alternatehistory.com

The Gladiator was essentially a cleaned up Gloster Gauntlet with a more powerful engine, two extra guns and enclosed cockpit. It was cobbled together the meet the F7/30 specification, just about. Now suppose reading the tealeaves H.P. Folland had realised the eventual F7/30 would be little more than a stop gap until a new generation of high speed aircraft was available. Rather than spend time on a design with little future he instead simply reworks the Gauntlet to have the more powerful engine and to hang two Lewis guns under the lower wing. What emerges isn't a new aircraft just an improved Gauntlet and he can move on to other projects.
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