Aircraft Profile #12. Gloster Meteor F.8

The 5th of March 1943 was a day of great significance for the Royal Air Force, for it was then that Britain's first jet-propelled lighter, the Gloster Meteor, took off' from Cranwell's runway on its maiden flight.

The supremacy of the piston-engined aeroplane was about to be challenged by a new method of propulsion, and although the early Meteor marks were only marginally faster lhan the contemporary Tempest. Mustang, etc. the potential was obvious.

Only a few, short years were to pass before jet-engmed fighters superseded those equipped with the reciprocating powerplant, but it had been a long, hard struggle against tremendous odds to put the first Meteor into the air on that March day.

Meteor Mk.1s were produced in sufficient numbers to enable them to take part in the last few weeks of the war against Germany, and from this basic design was evolved the Meteor Mk.3 and 4, which served with the regular and auxiliary squadrons of the Royal Air Force.

By the end of 1947 the Meteor had been in continuous production for just over four years, and the airframe differed very little from that as originally developed for the prototype F.9/40s. But so rapid was the progress made in improving performance of jet-propelled aircraft, largely through great increases in the thrust of new types of turbo-jet engines, that by the end of the year the Meteor in its Mark F.4 version was beginning to fall behind other

Meteor F.Mk.8s of No.63 Squadron, circa 1953. Note squadron marks on fuselage and wing tips

jet fighters.

Consequently the Gloster design office undertook a major design at that time to improve the performance of the Meteor and to provide for new equipment demanded by changing operational requirements. For production facility as many F.4 components were retained as possible as well as suitable constructional and tooling jigs.

The new Mark of Meteor was designated F.8 as the intervening numbers had been taken up by the F.R.5. intended for photographic reconnaissance, and the projected F.6, which was similar in drawing board outline to the subsequent F.8, and the two-seat Meteor trainer T.7, which was produced in quantity for the R.A.F. and for the Navy.

The Meteor F.8 was to be Britain's number one fighter for five years, and with this mark it reached its peak of efficiency and performance, and it formed the bulk of Fighter Command of the Royal Air Force from 1950 to 1955. The F.8 was the only British jet fighter to take part in major air actions since the end of World War II, and it served with many other nations well into the early 1960s. It was a classic example of re-engineering a basic design to squeeze the utmost development out of an already successful and, indeed, historic aeroplane.

Progressive strengthening of the Meteor airframe. increases in engine weight and additional equipment stowage in the rear fuselage necessitated the introduction of more and more ballast in the nose to maintain a reasonable c.g.

The prototype Meteor F.8, originally an F.4, with the Gloster E1/44. Fin and rudder of the latter was successfully adopted for the F.8

position. In the F.4 no less than 450kg of ballast was required. This consisted of lead weights attached to the mounting structure of the nose undercarriage and heavy alloy rings comprising the engine intake leading edges to the nacelles.

All this dead weight had to be lost and the most promising project was for a lengthening of the nose itself to correct the c.g. position, the additional space provided being used to house an extra fuel tank and so give increased range.

A Meteor F.4, RA382, was modified to take a 0.76m additional section between the existing centre section and the front fuselage. This involved a forward shift of the armament bay and its 363kg of ammunition. As the latter was gradually expended by the tiring of the guns so the nose became progressively lighter leading to the pitch instability of the aeroplane. Control with the existing Meteor tail became difficult but by one of those strange fates that sometimes occur in aeronautical development, it was found in the R.A.E, wind tunnel that the tail of the Gloster single engine E.1/44 fighter, a project that never entered production, suited the case admirably.

Accordingly, a substitute installation of this tail was made on RAJS2 and the handling trials were instantly successful, the new tail giving the necessary control. Although contracts had been placed for the old tail assembly a decision was made to equip all F.8s with the E.l/44 type, so

WA982 was used to flight test the Rolls-Royce Soar engine, weighing a mere 125kg. Only one Soar was installed, the port fixture being a dummy

much better was the aircraft in this form. Only minor modifications were needed, one being the replacement of the wooden upper component of the E.1/44 fin (to take a suppressed radio aerial) by a metal assembly.

