162

FL1GH1.

AUGUST 25.

1938.

T is now some considerable time since the Swedish Aii Force (Flygvapnel is its Swedish name) took delivery of the last of its 55 Gioster Gladiators with Bristol Mercury engines. Of this number, 45 are divided among the three squadrons which form the Kungl. Svea Flygfiottilj (No. 8 Fighter Wing), the remaining ten machines being held in reserve. Being interested in seeing how the Swedish pilots were faring with their Gladiators, we asked the Chief of the Swedish Air Force, General T. Friis, for permission to visit the wing, a permission which was readily granted. I found them in training camp at Rinkaby, near Kristianstad, South Sweden, where they had gone for their three months' training. The surface at Rinkaby was dusty and sunbaked, worse if possible than our own Martlesham Heath. In spite of this the Swedish Air Force does not seem to have any trouble with the Gladiator undercarriages, although I think Mr. Dowty would die of heart failure if he were to see how landings have to be made on account of the relatively small size of the aero drome. (The preparation of aerodromes in Sweden entails blasting thousands of tons of rock.ED.)

GLADIATOR
"Flight's" Chiej Photgrap\
Training in aerobatics fills in the time between shoots at the drogue target, which, by the way, are carried out much more efficiently than in this country. The targettowing machine and a Gladiator leave the aerodrome together, fly out over the sea, where the shooting takes place, and then return to the aerodrome. The target machine releases another drogue which slides down the towing wire and, on reaching the end, releases the drogue which was used for the first shoot. It is then ready for the second machine. This saves a great deal of time compared with our system of dropping the wire and drogue, landing and refitting. Usually ten targets are carried. The result of the Swedish system is that one target-towing aeroplane must be equal in efficiency to at least four of ours. The Gladiator squadrons were formed into a Fighter Wing on July 1, under the command of Wing Commander E. G. Gardin, and they will move into permanent quarters

Flight

Aerobatics

Everyone in F.8, the official number of the Wing, is most enthusiastic about the handling qualities of the Gladiator, and while I was there 1 watched the trainees making their first attempts at flight aerobatics, with very creditable results

Above, an aerial view of the Gioster Gladiators at Rinkaby armament training camp, South Sweden. On the right, three of the machines off to practise flight aerobatics. In the upper picture one of the Bristol Mercury engines is being supplied with " flygbenzin."