Modern-Aviation

The Gloster Meteor, the RAF’s first operational jet fighter, traces its lineage to the first British experimental jet, the Gloster E.28/39, which flew for the first time on the 15th May 1941 under the power of a single Whittle W.1 turbojet. The Meteor was Gloster’s answer to Air Ministry specification F9/40, calling for a single-seat interceptor powered by gas turbine engines. Initially the type was going to be named the Thunderbolt, however, to avoid confusion with the USAAF Republic P-47 Thunderbolt the name was quickly changed to Meteor. The low thrust output of the engines available at the time dictated a twin-engine configuration, but apart from the radical nature of its form of propulsion the Meteor was entirely conventional in design.

The construction was all-metal with conventional low straight wings, the turbojets were mid-mounted in the wings and the tailplane was high-mounted to keep it clear of the jet exhaust. Typical of early jet aircraft, the Meteor suffered from stability problems at high transonic speeds. The aircraft experienced large trim changes, high stick forces, and self-sustained yaw instability (snaking) due to airflow separation over the thick tail surfaces.

Twelve prototypes were ordered (DG202-213) on the 7th February 1941 but only eight F9/40's were completed, the first being DG202/G. The fifth prototype (DG206/G) was the first Meteor to fly when it made its first test flight on the 5th March 1943, piloted by Michael Daunt, at RAF Cranwell. Due to engine problems with the Whittle W.2, DG206/G was powered by two de Havilland Halford H.1 or Goblin turbojets, but de Havilland reserved the production of these engines for its own Vampire design. The first Whittle powered (2 x Rover W.2B/23 engines) Meteor, DG205/G, flew on the 12th June 1943 and it unfortunately crashed shortly after take-off on the 27th April 1944. DG205/G was followed by DG202/G and DG203/G but this latter Meteor was soon relegated to a ground instructional role.

DG202/G first flew on the 24th July 1943 powered by two Rover W.2B/23 engines while DG203/G first flew on the 9th November 1943 powered by two W2/500 engines. Powered by RAE/Metrovick F.2 engines, the first British engine to use an axial-flow compressor, DG204/G first flew on the 13th November 1943 but it unfortunately crashed on the 1st April 1944. Unlike the other prototypes the engines were mounted under the wings. DG208/G made its first flight on the 20th January 1944 powered by two Rover W2B/23 engines, however, by this time the majority of design problems had been identified and a production design approved.

DG209/G which first flew on the 18th April 1944 powered by two Rover W2B/27 engines was used as an engine test-bed by Rolls Royce while DG207/G which first flew on the 24th July 1945 powered by two Halford H1 engines was intended to be the basis for the Meteor F.2, but when the engines were diverted to the de Havilland Vampire and the idea was quietly forgotten. Over 3,500 Meteors in many variants were built and Armstrong Whitworth developed the two seat night fighter.

The F.1, the first production version of the Meteor and built to DG210/G standard, were fitted with the Rolls Royce W.2B/Welland 1 engines - a Whittle W.2/Rolls Royce design and giving 7.55 kN (1,700lb) of thrust. The first F.1 flew on 12th January 1944 from Moreton Valence and had a maximum speed of 415 mph (667 km), a range of 1,340 miles (2,156 km), 41 ft 3 in (12.58 m) long, a wingspan of 43 ft (13.11 m) and armed with four 20 mm cannons in the nose. In all twenty Mk.1s were delivered to the RAF, the first 12 replacing the Spitfires of 616 Squadron based at RAF Culmhead on 1st June 1944. The Squadron then deployed to RAF Manston in Kent and saw action for the first time on 27th July 1944 in an anti-missile role (‘Diver’patrol), ultimately destroying only 13 V1 flying bombs (the first being on the 4th August) as it came very late to the battle and was underpowered. One flight was moved in January 1945 to Nijmegen but they were not flown over enemy territory. The F.1 was withdrawn at the end of January, however, the first production F.1 was sent to the US in exchange for a Bell YP-59A Airacomet for comparative evaluation.

On the 7th March 1945 a Gloster Meteor F.1, EE227, was sent to the Rolls Royce Plant at Hucknall, Nottingham, for the installation of two RB.50 Trent turboprop engines [photograph - right]. The Trent engine was a modified Rolls Royce Derwent 2 turbojet fitted with an extra turbine stage driving a reduction gearbox and a five-bladed Rotol propeller. On the 20th September 1945, the Trent powered Meteor flew for the first time and became the first turboprop powered aircraft in the world. A number of problems were found with the prop wash and directional instability. The Meteor was returned to Hucknall were these were fixed and the aircraft had resumed its test flights by March 1946. In April 1948 the "Trent" Meteor was transferred to the Navy for testing, as they were interested in the use of turboprop aircraft for carrier operations. On the 22nd September 1948 EE227 was returned to Rolls Royce, were it was restored to its original condition before being returned to RAF Farborough. Unfortunately, EE227 was scrapped in June 1949.