The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and saw action during World War Two. The design was developed, including the F.8 variant which was flight tested by The Aeroplane 70 years ago…
The post-war years were an exciting time in aerospace, as companies sought to develop aircraft to best utilise the capabilities of the jet engine. The Meteor was a revolutionary aircraft, being the only Allied jet to be involved in combat in World War Two. Gloster saw the potential to improve the design with numerous variants produced, and the type served with no less than 30 air forces. Here is a fascinating insight from the May 11, 1951 issue of The Aeroplane on one of the then latest variants, with its flying characteristics described by Derek D Dempster in exquisite detail: “One needs the foot strength of an Arsenal footballer to keep the aircraft straight at speeds below 120 knots.”
Here’s what he wrote…