Gloster Aircraft Company was a British aircraft manufacturer based in Gloucestershire. Founded as the Gloucestershire Aircraft Company in 1917, it developed biplane fighters and racing aircraft before becoming a central participant in Britain's transition to jet propulsion. Its work combined original designs with large-scale manufacture of other companies' aircraft.[1]Gloucestershire's Aviation HistoryJet Age Museum · jetagemuseum.org · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details
Origins and piston-engined aircraft
The business grew from the wartime combination of Cheltenham architectural manufacturer H. H. Martyn with Airco interests. Martyn had already produced wooden aircraft components. Renamed Gloster in 1926, the company participated in speed-record and racing projects and developed service fighters. The Gladiator prototype flew in September 1934. During the Second World War Gloster produced Hawker Hurricanes and Typhoons, demonstrating the importance of subcontract manufacturing alongside its own design programmes.[2]Aviation HeritageJet Age Museum · jetagemuseum.org · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details[1]Gloucestershire's Aviation HistoryJet Age Museum · jetagemuseum.org · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details
Experimental and operational jets
Working with Frank Whittle's jet technology, Gloster built the E.28/39 experimental aircraft. Its official first flight took place at Cranwell on 15 May 1941, following earlier ground runs and short hops. The twin-engined Meteor followed in March 1943 and entered RAF service with No. 616 Squadron in July 1944. The company's aircraft therefore linked experimental proof of jet propulsion to operational equipment. Meteor development also provided a platform for investigating new propulsion arrangements, including the Trent-powered turboprop conversion flown in 1945.[1]Gloucestershire's Aviation HistoryJet Age Museum · jetagemuseum.org · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details
The Javelin
Gloster's later Javelin addressed a different operational requirement: interception of bombers at altitude in poor weather. Its delta wing, twin engines and radar equipment distinguished it from the earlier Meteor. The first prototype flew in November 1951, and development aircraft tested changes to wing sections, the cockpit area and armament. RAF squadron service began in February 1956. Subsequent versions introduced improved radar, control surfaces and engines, reflecting the growing dependence of fighter capability on integrated systems as well as airframe performance.[3]Gloster Javelin FAW1RAF Museum · rafmuseum.org.uk · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details