Specification F.43/46 was drawn up to satisfy the standing need for a dedicated Day Fighter to serve within the inventory of the British Royal Air Force (RAF) following the close of World War II (1939-1945). While this requirement would eventually be met by the classic Hawker "Hunter" swept-wing, jet-powered design (detailed elsewhere on the Military Factory), no fewer than three storied British aerospace firms attempted to answer the call, these being Gloster, Hawker, and Supermarine. For its part in the story, Gloster - makers of the original British wartime combat jet, the "Meteor" - submitted its "P.234" proposal for formal consideration by Air Ministry authorities.
Building upon the strengths of its Meteor design, the P.234 was essentially an evolved form of the original World War II-era jet fighter: the forward section of the fuselage, complete with single-seat cockpit, was retained as was the tapering shape of the empennage. The straight wings and podded engines were, however, deleted in whole and, in their place, a large-area "delta-wing" planform and embedded turbojets were selected. The engines were set within the middle-mass of the fuselage in a side-by-side arrangement, aspirated through side-mounted intakes and exhausted through jet pipes terminating well-ahead of the empennage. The mid-plane, single-rudder tail of the Meteor was also dropped in favor of a "V-tail" plane arrangement with these horizontal planes canted upwards. For ground-running, a conventional, retractable all-wheeled undercarriage would be in play.
Internally, the aircraft would be powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce AJ.65 turbojet engines, each producing upwards of 6,500lb of thrust. Coupled with the aerodynamically-refined airframe, the aircraft was expected to exceed the speed of sound in level flight. Gross weight of the completed aircraft would reach 15,600lb.
The primary armament consideration of this Day Fighter was to become a massive, in-development 4.5" automatic cannon buried at the ventral fuselage line of the aircraft. The weapon was to be afforded no more than seven projectiles, these detonated through a proximity fuse design, to combat the expected waves of Soviet bombers appearing over Europe and elsewhere. Beyond this, no other armament was planned for the future fighter.
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(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.
✓Interception
Ability to intercept inbound aerial threats by way of high-performance, typically speed and rate-of-climb.
✓X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.
MULTI-ENGINE
Incorporates two or more engines, enhancing survivability and / or performance.
WING SWEEPBACK
Mainplanes, or leading edges, features swept-back lines for enhanced high-speed performance and handling.
HIGH-SPEED PERFORMANCE
Can accelerate to higher speeds than average aircraft of its time.
HIGH-ALTITUDE PERFORMANCE
Can reach and operate at higher altitudes than average aircraft of its time.
PILOT / CREW EJECTION SYSTEM
Assisted process of allowing its pilot and / or crew to eject in the event of an airborne emergency.
CREWSPACE PRESSURIZATION
Supports pressurization required at higher operating altitudes for crew survival.
ENCLOSED CREWSPACE(S)
Features partially- or wholly-enclosed crew workspaces.
RETRACTABLE UNDERCARRIAGE
Features retracting / retractable undercarriage to preserve aerodynamic efficiency.
Length
48.1 ft (14.65 m)
Width/Span
41.0 ft (12.50 m)
Empty Wgt
8,984 lb (4,075 kg)
MTOW
15,598 lb (7,075 kg)
Wgt Diff
+6,614 lb (+3,000 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Gloster P.234 production variant)
monoplane / mid-mounted / delta
Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represent the most popular mainplane arrangement.
Mid-Mounted
Mainplanes are mounted along the midway point of the sides of the fuselage.
Delta
The planform takes on the general shape of a triangle in which the leading edges are swept back for high-speed efficiency while the trailing edge is straight.
(Structural descriptors pertain to the base Gloster P.234 production variant)
Installed:
PROPOSED: 2 x Rolls-Royce AJ.65 turbojet engines developing 6,500lb of thrust each unit.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Gloster P.234 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
PROPOSED:
1 x 4.5" internal automatic cannon with seven proximity projectiles afforded.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 0
P.234 - Base Project Designation.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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United Kingdom (planned, abandoned)