A true prototype, VT150, was constructed to continue trials. This featured a new, one-piece blown canopy which provided much improved rearward vision, and with this modilication VT150 made its first flight on 12th October 1948, Flight trials continued with this F. Mark 8 prototype and confirmed the promise that the new version of the Meteor was a great improvement on all previous variants, general handling being easy and delightful at all speeds. On test quite high Mach numbers were obtained, but these were not considered sufficiently free from control difficulties to be permitted to the average Service pilot in the course of normal flying.

Various components in the airframe were strengthened to meet increased stress requirements consequent upon the higher performance and loadings of the Mark F.8. The power units were Rolls-Royce Derwent 8s each developing 1590kg thrust. These were mounted between the spars as in the earlier marks. The Meteor airframe was in fact quite a conventional structure and one of the points often overlooked when considering Meteor development was that the design generally was based on piston engine practice. The only feature which characterised the Meteor as a jet-propelled fighter was its short undercarriage rendered possible by the absence of need

Meteor VZ460 of the Central Fighter Establishment was used for tests with rocket projectiles and bombs

for propeller clearance.

The Meteor F. Mark 8, powered by two Rolls-Royce Derwent 8 turbo-jet engines, attained a maximum speed of 953km/h (Mach 0.78) at sea level, 885km/h (Mach 0.81) at 9000m and 853km/h (Mach 0.8) at 12000m. The first F.8 was delivered to the Royal Air Force, No. 43 {F) Squadron, on 2nd August 1949 and was serial led VZ440. The first production F.8 of an initial batch of 128 on order for the R.A.F. was VZ438 and it went to No. I (F) Squadron on 10th December 1949.

The Meteor F.8 was the standard equipment of the following regular R.A.F. Squadrons - Nos. 1, 2, 13, 19, 25, 29, 33, 34, 41, 43. 54, 56, 63, 64, 65, 66, 72, 91, 92, 111, 153, 208, 209, 211 AFS, 222, 226 OCU, 245, 247, 257, 263 and the Auxiliary Squadrons No. 500 "County of Kent", 504 "City of Nottingham", 600 "City of London", 601 "County of London", 604 "County of Middlesex", 609 "West Riding", 610 "County of Chester", 611 “West Lancashire", 614 "City of Glamorgan", 615 "County of Surrey", and 616 "South Yorkshire". It started regular service in the R.A.F. with No. 245 Squadron at Horsham St. Faith on 29th June 1950 and continued in that service until 1955 when it was largely replaced in the Squadrons by Hawker Hunters. The last R.A.F. Meteor F.8 actually went from No. 245, in April 1957.

THE METEOR IN KOREA

No Meteor F.8

The most powerful Meteor 8 flown was WA820, fitted with two Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire engines providing 6900kg of thrust

went overseas in Squadron service or went into action with the R.A.F. but it fought with distinction against superior enemy fighters in the Korean War in the hands of the Royal Australian Air Force.

These Meteors served with No. 77 Squadron, R.A.A.F., which at the outbreak of the Korean War was stationed at Iwakuni, Japan, equipped with North American F-51 Mustang piston-engined fighters. Its first action was in July 1950, and after nearly two years of hard flying and fighting with the Mustangs, No. 77 heard that it was to be re-equipped with jet fighters with which to meet the formidable MiG-15s, in service with the Chinese Air Force, after the intervention of the People's Republic into the struggle between North and South Korea.

Hopes that the Squadron would get the F-86 Sabre were soon dashed and it was learned that it would be re-equipped with the Meteor F.8 as the most modern jet fighter available to the Australian Government, short of the Hunter, which was in fact making slow development progress at that time. No. 77 therefore returned to its home base at Iwakuni to receive the Meteors at the end of February 1951.

