There were approximately over 700 Gloster Gladiators built and in use by about nineteen countries. That means there are plenty of different ways to finish a model of a Gloster Gladiator. If you look you can definitely find decal sheets for most Gladiator operators in multiple schemes. Print Scale is one company now offering decals for the Airfix 1/72 Gloster Gladiators.
There are twelve Gladiators on this release:
- Gladiator Mk.I, K8027, No.87 Squadron, Royal Air Force (RAF), Debden, England, October 1937: finished overall in aluminum
- Gladiator Mk.I, K6145, No.3 (F) Squadron, Kenley, 1937: overall aluminum
- Gladiator Mk.I, L7612, No.33 Squadron, Ismalia, May 1938: overall aluminum
- Gladiator Mk.II, GK-Z, No.80 Squadron, Egypt 1940: Dark Earth and Dark Green upper surfaces with black and white undersides of fuselage and lower wings (but the instructions don't mention what the undersides of the top wing should be)
- Gladiator Mk.II, HE-K, No.263 Squadron, Norway, Spring 1940: Dark Green and Medium Sea Grey upper surfaces with Sky Grey undersides and fuselage-sides
- Gladiator Mk.II, N2309:B, No.1401 (Met) Flight and Bircham Newton, Late 1942: Ocean Grey and Dark Green upper surfaces with Medium Sea Grey under surfaces
- Sea Gladiator Mk.I, N5567:6-C, No.813 Squadron, HMS Eagle, Mediterannean 1940: standard FAA scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey
- Sea Gladiator Mk.I, N5502:135, No.801 Squadron Fleet Air Arm, HMS Courageous, early 1939: overall aluminum with a bright blue fuselage band
- Sea Gladiator (no mark mentioned), N5524, No.261 Squadron, Luqa, Malta, January 1941: Dark Green and Dark Earth upper surfaces, Sky underneath
- Gladiator Mk.II, L9044, No.3 Squadron RAAF, flown by Flag Officer Peter Turnbull, Martuba, Libya, 25 January 1941:
- Gladiator Mk.II, N5852, No.1 Squadron, SAAF, flown by Capt B J L Boyle, Azzoza, Eritrea, October 1940
- Sea Gladiator (no mark given), N2272, 804 NAS, flown by Sub Lt J W Sleight, Hatston, Orkney, July 1940: Ocean Grey and Dark Green upper surfaces with Medium Sea Grey under surfaces
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Where needed, the instructions do have both upper and lower profiles to help with painting. Plus, there are two small pictures of a Gladiator's cockpit along with a small operational picture of a Gladiator with pilots around it. The decals appear to be in register and are nicely printed.
If you're looking for something besides the box-scheme for your Gladiators then definitely think about picking this sheet up from Print Scale. There are some nicely finished aircraft on it.
A definite "thank you" to Print Scale for sending this to review.