These new Meteors were field tested from Belgium airbases (with No.616 and No.504 squadrons) during the closing weeks of World War 2 in the armed reconnaissance and ground attack roles though they were never to see the expected aerial confrontation with the German Me 262. Despite missing out on the first jet-versus-jet confrontation in history (this would occur in the upcoming Korean War), Meteors operated with distinction in their limited roles, destroying over 45 German aircraft through ground strikes. Losses of British Meteors were mostly attributed to friendly fire and general accidents, the former blamed on the types general appearance to the Me 262 and the latter based on the relatively new field of jet-powered aircraft operation. Friendly fire incidents were therefore addressed by painting Meteors in an "all white" scheme for easy recognition by flak ground crews and Allied pilots alike. The world's first air speed record by jet was set in an F.Mk 3 flown by Group Captain H.J. Wilson, reaching 606 miles per hour.
In the post-war world, the F.Mk 4 model series made her appearance with production now split between Gloster and Armstrong Whitworth. F.Mk 4 models were fitted with the improved Rolls-Royce Derwent V series turbojet engines and also featured a reinforced fuselage and the type generally replaced Mk 3 fighter models in service. No fewer than 22 RAF squadrons fielded this Meteor F.Mk 4 model. The Meteor was also beginning to prove a hot commodity for many-a-nation wanting to jump feet-first into the jet age and export deliveries soon followed.
The FR.Mk 5 became a single example fighter reconnaissance model based on the F.Mk 4 fighter. The Mk 6 would have been a swept-wing Meteor project but this never progressed past the design stage. The T.Mk 7 was an all-important tandem-seat trainer built to the tune of 640 aircraft.
The F.Mk 8 appeared in October of 1948 as a complete redesign of the F.Mk 4 fighter series in an attempt to keep the Meteor on pace with the crop of new-build, jet-powered fighter designs appearing elsewhere. The new design was given a longer fuselage, allowing for the addition of an extra internal fuel tank, standardized Martin-Baker ejection seats under a single-piece sliding glass canopy and a revised and improved tail unit (it is worth noting that ejection seats in early jet-powered fighters were not a "given" prior to this point as they are in modern jet-powered aircraft designs). Performance was also improved in this type, particularly in top speed, making it the definitive Meteor with over 1,000 examples delivered to the RAF - making up 32 active and 11 reserve squadrons. This Meteor model series was later replaced themselves by the excellent Hawker Hunter - swept wing advances and turbojet development had finally caught up with the post-war Meteor design.
One distinct off-shoot variant of the F.Mk 8 became a single experimental Armstrong-Whitworth WK935 aircraft designed with a prone pilot's cockpit position. Overall, this aircraft retained the design and look of the base F.Mk 8 fighter (complete with the original cockpit position) with the exception of a specially-designed protruding nose piece housing an additional cockpit for a pilot to lay prone in.
Meteors were also expanded into the night-fighter role, more as a stop gap measure than a true dedicated system. These Meteors were noted by their "NF" designation system and discernable "long nose" design comprised the NF.Mk 11 model with Airborne intercept radar, the NF.Mk 12 with American-produced radar and an elongated nose section, the "tropicalized" NF.Mk 13 which saw use in hot climates overseas and the NF.Mk 14 which was essentially the NF.Mk 11 with a new two-piece, clear-view canopy.
Reconnaissance forms became the FR.Mk 9 and PR.Mk 10. The FR.Mk 9 was an armed reconnaissance platform developed from the F.Mk 8 fighter model. Similarly, the PR.Mk 10 served as a high-altitude photo-reconnaissance platform also developed from the stellar F.Mk 8 fighter model. Deliveries to RAF units completed in 1955. By October of that year, Flight Refueling, Ltd began conversions of Meteor F.Mk 8 fighters to serve in the not-so-glamorous roles of target tug (U.Mk 15, U.Mk 16 and, in a later batch, the U.Mk 21) and target towing (TT.Mk 20). At least 233 such aircraft were converted between 1956 and 1969 for this purpose.
Notable operators of the Meteor line included Argentina (100 aircraft), Australia (104 aircraft), Belgium (347 aircraft - fighter, trainer and night-fighters) and Brazil (62 aircraft). The United States received one example as a test aircraft, this being later returned to Britain at the conclusion of trials.
Australia became one of the more high-profile operators of the Meteor in that they fielded the British-made jet-fighter in the Korea War with their Royal Australian Air Force. As mentioned earlier, swept-wing aircraft such as the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 "Fagot" were quickly becoming the norm, leaving the Meteor at the mercy of these newer and faster systems. These Meteors (serving with RAAF No.77 Squadron) were relegated to the ground attack role to which they performed moderately well through cannon and rocket strikes considering their World War 2 origins. Aussie Meteors covered some 4,800 total sorties to the loss of 30 aircraft. As dogfighters, they remained wholly outclassed by the new generation fighters. Israel and Egypt, both recipients of the Meteor F.Mk 8, also utilized the aircraft in their 1956 Arab-Israeli War.
Despite the advancing years, Meteors saw operational service well into the 1980's, this with military elements in Ecuador. A total of 3,900 aircraft were eventually delivered while a somewhat appalling loss rate was "earned" - no doubt due to a combination of infant technology, inexperienced pilots and lack of safety measures in earlier Meteors. In all, the Meteor served a pivotal role encompassing the latter years of World War 2 and the early decade of the Cold War. In the former, they operated with distinction in defense of the British mainland while in the latter, the Meteor served as a viable Soviet bomber deterrent. The aircraft undoubtedly proved itself a sound airframe and excellent overall design when pressed to action. No doubt it will always remain an all important piece of British aviation history.
Some Meteors still serve as test aircraft for the Martin-Baker ejection seat company. A pair are used for high-speed airborne ejection tests. The two Meteors in question are s/n WA638 and WL419.
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