Air International 1983-01

One of a series of "round-the-clock" ground views of the Gloster F.5/34 taken by the Air Ministry photographer in accordance with the standard requirement; almost certainly taken immediately before or at the time of first flight, these official prints are dated May 1937.

Flight 1937-06 / Flight

FLEDGED: The eagerly awaited Gloster multi-gun monoplane fighter, which, judging by appearances, should occupy an extremely small period of time in getting from x to y at the behest of the Mercury or the sleeve-valve Perseus, which are its alternative power plants. Note the forward position of the fin and rudder relative to the tail plane.

Aviation Historian 11 / R.Pegram - Folland's Forgotten Monoplanes (3)

The first of Gloster’s monoplane fighters to fly and the last of Folland’s designs for the company, the F.5/34 made its first flight in December 1937. Only two prototypes were built; K5604, as seen here, and K8089, which first flew in March 1938, by which time Sydney Camm’s superior Hurricane was already in squadron service.
The Gloster F.5/34 was akin to a monoplane version of the Gladiator and was powered by an 840 h.p. geared and supercharged Mercury IX enclosed in a long-chord cowling with controllable cooling gills. The aircraft was a rival to the Spitfire and Hurricane and - unsurprisingly - was never put into production.

Flight 1937-06 / Flight

GLOSTER'S LATEST: A three-quarter-front aspect of the new monoplane fighter. Leading dimensions are: Span, 38ft. 2in.; length, 31ft. 1in.; height, 10ft. 1in.

Air Enthusiast 2006-09 / A.Ord-Hume - Folland's Civil Side /Paper planes/

Folland's last design for Gloster was the F5/34 fighter, which first flew in December 1937.

Flight 1937-12 / Flight

Fairly typical of a modern single-row installation is the Mercury in the Gloster F.5/34 fighter. The crankcase cowl is not standard.

Aviation Historian 10 / R.Pegram - Folland's Forgotten Monoplanes (2)

Significant in being the first Gloster monoplane to fly, the first F.5/34 climbs away from Hucclecote some time after its maiden flight in December 1937. Two examples were built, K5604 and K8089, but although the type showed a good deal of promise, its thunder was comprehensively stolen by the advent of the Spitfire and Hurricane.

Flight 1937-06 / Flight

The new Gloster multi-gun fighter monoplane fitted, at the moment, with a Bristol Mercury engine.

Jane's All the World Aircraft 1938 / 03 - All the world's aeroplanes

The Gloster F.5/34 Single-seat Multi-gun Fighter Monoplane (Bristol "Mercury IX" engine).

Aviation Historian 11 / R.Pegram - Folland's Forgotten Monoplanes (3)

Мировая Авиация 140

Техническое задание, по которому были созданы истребители Hawker Hurricane и Supermarine Spitfire, привело также к появлению и Gloster F.5/34, имевшего неплохие летные данные, но безнадежно опоздавшему.

Air International 1983-01

One of the series of photographs of the Gloster F.5/34 in "The Aeroplane" series numbered 10.121

Flight 1937-11 / Flight

The Flight photograph of the newest British single-seater multi-gun fighter - the Gloster F.5/34 with Bristol Mercury engine.
The shapely Gloster F.5/34 is characterised by an unusual tail in which the fin and rudder are placed well forward.

Flight 1938-08 / Flight Advertisements

THE GLOSTER MONOPLANE FIGHTER: with “Bristol” Mercury engine. A single-seat, multi-gun, day and night fighter of low-wing, metal, stressed-skin construction. Fitted with retracting undercarriage, two-position 3-bladed airscrew, and fully-enclosed and heated cockpit. Span, 38 ft.; length, 32 ft.; height, 10 ft.; wing area, 230 sq. ft. An extremely fast and manoeuvrable machine, of which no performance details are available for publication. Built by the Gloster Aircraft Co. Ltd.

Flight 1937-07 / Flight

Flight 1937-07 / Flight

The Gloster F.5/34 single-seater fighter is one fine example of 1937 military prototypes. The Gloster was designed for a Mercury or Perseus radial.

Flight 1937-06 / Flight

BACKGROUND: The latest of a long and brilliant line of Gloster fighters, the new multi-gun monoplane is designed to take a Bristol radial. A Mercury is installed in the prototype, seen here looking in on Hawker's "-MR," but a sleeve-valve Perseus may later be substituted.

Flight 1937-08 / Flight Advertisements

Aviation Historian 10 / R.Pegram - Folland's Forgotten Monoplanes (2)

The design by Folland and Howard Preston to Specification F.5/34 was the first of Folland’s monoplane fighters and the last of his Gloster designs to fly. Echoes of its shape and layout would surface in the E.28/39 jet, a product of Folland’s successor, George Carter.