Some uncertainty became evident as to the best use of the F.8. It was inferior to the MiG-15 which was capable of a speed of Mach 1 at least and was very efficient at high altitude, while the Meteor was much slower and lacked manoeuvrability

Interesting F.8 conversion was WK935. Second cockpit accomodated pilot in prone position

at height. American assessments emphasised these shortcomings as well as the restricted rear view (later a fully transparent hood was fitted to R.A.F. F.8s). Further difficulties arose over the lack of radio compass but this was ironed out by providing one for each flight of aircraft and flying to a minimum 300m cloud base.

No. 77 flew its first mission with Meteors on 29th July in a fighter sweep with Sabres but not until 29th August did the Meteors go into action when, in a sweep over Chongju in the notorious “MiG Alley", eight F.8s had the worst of a brush with about 30 MiGs, one pilot being lost as a prisoner-of-war after baling out. A further engagement a week later was similarly indecisive, one Meteor returning to base in a damaged condition but it was clear that the MiG-15 was in fact undoubtedly superior. Accordingly the role of the F.8 was modified in agreement with the U.S. Air Force Commanders, and it was allocated the task of escorting B-29 bombers. On one of these missions 16 Meteors in four sections ran into a battle between Sabres and MiGs but were unable to fire for fear of hitting the American aircraft.

After the Americans had abandoned daylight precision bombing because of the losses suffered against the armada of Chinese MiGs operating from safe airfields in Manchuria, the Australian Meteors continued to patrol regularly in a defined area south of

Meteor F.Mk.8s of No.41 Squadron. Note squadron leader's badge under cockpit of aircraft in foreground

the Chongchon. On 1st December 1951 No. 77 was in action against a large formation of MiGs. Three aircraft were lost and one or possibly two MiGs were destroyed in return.

A spell of airfield defence followed for No. 77 in which the superior climbing powers of the Meteor over the Sabre were utilized. At the end of 1951 a new commander arrived in the Squadron, W./Comd. Ronald Susans, and he eventually obtained sanction for the Meteor to be used for ground attack, a role for which the aircraft was specially suited because of its rugged construction and low altitude performance. A successful sortie of this nature, with cannon fire and rocket strike, on a water tower, proved the point that the Meteor was a good platform for this brand of air warfare.

During January 1952 the Australian Squadron flew 769 sorties in ground attack and in February over one thousand, and in the course of these four pilots and aircraft were lost. In May No, 77 reverted to fighter sweeps and on the 8th of that month flew no fewer than 70 sorties. The last encounter of Meteor and MiG was in March 1953 when Sgt, John Hale managed to record a victory.

When the Korean War ended in July 1953, the tally for No. 77 Squadron, R.A.A.F, was 18,872 individual sorties, pilots lost 42, 32 of them in Meteors. To their credit, they had three confirmed victories over

Although a Gloster private venture aircraft G-7-1 was basically a Mark 8, it could carry 24 rockets or four 450kg bombs, plus tip tanks. It was named the Reaper

the redoubtable MiG-15s, as well as other successes and had wrought enormous damage to enemy ground installations. Although the Meteor was by then ten years old, No. 77 had proved that it still had plenty of life left in it during the hectic days of Korea.

THE EXPERIMENTAL F.8s

More Meteor F.8s were produced than any other mark and many were used in consequence for experimental purposes. Some of the more important of these special variants of the basic F.8 are set out below.

VT150. Prototype F.8 later used for testing spin parachute installations for the Javelin and also for investigation into influence of gun blast on nose structures.

VZ438. First production F.8 later used at Farnborough for experiments leading to the Meteor FR.9 before final conversion to the target towing role T.T.8. A number of F.8s were converted to T.T.8. standard after the F.8 had left first-line service and the last Meteor in the Far East Air Force was T.T.8 WH398, which retired from Seletar air base at the end of 1961.

