In Box Review of Pyro 1/48th Scale
British Gloster Gladiator
Kit no. P607-100
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1970
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1970
HISTORY:
The Gloster Gladiator went into production for the R.A.F. in July 1935. Powered by a Bristol Mercury IX nine-cylinder engine, driving a two-blade wooden airscrew. It was the first fighting biplane to have a sliding hood over the cockpit to protect the pilot at speeds of 210 mph at sea level, 245 mph at 10,000 ft.
Even so many pilots, used to aircraft with open cockpits, preferred to fly with this hood slid back. The Gladiator proved very popular and continued flying till 1939, when it was forced to participate in WWII. Even tough and obsolete, it gave a surprisingly good account of itself, until Spitfires and Hurricanes replaced them.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 1
Length: 27 ft 5 in (8.36 m)
Wingspan: 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)
Height: 11 ft 9 in (3.58 m)
Wing area: 323 ft2 (30.0 m2)
Empty weight: 3,217 lb (1,462 kg)
Loaded weight: 4,594 lb (2,088 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Mercury IX radial engine, 830 hp (619 kW)
Maximum speed: 253 mph (220 knots, 407 km/h) at 14,500 ft (4,400 m)
Cruise speed: 210 mph
Stall speed: 53 mph (46 knots, 85 km/h)
Endurance: 2 hours
Service ceiling: 32,800 ft (10,000 m)
Rate of climb: 2,300 ft/min[121] (11.7 m/s)
Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 4.75 min
Armament: Guns: Initially; Two synchronised .303 in Vickers machine guns in fuselage sides, two .303 in Lewis machine guns; one beneath each lower wing.
Later aircraft; Four .303 calibre M1919 Browning machine guns; two synchronised guns in fuselage sides and one beneath each lower wing.
The Gloster Gladiator went into production for the R.A.F. in July 1935. Powered by a Bristol Mercury IX nine-cylinder engine, driving a two-blade wooden airscrew. It was the first fighting biplane to have a sliding hood over the cockpit to protect the pilot at speeds of 210 mph at sea level, 245 mph at 10,000 ft.
Even so many pilots, used to aircraft with open cockpits, preferred to fly with this hood slid back. The Gladiator proved very popular and continued flying till 1939, when it was forced to participate in WWII. Even tough and obsolete, it gave a surprisingly good account of itself, until Spitfires and Hurricanes replaced them.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 1
Length: 27 ft 5 in (8.36 m)
Wingspan: 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)
Height: 11 ft 9 in (3.58 m)
Wing area: 323 ft2 (30.0 m2)
Empty weight: 3,217 lb (1,462 kg)
Loaded weight: 4,594 lb (2,088 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Mercury IX radial engine, 830 hp (619 kW)
Maximum speed: 253 mph (220 knots, 407 km/h) at 14,500 ft (4,400 m)
Cruise speed: 210 mph
Stall speed: 53 mph (46 knots, 85 km/h)
Endurance: 2 hours
Service ceiling: 32,800 ft (10,000 m)
Rate of climb: 2,300 ft/min[121] (11.7 m/s)
Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 4.75 min
Armament: Guns: Initially; Two synchronised .303 in Vickers machine guns in fuselage sides, two .303 in Lewis machine guns; one beneath each lower wing.
Later aircraft; Four .303 calibre M1919 Browning machine guns; two synchronised guns in fuselage sides and one beneath each lower wing.
THE KIT:
Pyro Plastics Corp. was a company based in Union, NJ. They went out of business.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art is a color illustration of the Gladiator flying above the clouds. There is no lettering on the box art and it can be hung on a wall for decoration.
The gladiator is overall silver, with a brass cowling front and brass wheel hubs. It has a blue and yellow chevron on the side of the fuselage with the British roundel on it. Behind this chevron is a black serial no. K7985, that is repeated again on the rudder flap.
One side panel shows tiny black and white illustrations of 10 other 1/48th scale aircraft kits that Pyro manufactured: A 1910 Bleriot, A 1911 Bristol Boxkite, A 1911 Deperdussin, A 1911 Martin Handasyde, A 1911 Avro Biplane, A 1911 Avro Triplane, A Gloster Gladiator R.A.F. Fighter (this kit), A Bristol Bulldog R.A.F. Fighter, A Hawker Fury R.A.F. Intercepter and A Fairey Flycatcher British Navy Fighter.
