwork now) and the second set will be the standard 2-color day camo. EDIT: there was a lot of variation to the 4-color camo patterns. I suspect the reason was most Gladiators were built with the 2-color pattern, and the additional 2 colors were applied later in the field. Below is a shot of an early, all silver dope Gladiator that had been hastily camo'ed when Italy declared war. Note how scruffy and weather-beaten the field applied paint looks. Edited June 28, 2015 by Geezer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wilches 1,172 Posted June 28, 2015 Geezer, the Gladiator used three types of prop. Are you planning to release´em? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted June 28, 2015 Geezer, the Gladiator used three types of prop. Are you planning to release´em? All production Gladiators were fitted with two- or three-blade fixed pitch props. Those will be included in the model. At least one Malta Gladiator had improvised repairs using a variable-pitch prop salvaged from a Bristol Blenheim. Is this the third type you are referring to? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wilches 1,172 Posted June 29, 2015 All production Gladiators were fitted with two- or three-blade fixed pitch props. Those will be included in the model. At least one Malta Gladiator had improvised repairs using a variable-pitch prop salvaged from a Bristol Blenheim. Is this the third type you are referring to? Yes it is. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted June 29, 2015 (edited) That was not a production configuration. One or two aircraft are not representative of anything. It was a one-off improvisation - the aeronautical equivalent of shade tree mechanics cobbling something together in their garage. I don't have time for that. EDIT: Forgive me for not being more diplomatic. I have commitments that will take me well into next year, so you can see why I am not crazy about the extra time/effort to model something that only applies to one or two aircraft! Strictly speaking, I should not be modeling the Mk1 with wooden propeller. The Mk1 and Mk2 had different instrument panels but I don't like making cockpits so there's no way in hell I am going to expend the time and effort on two different cockpits when I have so much else to do. Edited June 29, 2015 by Geezer 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wilches 1,172 Posted June 29, 2015 Relax Geezer, I was a cockpit maker backing EAW days and I know how hard it is. Take your time and live your life. You´re doing your best. Thanks!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted June 29, 2015 Relax Geezer, I was a cockpit maker backing EAW days and I know how hard it is. Take your time and live your life. You´re doing your best. Thanks!! From your earlier comments, its pretty clear you knew that only ONE Gladiator ever mounted a variable pitch propeller. If you are so knowledgeable about model making, why did you ask such a dumb question? Rest assured I am not interested in advice from someone with such questionable judgement. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted June 29, 2015 Wilches - I was wrong. I was pissed off at something else and took it out on you. My apologies. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wilches 1,172 Posted June 30, 2015 I forgive you Geezer - no prob! You´ve always be such a kind guy here and you took me by surprise with that "rude" response... As for the prop, I don´t have time (really!) for that nor even knowledge because when in EAW days the tool I used was built specific for that simm. Backing, when you arrived here you brought a so sophisticated work that raised the standards in building planes. Don´t take me wrong when I ask for any mod. Sorry and thanks!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted July 9, 2015 Got it flying ingame for first time. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted July 9, 2015 More WIP shots over the Alps. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted July 12, 2015 Got some work done on the Mk1 version. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Geezer 3,569 Posted July 12, 2015 (edited) Gladiator camo patterns varied more than "normal" for RAF aircraft, and I think I've figured out why. The Gladiator entered production before the Munich Crisis of 1938, which is when the RAF introduced dark earth/dark green camo, so most Gladiators were completed in over-all silver dope. Consequently, most Gladiator camo was applied in depot or in the field - this would explain why there was so much variation in the camo patterns. To make matters worse, the RAF introduced 4-color camo (for biplanes) just before the shooting started - this resulted in even more variation. So, the Mk 1 will have the initial 2-color pattern, and the Mk 2 will have the later 4-color pattern. Photos show both patterns used wherever the Gladiator was deployed - Britain, France, Norway, Egypt, Sudan, etc. EDIT: Per the Mushroom pub on the Gladiator (thanks Wrench!) many of the Gladiators sent to Norway had dark earth on the upper wings over-painted with medium gray, and sometimes dark earth on the lower wings was over-painted with sky gray. Edited July 12, 2015 by Geezer 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
