Gloster E.1/44

1948

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Gloster E.1/44

Late in 1944, Gloster began construction of an all-metal single-seat fighter designed around the RB.41 centrifugal- flow turbojet being developed by Rolls-Royce and to emerge as the Nene. To the requirements of Specification E.1/44, the first prototype was completed in July 1947, but suffered irreparable damage when the vehicle transporting it to the A&AEE was involved in an accident. A second prototype was completed and flown on 9 March 1948, this being powered by a 2268kg Nene 2 turbojet and having provision for four 20mm Hispano cannon. After initial flight testing the tail assembly was redesigned to improve handling. A third prototype was flown in 1949, and a fourth was nearing completion when it was decided that the single-engined fighter lacked the development potential of the twin-engined Meteor, further work being discontinued.

3-View 
Gloster E.1/44A three-view drawing (1670 x 1203)

Specification 
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight5203 kg11471 lb
  Empty weight3747 kg8261 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan10.97 m36 ft 0 in
  Length11.58 m38 ft 0 in
  Height3.55 m12 ft 8 in
  Wing area23.60 m2254.03 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed998 km/h620 mph

Comments
maurice, e-mail, 04.03.2018 18:13

Bill Waterton called it the Gloster Gormless

reply

Keith, e-mail, 23.07.2012 17:48

Does any one know if Bill Waterton crashlanded TX145 in a field near the RAE Farnborough (actually in Cove) in 1949 afer an engine failure

reply

bombardier, e-mail, 24.10.2011 15:13

Take this plane,fit it with swept wings and tail and you have an excellent MiGkiller.

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beifan, 20.06.2011 13:25

(about the same as the world air speed record in 1946) seems very optimistic to me...

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Bill Krouwel, e-mail, 14.06.2011 17:35

Bill Waterton, who waqs responsible for testing it was deeply sarcastic about it, and thought it was good for nothing. The quoted maximum speed of 620 mph (about the same as the world air speed record in 1946) seems very optimistic to me...

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Barry, 18.04.2011 16:17

This plane was known as the Ace and was one of a number of studies made by Gloster at about this time. The real reason it was not proceeded with was that in the immediate post war years it became apparent to all aircraft manufacturers that, as the Germans had already discovered, that problems of compressibilty experienced at higher mach numbers were best answered useing swept wings, and so there was no point in proceeding with what would prove to be a dated design.

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