Gloster Meteor

The Gloster Meteor is the first military Jet brought into service by the the United Kingdom, and the only plane of this type used by the Alliées forces during the Second world war. It was built with nearly 4000 specimens, of which a part under license, and used by ten country primarily during the years 1950.

Design

Following the progress of the work of Frank Whittle on the first engines of English design, the Ministry for the British Air emits a request for a Fighter plan propelled by an engine in 1940. Gloster then proposes a twin-jet aircraft (indicated in-house G.41) which is accepted in November of this same year.

Eight prototypes of Gloster Meteor are constructed, using several of the first engines under development at the time: MetroVic F.2 on the third prototype, the De Havilland Halford H.1 on the fifth, the De Havilland Goblin on the sixth, the Rolls-Royce Derwent 1 on the eighth, and the Rolls-Royce W.2B on all the others.

The first prototype makes its inaugural flight the March 5th 1943. The plane has a rather conventional design: metal single-seater with low and right wings, equipped with two engine nacelles and a retractable three-wheeled train. Pressed by the reports/ratios announcing the progress of the German work, 20 Meteor Mk.I of preproduction follow at the beginning of 1944, propelled by Rolls-Royce W.2B/Welland I of 7,55 kN.

A specimen is exchanged with American against a Bell XP-59X Airacomet, some others are used for tests, the others are brought into service in July 1944 in Squadron 616 of the Royal Air Force. Meteor Mk I under-is however motorized, its guns are stopped easily, the pilot does not have a very wide field of view on the sides and the back, and the plane is heavy to control.

In December 1944 the deliveries of the version Mk III start, with a reinforced structure, more fuel, a modified canopy and engines Rolls-Royce Derwent I of 8,83 kN. A simulated combat is organized with a Hawker Tempest, and Meteor proves to be higher in almost all the fields. Meteor Mk III is the first version of series, produced with 210 specimens, and replaces Mk I very quickly.

Various tests showing that the nacelles of the engines pose problems Aérodynamique S, those are redrawn and lengthened on the built last Mk III. Indicated F.4, the version according to receives in addition to the engines Rolls-Royce Derwent 5 of 15,6 kN, of the truncated wings, a reinforced structure and other improvements. Because of the undulation induced by the end of the Second world war, the production of this version does not start before 1947.

The F.8 version makes its first flight on October 12th, 1948 with a lengthened fuselage of 76 cm to correct the problems of Center of gravity from which Meteor suffers since the beginning, and who had resulted in installing up to 450 kg of ballast in the F.4 version. A new drift also solves problems of stability. Lastly, of the engines of Derwent 8 of 16 kN, a Ejector seat and a new canopy are installed. This version could carry 2 bombs of 454 kg or 16 rockets.

In addition to the two-seater version of drive Meteor T.7, two versions of recognition are also built: the FR.9 (Meteor F.8 with a camera in the nose) and the PR.10 (Meteor F.8 without guns with 3 cameras and wings lengthened). It is also necessary to add a certain number of experimental versions and the conversion of approximately 350 planes in the drones remote-controlled for the drive to the shooting.

In 1950 version NF.11, built by Armstrong-Whitworth appears: it is about a hunter of night/hunter all-time derived from the T.7 two-seater, with a lengthened fuselage of 1,50 meter to allow the installation of a radar in the nose. The guns are moved in the wings. Three other versions of it are derived:

the NF.12 with engines Derwent 9 of 16,9 kN and a fuselage lengthened again to install an American radar AN/APS-21
the NF.13 with a Radio compass, increased air intake, and better adapted to employment in hot countries
the NF.14 still lengthened to install a radar AN/APQ-43, and equipped with a new canopy offering more visibility

Records

November 7th, 1945, a prototype of the F.4 version with the dismounted guns and of the modified engines establishes new world records speed by reaching 975 km/h.

Almost a year later, on September 7th, 1946, Meteor F.4 with truncated wings (reduced scale of 1,47 meter) again beats the record with 991 km/h.

Engagements

Gloster Meteor Mk I are used against the German flying bombs V1. The first two victories are obtained the 4 August 1944, and 14 V1 are cut down before the stop of the German shootings.

Gloster Meteor Mk III are deployed with the Netherlands at the beginning of 1945. They do not carry out that ground attack missions and have the order not to fly over the territories controlled by the Germans, to prevent that those do not seize possible shot down or broken planes.

The Australia deployed a hundred Gloster Meteor F.8 at the time of the Guerre of Korea. Initially used to escort the bombers, Meteor quickly appear outclassed by the Mig-15 and, as of the end 1951, are employed more only for ground attack missions. About thirty planes will be lost with the combat.

The Royal Air Force engaged its Meteor PR.9 at the time of the Crise of Suez Canal in 1956.

Alternatives

G.41 - prototypes (8 specimens)
Mk I - version of preproduction (20 specimens)
Mk III - engines Derwent I, glass news (210 specimens)
F.4 - engines Derwent 5, truncated wings (753 specimens)
T.7 - two-seat trainer (650 specimens)
F.8 - engines Derwent 8, lengthened fuselage, etc (1550 specimens including 300 pennies license by Fokker)
FR.9 - version of recognition of F.8 (126 specimens)
PR.10 - version of recognition with high-altitude of F.8 (59 specimens)
NF.11 - hunter of night/hunter all-time derived from T.7 (307 specimens)
NF.12 - engines Derwent 9, new radar (100 specimens)
NF.13 - adapted to employment in hot countries (40 specimens)
NF.14 - new radar, glass news (100 specimens)
U.15 - Meteor F.4 converted into drones (90 specimens)
U.16 - Meteor F.8 converted into drones (250 specimens)

Country users

See too

Gloster Meteor on Air Vectors
List of the military aircrafts

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