VZ460. Acceptance trials with bomb pylon carriers and R.P. tests. Also flown with spring tab ailerons.

VZ46S. Captured the London-Copenhagen record.

VZ500. Used to investigate the effect on an auto-stabiliser on yaw

VZ517. After serving at Rolls-Royce Hucknall for investigation into engine surge in the Derwent 8 engine, was used to conduct flight tests with the Armstrong-Siddeley Screamer rocket engine.

VZ657. Used for finding a solution to the problem

Another Gloster P.V. was G-AMCJ, also based on the Mark 8. It could carry a variety of stores and was stressed for R.A.T.O.G.

of preventing damage to the ventral fuel tank of the F.8 by spent cartridge cases.

VZ442. A series of trials on this aircraft provided a satisfactory remedy for faulty canopy fastenings.

WA775. Experiments with nose radar for Firestreak missic for Hunter fighters.

WA820. Test bed for Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire ngines each of 3450kg thrust. Needed extensive modifications and strengthening of airframe.

WA823, WA828 to 830, WA832, WA834, WA836, WA837, WA936, WA938, WA941, WA946 and WA952. All these aircraft were used in "probe and drogue" flight refuelling trials notably with No. 245 Squadron stationed at Horsham St. Faith.

WA982. Modified to flight test the Rolls-Royce Soar lightweight jet engines. These were mounted at the wing tips so this Meteor was in fact the only four- engined example of the Meteor to fly,

WE855. Used in 1957 for experiments with over-run "catch" barriers on airfields.

WH301. Many F.8s were converted to advanced trainers and redesignated the T.8. This aircraft was one of the first to be converted.

WH483. Tests with spring tab ailerons to improve rate of roll and reduction of lateral stick forces at higher speeds.

WK935. Converted for most interesting series of experiments into prone pilot position for Bristol Type 185 rocket interceptor project.

THE FOREIGN F.8s

When the war ended in August 1945, the demand for the Meteor was almost insatiable and Glosters were swamped with orders from the Air Ministry. But, other countries were beginning to re-equip their air forces, and it was inevitable that their first thoughts would be for the new jet lighter.

Large numbers

Large numbers of F.8s were converted to unmanned target drones. WH344 was a typical example of the U.Mk.16 aircraft

of the Mark 3 and 4 were exported, as were the F.8s. In alphabetical order there follows a list of countries which took delivery of the Gloster fighter.

After cessation of hostilities in Korea No. 77 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force returned home taking with them their F.8s. In 1955 these were exchanged for the Australian-built Commonwealth CA-27 Sabre Mk.30s and the F.8s were relegated mainly to training duties, while a few were issued to the Citizen Air Force. With this force the Meteors operated with No. 22 and No. 23 Squadrons. A small number were converted to the U.Mk.16, 21 and 21A configuration for use as pilotless drones, and a number were utilised for target towing. The final front-line unit to operate the F.8 was No. 75 Squadron, which was also the first to form a three-unit aerobatic team known as "The Meteorites".

Belgium operated large numbers of Meteors, exchanging the obsolete F.4s for F.8s in late 1949. Twenty-three ex-R.A.F. machines were delivered, Serials running from EG-201 to EG-223, but the second batch of 150 (serials EG-1 to EG-150) aircraft were built under licence by Avions Fairey of Holland, who had been building the aircraft under licence since April 1949. Two further batches of 30 and 37 aircraft were acquired, these being assembled by Fairey from components supplied by Fokker Aircraft. The F.8 remained in service with the B.A.F. until 1456, when it was replaced by

The F.8 could be converted to the F.R.9 by the attachment of a camera nose. VW360 was an F.R.9, but here it lacks a camera nose and is carrying eight HVAR rockets

the Hawker Hunter.

Sixty Meteor F.8s were sold to Brazil, these replacing most of the ageing Thunderbolts and remaining in service for over ten years. Serial numbers ran from 4400 to 4459 and were in black on an overall silver finish.

