Development of what would become the Gladiator began as a private venture, internally designated as the SS.37, at Gloster by a design team headed by H.P. Folland. Folland soon identified various changes to increase the aircraft's suitability to conform with the demands of the specification. Making use of wing design techniques developed by Hawker Aircraft, the new fighter adopted single-bay wings in place of the two-bay wings of the Gauntlet, two pairs of interplane struts were also dispensed with as a drag-reduction measure.[5] The Bristol Mercury M.E.30 radial engine, capable of generating 700 hp (520 kW) of thrust, was selected to power the SS.37, which provided a performance boost of the preceding Gauntlet.[5] Another design choice was the fitting of a cantilever main undercarriage which incorporated Dowty internally-sprung wheel struts.[6][7]