Gloster Grebe
Gloster Aircraft Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1923 · fighter
The Gloster Grebe was a British single-seat biplane fighter of the early 1920s, serving as the principal RAF interceptor fighter for several years after World War I.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 6.17 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-seat biplane fighter with a rotund radial-engined nose
- Sesquiplane layout with a smaller lower wing than the upper
- Single interplane strut per side with prominent V-bracing wires
Compact sesquiplane biplane with the lower wing clearly smaller in chord and span than the upper. The Bristol Jupiter radial engine gives a broad, round nose. Single interplane struts each side with cross-bracing wires. The undercarriage is a simple V-strut type. The rounded rudder and the relatively deep fuselage cross-section distinguish it from the Snipe it replaced.
Specifications
- The Gloster Grebe has a length of 6.17 m (20 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.07 m (30 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 243 km/h (151 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed from the Nieuport Nighthawk lineage through the Gloucestershire Aircraft Company (later renamed Gloster), the Grebe first flew in 1923 and entered RAF service that same year. It replaced the Sopwith Snipe and equipped several home-defence squadrons. The Grebe was notable for being among the first British fighters to conduct experimental airship-hook trials, with aircraft being released and recovered from the airship R.33.
Variants
Grebe I and Grebe II (main production marks); the broadly related Gamecock followed as a successor.
Where you'll see it
Served with the RAF from 1923 to 1929 equipping home-defence fighter squadrons; exported in small numbers to New Zealand.
Related aircraft
- Gloster Gamecock
- Gloster Gnatsnapper
- Gloster AS.31 Survey
- Gloster VI
- Aero A.18
- Aero A.20
- Avia BH-7
- Beardmore W.B.XXVI
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