The Danish Government placed an order with the Gloster Aircraft Company for 20 F.Mk.8 Meteors in April 1950, and the first was delivered in January 1951. Serials ran from 481 to 500 and the aircraft were finished in a grey and green camouflage. The F.8s served with No. 742 Squadron until replaced by Hunters in 1956. A number of Meteors remained in use as target tugs until as late as March 1962.

Modernisation of the Egyptian Air Force was started in 1949, and in the October of that year an order was placed with Glosters for 19 Meteor F.8s. An additional five was ordered in the December, but work on both contracts was suspended a year later when an arms embargo covering the Middle East was put into effect. In December 1952 seven F.8s were delivered, followed by 15 more three years later. Serial numbers of the original seven aircraft (ex-R.A.F. machines) were WK877, 878, 885 to 899, and the other 15 were WL183, 186 to 189, 19I, WH371, 1415, 1419 to 1421, I423 to 1426. Two Meteors were destroyed during the fighting in the Suez campaign in 1956, and some were still serving in 1958.

Biggest employer of the

A number of F.8s were supplied to the Syrian Air Force

Meteor outside the United Kingdom was The Netherlands, who purchased a grand total of 226 of the F.4, F.8 and T.7 versions. The F.4s served from June 1947 until January 1951 when they were replaced by the F.8. The majority of Netherlands Meteors were licence-built by Fokker but the first eight delivered in July 1951 were ex-R.A.F. machines, serials { WF697 to 699) I-90 to I-94. Fokker delivered 155 Mk.8s in the following batches: 101-199, 201 to 204, 206 to 208, 210 to 212, 214 to 220, 223, 225, 226, 228 to 231, 233 to 248, 250 to 255. Squadrons operating the F.8 were No. 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327 and 328. The Meteor remained in service from 1951 until 1956.

Twelve Meteor F.8s were ordered by Syria in 1950, and the specification called for a camouflage system of light earth and green on upper surfaces with sky-blue undersurfaces, serials 101 to 112 were in white. The Meteors WK814 to WK817, 824 to 827 and 862 to 865 were earmarked for delivery, but with the application of the Middle East arms embargo in 1951 they were diverted to the R.A.F. The dozen aircraft eventually reached Syria in 1952, followed by a batch of seven in 1956. The latter were ex-R.A.F. machines serialled WA785, WL174, WK868 and 984, WH503, WE965, WH260. Syrian serials were 101 to 112, 480 and 481 - four were not numbered. They served with

An F.8 of the Belgian Air Force, constructed by Avions Fairey from components supplied by Fokker Aircraft

the S.A.F. as ground attack aircraft.

Israel ordered eleven Mk.8s in February 1953, and these were modified to undertake duties as target tugs in addition to the fighter role. The cannon armament was supplied by Israel, and the aircraft modified to allow installation of American HVAR rocket projectiles. Serials were 2166 to 2169 and 2172 to 2178, and they were delivered in a silver overall finish, this being replaced by the Israel authorities with a camouflaged pattern. They remained in service until replaced by the Dassault Mystere.

THE METEOR STRUCTURE

Construction of the Meteor 8 was virtually identical to that of the earlier variants and followed accepted aircraft practice and the emphasis was on sub-assembly units which could be readily dismantled for transportation.

Wing was a cantilever structure, the centre section of which formed an integral part of the fuselage and included the two jet engine nacelles and landing-gear units. It was built up of two parallel spars, heavy ribs and transverse diaphragms covered with a heavy-gauge, stressed duralumin skin. Upper and lower airbrakes and flaps were also carried on the centre section. Outer panels were built up of two spars and pressed ribs covered with a metal skin.

Fuselage aft of the centre section was an all-metal, stressed-skin structure with closely-spaced light-alloy "Z" section frames and four longerons. The tail unit, built as a separate section, incorporated the lower fin and tailplane, and was attached to the rear fuselage by four pick-up points.

C. F. Andrews, 1965.