No kit numbers are provided for these 10 kits.
Pyro Plastics Corp. was a company based in Union, NJ. They went out of business.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art is a color illustration of the Gladiator flying above the clouds. There is no lettering on the box art and it can be hung on a wall for decoration.
The gladiator is overall silver, with a brass cowling front and brass wheel hubs. It has a blue and yellow chevron on the side of the fuselage with the British roundel on it. Behind this chevron is a black serial no. K7985, that is repeated again on the rudder flap.
One side panel shows tiny black and white illustrations of 10 other 1/48th scale aircraft kits that Pyro manufactured: A 1910 Bleriot, A 1911 Bristol Boxkite, A 1911 Deperdussin, A 1911 Martin Handasyde, A 1911 Avro Biplane, A 1911 Avro Triplane, A Gloster Gladiator R.A.F. Fighter (this kit), A Bristol Bulldog R.A.F. Fighter, A Hawker Fury R.A.F. Intercepter and A Fairey Flycatcher British Navy Fighter.
No kit numbers are provided for these 10 kits.
The other side panel says the kit is easy to assemble and was made and printed in the USA, followed by a one-paragraph history of the Gladiator.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 4 silver-grey trees, a jet-black display stand, a clear tree, ecal sheet and instructions.
Nothing is cello bagged.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 3 1/2" x 8 1/2" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white line-drawing of the Gladiator over its history and Pyro's address in Union, N.J.
Page 2 is text to walk you through the assemblies.
Page 3 & 4 has an exploded drawing for assembly purposes.
Page 5 & 6 has rigging, painting and decal application instructions, with a line drawing showing where the decals go.
Bottom of page 6 has 3 illustrations showing the top of the upper wing and the bottom of the lower wing and a side view.
The top of the upper wing has the blue and yellow chevrons on each wing.
The bottom of the lower wing shows the black serial no. K7985 on each wing.
The side view shows all the other markings on the fuselage sides and rudder. (already described above).
Trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. They do, however, have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
The first silver-grey tree holds: one lower wing, elevators, main wheels hubs, tail wheel, struts (13 parts)
This kit contains 4 silver-grey trees, a jet-black display stand, a clear tree, ecal sheet and instructions.
Nothing is cello bagged.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 3 1/2" x 8 1/2" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white line-drawing of the Gladiator over its history and Pyro's address in Union, N.J.
Page 2 is text to walk you through the assemblies.
Page 3 & 4 has an exploded drawing for assembly purposes.
Page 5 & 6 has rigging, painting and decal application instructions, with a line drawing showing where the decals go.
Bottom of page 6 has 3 illustrations showing the top of the upper wing and the bottom of the lower wing and a side view.
The top of the upper wing has the blue and yellow chevrons on each wing.
The bottom of the lower wing shows the black serial no. K7985 on each wing.
The side view shows all the other markings on the fuselage sides and rudder. (already described above).
Trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. They do, however, have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
The first silver-grey tree holds: one lower wing, elevators, main wheels hubs, tail wheel, struts (13 parts)
The second silver-grey tree holds: the pilot figure (upper and lower body halves with separate arms), upper wing halves and landing gear legs (9 parts)
The third silver-grey tree holds: joystick, seat (with cockpit floor attached), propeller, engine, gun pods, exhaust-pipes, dashboard, cowling side panel (10 parts)
The fourth silver-grey tree holds: the other lower wing, cowling, central upper wings section, fuselage halves, main wheels tires, spinner, struts, cockpit rear shelf (10 parts)
The clear tree holds an open and closed canopy (3 parts)
The jet black parts are the display stand base and support arm (2 parts)
The decal sheet completes the kit contents.
Detail is the raised variety with very nice rib patterns on the fuselage, wings, rudder and elevators.
Flaps are all molded solid.
Recommended.
Flaps are all molded solid.
Recommended.