Gloster Gnatsnapper

Gloster Aircraft Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1928 · fighter

The Gloster Gnatsnapper was a British single-seat carrier fighter prototype of the late 1920s, designed to meet an Air Ministry specification for a Fleet Air Arm shipborne fighter. It competed unsuccessfully against the Fairey Flycatcher's successor designs.

Recognition (WEFT)

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Spot it by:

• British interwar carrier fighter biplane prototype
• Evaluated for Fleet Air Arm use in late 1920s
• Gloster single-engine sesquiplane fighter of 1928

A compact single-bay biplane of typical late-1920s British naval fighter configuration; the radial engine, small size and arrestor hook provision distinguish it from contemporary land-based fighters.

Specifications

• The Gloster Gnatsnapper has a length of 7.49 m (25 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 10.21 m (33 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 285 km/h (177 mph).
• Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1928, the Gnatsnapper was evaluated by the Air Ministry and Fleet Air Arm but not selected for production. Gloster produced several variants in an attempt to win the contract, but the competition was eventually won by another design. The Gnatsnapper is notable as an example of interwar British naval fighter development.

Variants

Two or three prototype aircraft were built with minor variations in engine and equipment fit.

Where you'll see it

The Gnatsnapper never entered Fleet Air Arm service; all examples were test aircraft.

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