Airworthy Meteors

I don’t think it flew quite that late. I saw it in the Edwards AFB Museum about 5 or 6 years ago and assume it is still there

Didn’t a late mark Meteor occasionally fly in California up until the early noughties? Anyone know what happened to it.

Cracking shot in post 8.

http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au/

did you Poms use the Meatbox in any action?

For anybody who has not seen the RAF Meteor train strafe clip – it is at 1.15 on this youtube clip (early RAF jet planes of the 40’s and 50’s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AyRlHmTADQ

the Martin Baker ones are still owned by the MoD so would go up for tender.

Perhaps some of the Syrian examples are still airworthy in some capacity? :rolleyes:

With an eye to the future…

We’ve got the ex-Lasham F.8, WA291 at Liverpool, currently being refurbished to static condition keeping her as corrosion free and clean as possible with an eye on, perhaps, being taken on in the future by someone prepared to get her back in the air.

She flew in to Lasham and was roaded out. Except for engines, it is absolutely complete. I’ve got a new rear fus, tail feathers, new canopy, serviceable bang seat, two good (overhaulable) engines, two spare engines, brand new (internal and ventral) fuel tanks, u/c legs, spare wings and a zillion bnip small spares, plus all sorts of other stuff, all boxed up and logged ready for the day.

It would be nice to see a Mk.8 on the airshow circuit. For such a prolific, well-known and notable, simple to fix and operate type it’s a great shame there isn’t at least one on the UK circuit. Perhaps the MB jets will end up that way? Let’s hope so.

Anon.

Apart from a Javelin and Lightning a formation of most classic British fighter jets would be feasible. Meteor, Hunter, Gnat, Venom, Sea Vixen, now that would make a formation, perhaps with the Canberra and Vulcan? Even on the tarmac it would look great.

Baz, I remember hearing that same wonderful sound at an air show at Duxford before she left these shores.

Personally I think it was one of the biggest losses to the UK air show scene when she was exported, but also thank goodness the Aussies made the effort to recognise her significance and restore / keep her airworthy – apparently at considerable cost.

Rob

Absolutely agree Rob…managed to hear Winston at Kemble before she went to Oz 😀 – flown by Stan H

cheers baz

Yep Puddy was great at blue note runs – never flew with him but did drink quite a lt of beer with him LOL

Used to work on Sir Winston at Chivenor & Brawdy & logged many happy hours flying in the back of Lady Clementine (WA 669?) with the likes of the legendary “Puddy” Catt while towing targets. My final flight (in Clementine) from Brawdy included Puddy doing a blue note run (very low) over the airfield. Happy days
R2

The Meteor 1 did some V1 interceptions

Late in WW2 the RAF did do some operational sorties with Meteor 3’s but ground attack only.

ISTR that there was a great video clip of a Meteor strafing a train,and appearing to fly through a treetop on the strafe run in (cine camera mounted on aircraft)

from historyof war.org

With the arrival of the Meteor F Mk.III in December 1944 the RAF finally decided that the Meteor was ready for combat over Europe. On 20 January 1945 a flight of four Meteors moved to Melsbrook in Belgium becoming the first Allied jet squadron to operate from the continent. Their initial purpose was to provide air defence for the airfield, but it was also hoped that their presence might provoke the Germans into sending Me 262s against them. At this point the Meteor pilots were still forbidden to fly over German occupied territory, or to go east of Eindhoven, to prevent a downed aircraft being captured by the Germans or the Soviets.

In March 1944 the entire squadron moved to Gilze-Rijen in Holland, and on 13 April moved again to Nijmegen. Finally, on 17 April the Meteor entered combat over Europe, carrying out a ground attack mission near Ijmuiden. For the rest of the war the squadron flew a mix of ground attack and armed reconnaissance missions.

The biggest frustration for the pilots of 616 Squadron was that they never clashed with the Me 262, or indeed with any German fighter aircraft. They came close towards the end of the war when a flight of Meteors encountered a force of Fw 190s, but they were forced to abandon their attack when other RAF fighters mistook them for Me 262s. The nearest No.616 squadron came to a jet-to-jet battle came on 19 March, when a force of Arado Ar-234 jet bombers attacked their airfield.

http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au/

You have admire David Lowy’s passion for aviation, especially with an Australian connection. The pilot loss in Korea in Meteors was 1 in 4, that’s a higher rate than in Battle O Britain, did you Poms use the Meatbox in any action?

Baz, I remember hearing that same wonderful sound at an air show at Duxford before she left these shores.

Personally I think it was one of the biggest losses to the UK air show scene when she was exported, but also thank goodness the Aussies made the effort to recognise her significance and restore / keep her airworthy – apparently at considerable cost.

Rob

Yes she is ex winston !

She used to make sublime Blue Notes coming back from target towing sorties at Brawdy : )

A quick search on the Aussie rego (love the MBX!) gave
http://my.pinkfroot.com/photo/gloster-meteor-vh-mbx-a77-851

Built in 1949 in the UK by Gloster and is the only Gloster Meteor F.8 flying in the world.
This Meteor was originally flew with the RAF with serial no. VZ467 until 1982. After being retired from the RAF the Meteor was privately owned and operated in the UK.
Later being purchased by the Temora Aviation Museum and transported to Australia she was given the registration VH-MBX and re-took to the skies in 2001.
Since being re-painted the aircraft carries the markings of a Korean War era Meteor operated by RAAF 77 Squadron and flown by Sgt. George Hale.

I assume this is dear old Winston (G-METE)? A sad loss to the UK circuit, but good that the aircraft is still active.

What others are airworthy around the world, apart from this Aussie one?
Meteor turn by errolgc, on Flickr

Oddly I had a drink at lunchtime yesterday with one of the guys who used to fly the Martin Baker Meteor Cabriolets.

He seemed to think they were great fun.

As he has graduated to an RV8, that’s high praise indeed for the Meatbox.

Moggy

Is that not the only reason to justifythe costs involved in keeping them airworthy?