Post by acklington on Nov 2, 2019 19:36:50 GMT 1
Just finished, the latest addition to my RAF Ouston project, Gloster Gladiator Mk.1 K6132 of 13 Group Communications Flight, RAF Ouston, Northumberland, April 1941.
K6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (4) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
K6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (7) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
K6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (9) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
K6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (12) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
K6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (13) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
K6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (18) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
K6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (21) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
K6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (22) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
K6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (28) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
K6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (30) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
And here is how the model looked during construction!
K6132, rigging St Johns, Oct 19 w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
This is a recent Airfix kit, so accurate and nicely detailed. Nevertheless it did fight me most of the way to completion! Also the Mk.1 didn't have the under-cowling oil cooler intake, so this was removed and the gaps plugged.
K6132 was only the fourth Gladiator built, and initially served with 72 Squadron at Church Fenton. There it became the mount of James Nicholson, who subsequently went on to win the only Fighter Command VC of the war. It was while he was flying it that the Munich Crisis led to K6132 being hastily and somewhat crudely camouflaged, and it adopted the codes 'RN-S', serial number probably deleted. There is a photo of Nicholson flying it as such. 72 converted to Spitfires, and K6132 was one of three Gladiators allocated to 13 Group's communication flight in April 1941. The Group HQ was in Newcastle, and the three Gladiators became the first aircraft to use the still incomplete RAF Ouston, flying off the grass areas. After a year or so with 13 Group, K6132 moved on to the RAE at Farnborough, where it survived until 1945, probably the oldest Gladiator to see the end of the war.
K6132, Valentines Postcard w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
K6132 was also used for a set of photos taken by "The Aeroplane" pre-war, and the view shown was made into a Valentines Postcard (my own collection). It is thus the most common image of a Gladiator to be found on the internet.
For the colour scheme I have assumed the 'Munich' camouflage (without shadow compensation shading), with 1940 sky undersides. Then during the winter of 1940/41 the 'half black' under wings recognition markings were re-introduced on fighters, until ordered to be removed on 22 April 1941. So perhaps the only Ouston-based aircraft ever to wear (very briefly) this recognition feature. I have also just attached the prop spinner with blu-tac, as many Gladiators flew without a spinner.
Thanks for looking.
K6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (4) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrK6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (7) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrK6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (9) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrK6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (12) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrK6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (13) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrK6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (18) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrK6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (21) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrK6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (22) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrK6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (28) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrK6132, 13 Group Comms Flight, Ouston, April 1941 (30) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrAnd here is how the model looked during construction!
K6132, rigging St Johns, Oct 19 w by Philip Pain, on FlickrThis is a recent Airfix kit, so accurate and nicely detailed. Nevertheless it did fight me most of the way to completion! Also the Mk.1 didn't have the under-cowling oil cooler intake, so this was removed and the gaps plugged.
K6132 was only the fourth Gladiator built, and initially served with 72 Squadron at Church Fenton. There it became the mount of James Nicholson, who subsequently went on to win the only Fighter Command VC of the war. It was while he was flying it that the Munich Crisis led to K6132 being hastily and somewhat crudely camouflaged, and it adopted the codes 'RN-S', serial number probably deleted. There is a photo of Nicholson flying it as such. 72 converted to Spitfires, and K6132 was one of three Gladiators allocated to 13 Group's communication flight in April 1941. The Group HQ was in Newcastle, and the three Gladiators became the first aircraft to use the still incomplete RAF Ouston, flying off the grass areas. After a year or so with 13 Group, K6132 moved on to the RAE at Farnborough, where it survived until 1945, probably the oldest Gladiator to see the end of the war.
K6132, Valentines Postcard w by Philip Pain, on FlickrK6132 was also used for a set of photos taken by "The Aeroplane" pre-war, and the view shown was made into a Valentines Postcard (my own collection). It is thus the most common image of a Gladiator to be found on the internet.
For the colour scheme I have assumed the 'Munich' camouflage (without shadow compensation shading), with 1940 sky undersides. Then during the winter of 1940/41 the 'half black' under wings recognition markings were re-introduced on fighters, until ordered to be removed on 22 April 1941. So perhaps the only Ouston-based aircraft ever to wear (very briefly) this recognition feature. I have also just attached the prop spinner with blu-tac, as many Gladiators flew without a spinner.
Thanks for looking.