Feature Article with Gerry Doyle
Just before we get started, here’s a look at how it all turned out…
Irish Air Corps Gladiator
The Irish Air Corps took delivery of four Gloster Gladiators in 1938. They had serials from 23 -26. Four more were ordered however were not delivered due to an embargo because of the onset of the War in 1939. These flew with No.1 Squadron out of Baldonnel until their retirement, being replaced by Hurricanes in 1943.
In kit form the Gladiator has been relatively well represented over the years in all scales however when Airfix released a new tool 1:72 kit in 2013 it was very welcome indeed. Of course, having the Irish Air Corps option in the box was a real unexpected surprise! Having built several Matchbox kits using MaxDecals over the years it was a real treat to be able to build a modern tooling in this scale.
The kit itself is very nice. The Airfix plastic at this time was a bit soft but didn’t affect the lovely surface detail. As for the detail, all I really wanted to add was seat harnesses and rigging to keep the build as simple as possible.
