Gloster F9/37 "Reaper"
Model Airplane News Cover Art for January, 1966
by Jo Kotula
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This airplane was designed in the late 1930s as a twin-engined single-seat fighter. It was of all-metal stressed skin construction, intended to carry a fuselage-mounted armament of two 20mm Hispano cannon and four 7.7mm Browning machine guns. Two prototypes were ordered, the first of these reached nearly 360 mph using scarce Taurus engines. This was a record for British fighters at the time. It was badly damaged in a landing accident. The second prototype used the more available 885hp Rolls-Royce Peregrine liquid-cooled engines,but it could only reach a maximum speed of 330 mph. Although the handling characteristics of Gloster's F.9/37 were considered highly satisfactory and performance with the original engines had proved spectacular, no production was ordered. Eventually, the role was filled by the DeHaviland Mosquito.

The Gloster F9/37 "Reaper"
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Here is a video of the history of the Gloster Company. If you don't blink, you might see a few frames of the F9/37 "Reaper" in action:

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