Meteor or Seafire

Cheers 🙂

Hi DGH

Given a hypothetical choice and given the Spits in the UK I would agree with your preference!!!!! Although I am still a sucker for the idea of a Seafire in RN markings.

I think that there is a little irony in the fact that the Canberra and Meatbot have both gone to the museum with the only Spitfire flying in Australian skies at present

Thanks for this thread it is interesting

Kindest regards
John Parker

Hello Setter,

I have no problem with the aircraft going all around the world as they are the property of whoever owns them. I was just curious as to what people would prefer to see, i.e if you had been in the postion would you have done the deed! I miss the Meatbox alot and I dont see a great difference between the many Spitfires on the scene and a Seafire – although I’m not an expert on either. As has been pointed out it may not have been the case that both are connected but it’s a purely hypothetical question.

Hi Albert
Absolutely – I will contact you – any beer is OK with me – I must be the only Aussie who doesn’t mind Pommie beer – I always think over chilled beer has no tasste !!!

Kindest regards
John

Thanks very much John – excellent! I think we would all like to be in your position. Luckily I have done my fair share of travelling to see aircraft…but now I’m married…again! When we lose some cherished aircraft to other shores, or even when they are lost in accidents, it makes you appreciate what you’ve seen and hopefully photographed all the more. I have an enormous slide collection and have memories of many aircraft no longer here in UK, for one reason or another. Please make contact via a PM when you next come over. I’ll try and find a pub with cold beer! 😉

Hi Albert

I respect and accept your opinion.

I am not saying that it is not sad that you can’t see the Meatbox flying but I could bemoan losing
3 X Beaufighters
2 X Hudsons
6 X Spitfires
1 X Lancaster
Etc Etc

Over the years I have just learn’t to accept that our hobby / industry is global and that these aircraft are always in danger of not being there the next day from one cause or another. It is very important to support and encourage the people who are prepared to spend their money restoring and operating these aircraft and not without risk. Without the Hanna’s of this world we would all be a little poorer..

Anyway lastly it takes a lot on my part to get over there to see these things and if that’s what has to be done I do it happly we each make our own decisions about what is important and on what we spend our money and this is mine – I have a hoot and don’t regret one minute or one cent !! and I get to meet a lot of very nice Pomies and Yanks and Kiwis etc

I would like to meet you Albert and “chew the fat” over a beer” when I come over – I wll bring you some ” Meatbox ” Pics form “downunder.

I have attached a couple of images the first one is of an Aussie F8 now thankfully inside and on display at Fighter world at Williamtown RAAF base in NSW. It is seen here in it’s aerobatic team colors – The Meteorites

The second is a shot taken by a fantastic Australian photographer Glenn Alderton of Winston in her new home at Temora. Glenn has a lot of great material up on the site where i have taken this shot www.warbirdz.net I suggest you all might like to log on there and have a look through the fantastic high res photos – not just Australian

Kindest regards
John P

Hi all

Surely the point is that both Winston and the Canberra have gone to a great home with a museum that can keep them flying for as long as possible and that the Seafire will also be up and flying – this way we all get to see more old aircraft flying – I can assure you that these aircraft are very much loved and appreciated here and serve as a memorial to the types service in war – Both types were used in anger by us. I was privalaged to actually fly FAC for the Aussie Canberras in Vietnam a couple of times and I get a bit emotional every time I see her fly here.

I am also a Seafire fan and I come to the UK as often as possible – I will gladly pay good money to see her fly.

Lastly at the risk of being boring as I have stated many times – don’t bemoan the UK losing aircraft as UK museums have a fair smattering of Australian machines, This is just normal movement and we should be glad all these machines find good homes with people who are prepared to look after them.

My two bob’s worth

Regards
John Parker

John,

The question was posed by a British enthusiast here in the UK. Regret we are not all like you and can afford to jet off all round the world to see warbirds. We know ‘our’ warbirds are being looked after in Aus, but that doesn’t stop us morning their loss away from our shows. Personally, as a Seafire is only a Spitfire with a hook (and we have loads flying here now) I would like to see the Meteor back, as we don’t have a single F.8 flying here now.

Meteor vs. Seafire

I believe that Kennet did not sell the Meteor to “finance” the Seafire. They were two indedependent transactions that just happened within a few months of each other. I believe Kennet’s “interesting project” is still in the States and has been kept under wraps. This too had nothing to do with the sale of the Meteor.

Hi all

Surely the point is that both Winston and the Canberra have gone to a great home with a museum that can keep them flying for as long as possible and that the Seafire will also be up and flying – this way we all get to see more old aircraft flying – I can assure you that these aircraft are very much loved and appreciated here and serve as a memorial to the types service in war – Both types were used in anger by us. I was privalaged to actually fly FAC for the Aussie Canberras in Vietnam a couple of times and I get a bit emotional every time I see her fly here.

I am also a Seafire fan and I come to the UK as often as possible – I will gladly pay good money to see her fly.

Lastly at the risk of being boring as I have stated many times – don’t bemoan the UK losing aircraft as UK museums have a fair smattering of Australian machines, This is just normal movement and we should be glad all these machines find good homes with people who are prepared to look after them.

My two bob’s worth

Regards
John Parker

In answer to the original question, I have to say I’d rather see the Seafire. Reason being that I saw (and heard, wow!) ‘Winston’ when it displayed at Duxford a few years ago, one of those displays which you instinctively know you’ll never forget. So for me at least, that’s a memory that’s padlocked away in my mind – I have yet to see a Seafire fly ‘in the flesh’, although I do have a dvd of the FR47 which has been played MANY times in the past couple of months. 😀

I see from a recent posting on pprune that Meteor D.16 WK800 airframe hours left is so low that the pilot has to use the M-B T.7 for continuation training, and it’s last flight is supposed to be Nov 1st this year or thereabouts.

The sad thing about the probable fate of the D.16 is that it is an ex.RAAF Korean veteran.

Hmmm….. all the more reason it should go back to Aussie then eh?

I believe one of the T7’s at Chalgrove has next to no fatigue life left, the other makes welcome static appearances but isn’t really an airshow performer.

The sad thing about the probable fate of the D.16 is that it is an ex.RAAF Korean veteran.

Apologies if the question about the ‘last single seater’ was a bit cryptic, I was referring to the drone trainer (ex. F8 I think) that I saw flying last year at Llanbedr 🙂

I didn’t think this D.16(?) was still flying, I seem to recall reading somewhere (this forum perhaps?) that it was close to being time expired…… :confused:

Even if it’s not time expired I can’t see any civilian operator rushing to take it on and operate it, just doesn’t seem to be enough interest in the old Meatbox in the UK 🙁
Probably end up in Aus as a spares source for ‘Winston’…..

Also their is a T7 under rebuild with the Meteor flight down at Yaelsbury.

OFMC have an F8 in store but it wont fly again as the airframe has to much corrosion on it.

Don’t forget the two airworthy T.7s at Chalgrove.

Will, as for the Llanbedr ‘drone’ I believe its retirement is imminent. It certainly wont last longer than the station.

As for the different sound, the F8 makes a very loud ‘bluenote’ – much louder than the Hunter. If you haven’t heard it it’s hard to explain.

Is this still the UK’s only flying ‘F8’?

With due credit to Kodak for the picture 🙂

That is something that I have ben wondering about for some time, just why do G-LOSM and ‘Winston’ sound so different :confused:

Apologies if the question about the ‘last single seater’ was a bit cryptic, I was referring to the drone trainer (ex. F8 I think) that I saw flying last year at Llanbedr 🙂