Thank you all so much for your efforts in piecing together this history.
I’ve had an off-forum message, which included the following too.
METEOR T.7 VW453 – HISTORY
Built by the Gloster Aircraft Company against Contract 6/Aircraft/1389
Gloster Test flights
3.5.49 Flown by Jim Cooksey, 20 mins duration, recorded as ‘Test Flight’. At this stage of his career Jim did not record maiden flights as such in his log book. It is possible the flight on this date was VW453’s maiden flight but it is just as likely that another Gloster test pilot (Rodney Dryland or Mike Kilburn being likely candidates) had performed the task some time earlier. Jim Cooksey’s log book for the period shows no other entries for VW453.
AM.78 card details
24.5.49 Awaiting Collection
25.5.49 203 AFS
……… Renamed 226 OCU
15.12.49 Transferred 604 Sqn
21.10.50 Cat.4R Flying Accident
24.10.50 58 MU – Re-Cat.3R Flying Accident
10.11.50 3R/Repair on Site/Glosters
8.2.51 Ex Repair on Site/3R
9.2.51 604 Sqn
7.7.52 Cat.3R (Service)
21.8.52 Cat.3R/Repair on Site/Glosters
1.11.52 Ex Cat.3R/Repair on Site/Glosters
31.10.52 604 Sqn
8.6.53 On loan Takali, Malta (signal date 10.6.53)
(11.6.53 additional date for above entry)
27.9.54 Cat.3R
……… 604 Sqn to Glosters Cat.4R (signal date 8.10.54)
25.10.54 Repair in Works?Gloster/Cat.4R
12.7.55 Ex Repair in Works/Gloster/Cat.4R
14.7.55 20 MU (signal date 14.7.55)
(19.7.55 additional date for above entry, signal date 31.7.55)
18.3.57 C (A) Free loan for 3 months
12.6.57 Transferred to C (A) without charge in lieu of VW470 returned to RAF
A&AEE record card details
18.3.57 Acceptance at A&AEE (TT 381.25)
4.11.57 TT 487.35
28.11.58 TT 687.40
4.8.59 Primary Service including re-spray (TT 820.35)
20.8.59 Complete
29.12.59 Minor (TT 881.05)
20.1.60 Air test after Minor (1 hr 10 mins)
3.5.62 Undercarriage failed to9 lower. Wheels-up landed on grass (TT 1387.50) Cat.3 Repair.
1.6.62 Test flight after repair
19.11.62 Minor Inspection (TT 1500.45)
24.1.63 Awaiting air test
(1964 Used regularly for continuation training throughout the year)
27.7.64 In storage awaiting Minor Service (TT 1764.40)
11.8.64 3rd Minor Inspection and modifications until:-
22.1.65 30 minute test flight (TT 1765.40)
31.5.65 Primary and re-spray (TT1811.00)
1.7.65 40 minutes test flight
29.12.65 Primary & UHF & IFF fitment
31.12.65 TT 1872.50
28.4.66 1 hour 10 mins test flight Waterbeach & return (TT 1874.00)
30.12.66 TT 1941.55
26.7.67 U/s at Culdrose, smoke in cockpit.
2.8.67 Returned (to Boscombe Down) (TT 2009.20)
3.8.67 Major Inspection
26.10.67 1 hour test flight after Major (TT 2010.20)
23.2.68 Last flight duration 1 hr 5 mins (TT 2048.05), to await disposal instructions.
24.4.68 Struck Off Charge
An undated comment I wrote alongside 1965/66 entries was ‘Long term need for continuation training until replaced by Hunters’
It was approximately 30 years ago that I transcribed the above A&AEE records but as the aircraft cards should still survive, and may provide more detail than I noted down at the time, I’ll make further enquiries.
I have additional Wrecks & Relics 4/5/6/8/9/10/11/12 & 13 entries for VW453 that I can provide if not gained from elsewhere. In essence the grounded aircraft was with the Chemical Defence Establishement at Porton Down, Wiltshire (adjacent to Boscombe Down), but appears to have spent some time at one or more locations on Salisbury Plain. It arrived at CARG Innsworth from CDE on 11.11.81 for restoration and was handed over to RAF Insworth 14.11.91 after a 10 year restoration programme. During this time it was allocated the RAF maintenance serial 8703M.
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