WH291 Gloster Meteor F.8
The Meteor was developed using experience gained from the first british Jet Aircraft, the Gloster E.28/39. The Mk 1s were powered by Rolls Royce Wellands,
later examples received the Derwent engines. The first flight took place in March 1943 at RAF Cranwell.
The RAF lost 890 Meteors, many crashed due to the short range and handling problems if one engine failed.
The Metero was produced in many variants and sold to air arms around the world. 3881 were built the majority of them being the f.8. The final examples were completed in 1954. It remained the main RAF day fighter until replaced by the Hawker Hunter in the 1950s and served on in secondary rolls well into the 1980s.
Meteor F.8 Specifications
Wingspan: 37 ft 2 ins (11.32 m)
Length: 44 ft 7 ins (13.59 m)
Height: 13 ft 0 ins (3.96 m)
Powerplant: 2 x Rolls Royce Derwent 8 Turbo jets
Max speed: 592 mph (956 kmh) at sea level
Armament: 4 x British Hispano 20mm cannons
WH291 Timeline
19/11/1951 Issued to 257 Sqn RAF Wattisham.
18/06/1954 CAT 3 damage wheels up landing.
04/07/1955 Classified fit for service at 20 MU Aston Down.
05/01/1956 Moved to 33 MU Lyneham.
27/04/1956 Moved to 12 MU Kirkbride for checking prior to service.
16/05/1960 Issued to RAF Flying College (Later College of Air Warfare) Manby.
12/06/1961 CAT 3 damage repaired on site by 60 MU.
01/08/1962 Returned to service with CAW.
Around this time the aircraft was used a one of the aircraft in the Evergreens
Aerobatic Team made up from instructor pilots from CAW. It visited Liverpool Airport in May 1962 for the Liverpool "At Home" Airshow.
07/07/1965 Issued to 5 MU Kemble.
04/12/1965 Issued to 85 Squadron Binbrook.
30/04/1970 Issued to 5 MU Kemble.
20/10/1970 Issued to 229 OCU Chivenor.
10/02/1976 Struck off charge, sold to Ormand Hayden Baillie, stored Kemble.
15/05/1980 Now owned by R Cole, dismantled, moved to SWWAPS Lasham.
07/08/2010 Dismantled and moved to Booker.
23/03/2011 Transferred to Mike Davey and moved to Liverpool.
Credits: "Gloster meteor" by Phil Butler & Tony Buttler published by Aerofax 2006, Mike Davey for aircraft history and David Lindsay for text.