Air International 2008-09
D.Hobbs - Gloster Meteor /Aircraft profile/
Gloster Meteor F.3 (navalised version) EE337/ 051 'FD', carried out the first British twin-jet carrier landing on HMS Implacable in June 1948, piloted by Lt Cdr Eric 'Winkle' Brown DSC RN. The arrester hook was an 'A'-frame design identical to those used on the de Havilland Sea Hornet. The aircraft later saw service with the RN Service Trials Unit, 703 NAS, at RNAS Ford, Sussex, and is shown as it appeared in that unit's markings in 1952.
Gloster Meteor U.15 RA375/658 'F' of 728(B) NAS at RNAS Hal Far, Malta, in early 1960, where it was used as a target for live Sea Slug anti-aircraft missile firings. It survived these, but was destroyed after its return to the UK when a ground controller at RAE Aberporth, Ceredigion, inadvertently pressed its self-destruct button in May 1960.
Gloster Meteor T.7 WS103/294 in its original finish attached, as an instrument training aircraft, to 813 NAS in 1953. The unit was re-equipping with Westland Wyverns, which had no dual-control variant for pilot standardisation checks.
Gloster Meteor T.7 WS116/935 'LM' of the Station Flight RNAS Lossiemouth, Moray, in 1961. It was used by 700Z NAS, the Buccaneer Intensive Flying Trials Unit, for pilot instrument checks as there were no dual-control Buccaneers.
Gloster Meteor T.7 WS103/709 'VL' in its final paint scheme attached to the Station Flight RN AS Yeovilton, Somerset, in 1966. It now forms part of the Fleet Air Arm Museum Collection and is stored at Cobham Hall, RNAS Yeovilton.
Meteor T.7 WL332 ('571/HF') of 728 NAS photographed at RNAS Hal Far, Malta, in 1960.
Gloster Meteor TT.20 WD592/864 'HF' of 728 NAS at RN AS Hal Far, Malta, in 1966. It was originally built as an NF.11 for the RAF by Armstrong Whitworth and converted to TT.20 standard at RNAY Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1958. It was struck off charge in 1967 after the Mediterranean Fleet was reduced in size.
Note the pylon above the starboard wing, between the engine and fuselage, of Meteor TT.20 XX1111 on the flightline at RAF Benson in 1959. The pylon carried a winch and cable to tow targets.
Four Meteor F.8s, including WF716/'658’ seen here, were modified by Flight Refuelling Ltd as U.16s. This particular aircraft saw service as a drone target with 728B NAS at RNAS Hal Far in the late 1960s and lateral RAE Llanbedr.