Meteor Miscellany

Singapore-the early 60’s. Seletar and Changi both housed the ‘Towed Target Flight’. I used to see ‘new’ F8’s and NF11’s arrive:

Like this F8 WA880 in early 1962.

Pretty soon they were operating like this:

Eventually they ended up like this:

TT20’s WD678 and WD645 being reduced to junk at 390 MU Seletar late 1963.

Let’s hope that Classic Flight keep their Meteor NF11 in the air for a longtime…and we get an F8 up beside it!

David T.

Just found this rejuvenated thread.

Here is Belgian NF11 OO-ARO at Middelkerke, August 1959 (EN-18, ND-F, ex WD661)

and dying NF12 WS686 “E” at Northolt July 1959

Laurence

Hi Albert.

You and the rest of Meteor’s enthusiasts will be able to read an article about the history of the Gloster Meteor in the Ecuadorian Air Force and the Aerobatic Team “Aguilas” – Eagles, by going to the next web site:

www.FuerzaAerea.net

then look for the section “Aviones de Combate” . You will find the article dedicated to the Meteors which is also available in english by pressing the flag that is just below of the main picture.

Enjoy it !

Is the url correct. I can’t find the site and google is no help.

Just out of curiosity – what did you have to do to them to make them unuseable? I’m sure there’ll be some of us cringe when we find out how they ended their useful lives, but it’s happened a long time ago….

From what I can remember, defuel, make the seat safe (not my job), remove some wanted parts and then (health warning!) fire axe the fuselage and wings (sob). As a man trained to look after aircraft, it was far from my favourite job, in fact it was probably one of the hardest jobs I ever did. At least I was off site when the scrap man arrived. Phew.

By the way, if you were the pilot who lost his aircrew knife in the cockpit, I found it in the control runs. It then served me well for a couple of years in gliding. Then I lost it as well.

Have just come across this entertaining thread. Here is my contribution, an NF13 in its natural habitat, guarding the Suez Canal, LOL

Very nice little shot there Peter…thanks for posting

Back in the ’60s I, as a member of a team from 71MU, was sent to make a number of Meteors ‘unuseable’ before the scrap merchants moved in.

Just out of curiosity – what did you have to do to them to make them unuseable? I’m sure there’ll be some of us cringe when we find out how they ended their useful lives, but it’s happened a long time ago….

Have just come across this entertaining thread. Here is my contribution, an NF13 in its natural habitat, guarding the Suez Canal, LOL

Back in the ’60s I, as a member of a team from 71MU, was sent to make a number of Meteors ‘unuseable’ before the scrap merchants moved in. Included on the list was WK935 (the prone seat variant). Contact with the boss back at base meant that we were to leave this ‘unknown’ model alone. My / our little bit towards aircraft preservation.

Hi Albert.

You and the rest of Meteor’s enthusiasts will be able to read an article about the history of the Gloster Meteor in the Ecuadorian Air Force and the Aerobatic Team “Aguilas” – Eagles, by going to the next web site:

www.FuerzaAerea.net

then look for the section “Aviones de Combate” . You will find the article dedicated to the Meteors which is also available in english by pressing the flag that is just below of the main picture.

Enjoy it !

Hi Sentinel:

Thanks for the information about the Aguilas. Unfortunately Fuerza Aerea has completely revamped its website and this article seems to have vanished. Any chance you downloaded a copy?

Thanks.

J F F

Time for a few more Meteors to delight your eyes after a gap of about five months.

Glyn

1 NF11 coded Q
2 F8 WH450
3 NF14 WS793 of ETPS coded 5
4 NF14 WS777 of FCCS?
5 T7 G-AKPK taken during 1948
6 F4 RA490 fitted with Metro-Vick F2/4 Beryl axial flow engines. Probably
taken about 1949 and possibly with NGTE.

Thanks Glyn for sharing a.o. image 5 G-AKPK. later on I-1 Royal Neth Air Force.
Sorry for this late reply…

By the way
Were all Dutch Meteors, except G-AKPK, factory fresh Fokker built ?

Nice! This appears to be in an aerobatic team’s colours? Do you have any more information on this team?

Hi Albert.

You and the rest of Meteor’s enthusiasts will be able to read an article about the history of the Gloster Meteor in the Ecuadorian Air Force and the Aerobatic Team “Aguilas” – Eagles, by going to the next web site:

www.FuerzaAerea.net

then look for the section “Aviones de Combate” . You will find the article dedicated to the Meteors which is also available in english by pressing the flag that is just below of the main picture.

Enjoy it !

Winston

HUNTERxf382
or should i say “BRUTUS”
i have the photo dated 22nd oct 1982 at RAF Brawdy VASF with Norm,Kev,Nick,Flash,Mark,Al,Puddy,The Boss(chalky)
if you want a copy let me know
how did the 2000 reunion go ?:diablo:

dave ..the armourer on “Winston”

WM367 at Long Marston

Wow, WM367 is looking much healthier that when I last saw it! And, in doors too.

From the Long Marston thread…
Taken in April 2000.

…the cockpit is currently with the collection at Long Marston, fortunately inside one of the buildings on the site…

and the other Meatbox there…

Jagx – we would quite like WM367 back at Boscombe Down to represent the sterling work done by the type in various trials!

Lovely shots, many thanks for sharing them with us.

152 SQUADRON

Hi Guys just a couple from 152 Squadron days at Wattisham & Stradishall between 1954 – 1958.

Cheers Rob…

The Boscombe down NF.13 is WM367. You can tell an NF.13 from an NF.11 in two ways:

An NF.13 is “tropicalised” with the addition of extra flaps outboard of the engine nacelles, and air conditioning ducts fitted to the underside of the cockpit, below the radar operators position. Examples of these air intakes can be seen on TT.20/NF.11 WM167, because it has been fitted with the nose of an NF.13 at some time in its life.

I helped rescue WM367’s cockpit from a farm yard in the early 90’s. Both outer wings and rear fuselage were collected too, but I think the group that “owned” it thought it was beyond restoration, and scrapped all but the cockpit. It needed a lot of tlc. Hope it has gone to a good home?

David, the cockpit is currently with the collection at Long Marston, fortunately inside one of the buildings on the site.
Personally I have a wish it could be repatriated back to the Museum at Coventry as part of the AWA collection, but it remains merely a hope rather than anything more.

NF.13

The Boscombe down NF.13 is WM367. You can tell an NF.13 from an NF.11 in two ways:

An NF.13 is “tropicalised” with the addition of extra flaps outboard of the engine nacelles, and air conditioning ducts fitted to the underside of the cockpit, below the radar operators position. Examples of these air intakes can be seen on TT.20/NF.11 WM167, because it has been fitted with the nose of an NF.13 at some time in its life.

I helped rescue WM367’s cockpit from a farm yard in the early 90’s. Both outer wings and rear fuselage were collected too, but I think the group that “owned” it thought it was beyond restoration, and scrapped all but the cockpit. It needed a lot of tlc. Hope it has gone to a good home?

Possibly the best-looking Meteor of them all?