In the defence resolution of 1936 it was decided to organise one new fighter and four new bomber wings. The fighter wing was for the defence of the Stockholm area. The head of the Swedish Airforce found the Gloster Gladiator best suited for the demands. Two squadrons in the wing should get planes from England and the third should get license-manufactured planes. The type was called J8 (J stands for Jaktplan, i.e. fighter).
The first squadron of Gladiator was organised on F8 Barkarby (F stands for Flottilj, i.e. wing) and was received with mixed feelings since the planes where new but obsolete. The first flight of the plane was back in 1934 and more than 500 had been delivered to the RAF. The biplane configuration meant great turnability but the top speed wasn't good compared with modern fighters of the day.
The first J8's had a Bristol Mercury VI with 645 hp, but the successive version (J8A) had a Mercury VIII with 840 hp.
Increasing demands on performance meant that the J8 soon was declared obsolete as a front-line fighter and was relegated to the Air Cadet School F20, to be used as a trainer for singular and formation training.
Technical details for the Gloster Gladiator in Swedish service
Type:__________Fighter
Spann:_________9.83 m
Lenght:________8.36 m
Engine:________J8 - Bristol Mercury VIS2 / 645 hsp.
_______________J8A - Bristol Mercury VIIIS3 / 840 hsp.
Max speed:_____410 km/h
Max ceiling:___10700 m
Armament:______4x8 mm Browning machine guns + bombs
Number in AF:__55 (37 J8 and 18 J8A)
In service:____1937-1947
Gladiator no. 269 prior delivery at Gloster Works in 1937.
Image kindly provided by Rennie Cafley.
Swedish Gladiator prior delivery at Gloster Works in 1937.
Image kindly provided by Rennie Cafley.
Gloster Gladiators in the Swedish Air Force.
| Air Force number | Delivered | Codes | Notes | Struck off charge | Total flying time | 231 | 15/04/37 | F8-1 | Struck off charge due to retirement of the type. | 10/02/47 | 232 | 12/10/37 | F8-2 | Struck off charge due to retirement of the type. | 10/02/47 | 233 | 12/10/37 | F8-3, F9-2 | Struck off charge due to high total flying time. | 18/12/45 | 983,00 hours | 234 | 12/10/37 | F8-4 | Destroyed in crash. | 22/09/39 | 140,00 hours | 235 | 12/10/37 | F8-5, F8-19 | Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 26/07/40 | 310,40 hours | 236 | 30/04/38 | F8-6, F10-32 | 06/10/41 Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 12/12/41 | 523,55 hours | 237 | 27/04/38 | F8-7, F10-3 | 06/08/42 Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 23/10/42 | 619,45 hours | 238 | 10/05/38 | F8-8 | Struck off charge due to airframe being too old. | 18/12/45 | 642,00 hours | 239 | 28/04/38 | F8-9, F8-3 | 30/10/39 Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 18/11/38 | 251,35 hours | 240 | 30/04/38 | F8-10 | Struck off charge due to airframe being too old. | 05/03/46 | 913,00 hours | 241 | 28/04/38 | F8-11, F9-29 | Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 10/06/41 | 424,25 hours | 242 | 27/04/38 | F8-12, F10-5 | 07/04/42 Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 11/06/42 | 437,40 hours | 243 | 28/04/38 | F8-13 | Struck off charge due to airframe being too old. | 27/11/44 | 913,35 hours | 244 | 27/04/38 | F8-14, F9-12, F10-34 | 14/07/42 Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 26/08/42 | 698,35 hours | 245 | 03/05/38 | F8-15 | Destroyed in crash. | 04/04/41 | 392,00 hours | 246 | 05/05/38 | F8-16, F9-, F10-35 | Destroyed in crash. | 12/12/41 | 433,20 hours | 247 | 04/10/38 | F8-17, F8-28, F9-28 | Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 24/01/41 | 321,05 hours | 248 | 04/10/38 | F8-18, F8-9 | 30/10/39 Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 18/11/39 | 82,40 hours | 249 | 04/10/38 | F8-19 | Struck off charge due to airframe being too old. | 06/05/46 | 760,00 hours | 250 | 04/10/38 | F8-20 | 27/05/42 Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 21/07/42 | 348,20 hours | 251 | 04/10/38 | F8-21 | Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 28/05/40 | 110,55 hours | 252 | 31/01/39 | F8-22 | Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 04/06/40 | 222,50 hours | 253 | 10/03/39 | F8-23, F8-1, F9-17 | Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 10/06/41 | 301,00 hours | 254 | 05/01/39 | F8-24 | Struck off charge due to airframe being too old. | 17/09/46 | 796,00 hours | 255 | 03/01/39 | F8-25 | Struck off charge due to too high repair costs. | 29/08/45 | 809,00 hours | 256 | 13/12/38 | F8-26 | Struck off charge due to retirement of the type. | 10/02/47 | 257 | 13/12/38 | F8-27 | Struck off charge due to airframe being too old. | 12/10/45 | 820,00 hours | 258 | 05/01/39 | F8-28 | Struck off charge due to airframe being too old. | 16/06/45 | 259 | 05/01/39 | F8-29, F10-12 | Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 