# Gloster II > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gloster_II > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gloster_II.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloster_II > Source revision: 1338835673 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1920s British sport floatplane Gloster II General information Type Racing seaplane National origin United Kingdom Manufacturer Gloster Aircraft Company Designer Henry Folland Number built 2 History First flight 19 September 1924 Developed from Gloster I The **Gloster II** was a British racing [floatplane](/source/Floatplane) of the 1920s. A single-engined [biplane](/source/Biplane), two were built to compete in the 1924 [Schneider Trophy](/source/Schneider_Trophy) air race. However the crash of the first [prototype](/source/Prototype) during testing meant that it could not be made ready for the race, which was postponed. The second aircraft was also lost in a crash. ## Design and development The 1923 [Schneider Trophy](/source/Schneider_Trophy) race for [seaplanes](/source/Seaplane) had been won by the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) with the [Curtiss CR-3](/source/Curtiss_CR), a floatplane which outclassed Britain's entry, the [Supermarine Sea Lion III](/source/Supermarine_Sea_Lion_II) [flying boat](/source/Flying_boat).[1] In a change from previous years, where Britain's entries had been privately funded, the British [Air Ministry](/source/Air_Ministry) ordered two racing seaplanes from the [Gloster Aircraft Company](/source/Gloster_Aircraft_Company) to compete for the 1924 race.[2] The resulting aircraft, designated the **Gloster II**, was a floatplane development of Gloster's earlier [Gloster I](/source/Nieuport_Nighthawk) racing aircraft, which had won the annual [Aerial Derby](/source/Aerial_Derby) air race three years running between 1921 and 1923, and had attempted unsuccessfully to break the [World airspeed record](/source/Flight_airspeed_record) in 1922.[3] It was a small single-seat [biplane](/source/Biplane) of fabric covered wooden construction, powered by a closely faired [Napier Lion](/source/Napier_Lion) engine. It had short-span single bay wings and a twin float undercarriage, with radiators mounted on the struts supporting the floats.[2] The first aircraft, with the [serial number *J7504*](/source/United_Kingdom_military_aircraft_serials), was ready for flight testing in September 1924.[2] However, when attempting to land after its first test flight, on 19 September 1924, the undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft sank, with pilot [Hubert Broad](/source/Hubert_Broad) escaping unhurt.[4][5] There was insufficient time to prepare the second aircraft for the race, scheduled for October, but as no other European nation had an entry ready to compete, the Americans postponed the race until 1925.[6] The second aircraft was converted to a landplane and used for flight testing equipment to be used for the [Gloster III](/source/Gloster_III) racer being designed for the 1925 competition. It was lost in a high-speed crash landing at [RAF Cranwell](/source/RAF_Cranwell) following [elevator](/source/Elevator_(aircraft)) [flutter](/source/Aeroelasticity#Flutter) in June 1925, the pilot, Larry Carter, being seriously injured, fracturing his skull.[7][8] ## Specifications (Gloster II seaplane) *Data from* Gloster Aircraft since 1917 [9] **General characteristics** - **Crew:** 1 - **Length:** 26 ft 10 in (8.18 m) - **Wingspan:** 20 ft 0 in (6.10 m) - **Height:** 11 ft 0 in (3.35 m) - **Wing area:** 165 sq ft (15.3 m2) - **Empty weight:** 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) - **Gross weight:** 3,100 lb (1,406 kg) - **Powerplant:** 1 × [Napier Lion VA](/source/Napier_Lion_VA) W-12 water-cooled piston engine, 585 hp (436 kW) - **Propellers:** 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller **Performance** - **Maximum speed:** 225 mph (362 km/h, 196 kn) - **Wing loading:** 18.8 lb/sq ft (92 kg/m2) - **[Power/mass](/source/Power-to-weight_ratio):** 0.19 hp/lb (0.31 kW/kg) ## See also - [Schneider Trophy](/source/Schneider_Trophy) **Related development** - [Gloster I](/source/Nieuport_Nighthawk) - [Gloster III](/source/Gloster_III) - [Gloster IV](/source/Gloster_IV) **Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era** - [Curtiss CR](/source/Curtiss_CR) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Mondey_p40_1-0)** Mondey 1981, p. 40. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-James_p107_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-James_p107_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-James_p107_2-2) James 1971, p. 107. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-James_69-73_3-0)** James 1971, pp. 69–73. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Flight_1924_p630_4-0)** *Flight* 25 September 1925, p. 630. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Jackson_p313_5-0)** Jackson 1973, p. 313. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Mondey_p40-1_6-0)** Mondey 1981, pp. 40–41. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-James_p109-10_7-0)** James 1971, pp. 109–110. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Flight_1925_p374_8-0)** *Flight* 18 June 1925, p. 374. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-James_p110_9-0)** James 1971, p. 110. - "[British Schneider Cup Seaplane Lost](http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1924/1924%20-%200630.html)" *[Flight](/source/Flight_International)*, 25 September 1924. p. 630. - "[The Accident to the Gloster II](http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1925/1925%20-%200374.html?)". *Flight*, 18 June 1925. p. 374. - Jackson, A.J. *British Civil Aircraft since 1919: Volume 2*. London:Putnam, Second edition 1973. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-370-10010-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-370-10010-7). - James, Derek J. *Gloster Aircraft since 1917*. London:Putnam, 1971. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-370-00084-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-370-00084-6). - Mondey, David. "Britain Captures Schneider Trophy". *[Air Enthusiast](/source/Air_Enthusiast)*, Seventeen, December 1981 – March 1982. Bromley, Kent, UK:Pilot Press. pp. 36–50. v t e Gloster aircraft Model numbers G.1 G.11 G.12 G.14 G.16 G.17 G.18 SS.18 SS.19 G.20 G.21 G.22 G.23 G.25 G.27 G.28 G.30 AS/G.31 G.32 TC/G.33 SS.34 G.35 SS.35 FS.36 SS/G.37 G.38 TSR.38 G.39 G.40 G.41 G.42 G.43 G.44 G.47 G.50 GA.1 GA.2 GA.3 GA.4 GA.5 GA.6 Biplane fighters Mars I Sparrowhawk Mars VI Nighthawk Mars X Nightjar Gannet Grebe Grouse Gorcock Gamecock Guan Goral Goring Goldfinch Gambet Gnatsnapper Gauntlet Gladiator Monoplane fighters F.5/34 F.9/37 Jet aircraft E.28/39 Meteor E.1/44 Javelin Meteor "Prone Pilot" GA.1 GA.2 GA.3 GA.4 GA.5 P.370 Schneider Racers II III IV VI Other Survey TC.33 TSR.38 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gloster II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloster_II) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloster_II?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.