11/06/42 | 578,35 hours | 260 | 31/01/39 | F8-30 | Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 04/06/40 | 219,05 hours | 261 | 20/04/39 | F8-31 | Struck off charge due to airframe being too old. | 16/06/45 | 696,00 hours | 262 | 16/06/39 | F8-32, F9-92 | Struck off charge due to airframe being too old. | 11/07/45 | 263 | 20/04/39 | F8-33 | Struck off charge due to airframe being too old. | 23/08/46 | 822,00 hours | 264 | 20/04/39 | F8-34, F10-14 | Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 23/10/42 | 265 | 10/05/38 | F8-35 | Struck off charge due to airframe being too old. | 17/03/47 | 793,45 hours | 266 | 10/05/38 | F8-36 | Struck off charge due to airframe being too old. | 22/08/46 | 942,00 hours | 267 | 10/05/38 | F8-37, F10-42 | Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 26/08/42 | 536,30 hours | 268 | 09/06/38 | F8-38 | Aircraft used by F19 in Finland as yellow “I” or “J”. Returned to Sweden. Destroyed in crash. |
28/03/41 | 238,30 hours | 269 | 30/05/38 | F8-39 | Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 25/10/38 | 59,05 hours | 270 | 30/05/38 | F8-40, F10-17 | 26/01/44 Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 23/03/44 | 440,00 hours | 271 | 30/05/38 | F8-41, F10-18 | Aircraft used by F19 in Finland as yellow "A". Returned to Sweden. Destroyed beyond repair in crash. |
28/02/41 | 245,20 hours | 272 | 30/05/38 | F8-42 | Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 25/10/38 | 22,50 hours | 273 | 09/06/38 | F8-43, F10-19 | Struck off charge due to airframe being too old. | 17/09/46 | 832,00 hours | 274 | 25/06/38 | F8-44 | Aircraft used by F19 in Finland as yellow "D". 10/03/40 Destroyed in crash during test-flight on and ingenjörlöjtnant Åke Hildinger killed. |
16/09/41 | 155,35 hours | 275 | 09/06/38 | F8-45 | Aircraft used by F19 in Finland as yellow "C". 17/01/40 1 I-15bis claimed by fänrik Roland Martin of F19 at Märkäjärvi-Salla. Returned to Sweden. Struck off charge due to airframe being too old. |
04/09/45 | 816,00 hours | 276 | 09/06/38 | F8-46 | Aircraft used by F19 in Finland as yellow "L". Returned to Sweden. 20/02/45 Destroyed beyond repair in crash. |
29/03/45 | 771,00 hours | 277 | 09/06/38 | F8-47, F10-22 | Struck off charge due to airframe being too old. | 19/09/45 | 592,20 hours | 278 | 09/06/38 | F8-48, F10-23, F16-83 | Aircraft used by F19 in Finland as yellow "H". Returned to Sweden. Aircraft preserved at the Swedish Air Force Museum. |
30/06/45 | 699,00 hours | 279 | 25/06/38 | F8-49 | Aircraft used by F19 in Finland as yellow "G". Returned to Sweden. Struck off charge due to airframe being too old. |
30/06/45 | 740,00 hours | 280 | 25/06/38 | F8-50 | Destroyed beyond repair in crash. | 08/08/39 | 30,00 hours | 281 | 25/06/38 | F8-51 | Aircraft used by F19 in Finland as yellow “B” or “E”. Lost in Finland on 23/01/40 or 20/02/40. |
16/09/41 | 110,30 hours | 282 | 05/07/38 | F8-52 | Aircraft used by F19 in Finland as yellow “B” or “E”. Lost in Finland on 23/01/40 or 20/02/40. |
16/09/41 | 116,15 hours | 283 | 05/07/38 | F8-53, F10-25 | Aircraft used by F19 in Finland as yellow “I” or “J”. Returned to Sweden. Struck off charge due to too high repair costs. |
13/12/46 | 655,00 hours | 284 | 05/07/38 | F8-54, F10-26 | Aircraft used by F19 in Finland as yellow "F". 12/01/40 1 I-15 claimed by fänrik Ian Iacobi of F19 at Märkäjärvi. 17/01/40 1 I-15bis claimed by fänrik Per-Johan Salwén of F19 at Märkäjärvi-Salla. Returned to Sweden. 05/02/41Destroyed beyond repair in crash. |
28/02/41 | 255,20 hours | 285 | 05/07/38 | F8-55, F10-27 | Aircraft used by F19 in Finland as yellow "K". Returned to Sweden. 05/02/41 Destroyed beyond repair in crash. |
28/02/41 | 337,15 hours |
Please note that the first code was made with marking rules from 1937 (m/37) and the following was made with the rules from 1940 (m/40).
Flottilj (Wing) use of the Gloster Gladiators in the Swedish Air Force 1937-46.
The summary is from 1 July each year.
| Flottilj | Location | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 |
| F1 | Västerås | 3 | |||||||||
| F8 | Barkarby | 51 | 49 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 3 | |||
| F9 | Fårösund/Säve | 30 | 2 | 1 | |||||||
| F10 | Bulltofta/Barkåkra | 32 | 15 | 14 | |||||||
| F13 | Bråvalla | 1 | |||||||||
| F16 | Uppsala | 15 | 9 | ||||||||
| Summary | 3 | 51 | 49 | 33 | 32 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 13 | 1 |
The J8 (#278 F9-H) at the Swedish Air Force Museum is marked with Finnish markings because twelve J8's was part of the voluntary Swedish Air Force Unit, F19, during the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union in 1939-1940.
Sources:
Att flyga är att leva
En flykt genom tiderna - Staten Försvarshistoriska Museer
Kontakt No. 70
Additional information kindly provided by Alex Crawford, Pertti Lehto and Andrew Thomas.
