Download or read book Gloster Meteor in British Service written by Martin Derry and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2018-11-30 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Gloster F.9/40 was Britains first jet fighter and as the Meteor F.I became the first jet-powered aircraft of any description to enter service with the Allies in World War II. Several early Meteors were dispatched to Europe in the hope that 1945 might witness the first ever jet-on-jet combats between it and the much-vaunted German jets a contest which, in the event, was never to occur.Postwar, and the Meteor quickly became the backbone of the UKs day fighter defenses, progressing through successive Marks as it did so, until finally being replaced on the front line by later types during the mid-1950s. With their ever-adaptable airframe, two-seat Meteors became Britains primary night fighter too, serving for several years until replaced by the Gloster Javelin from the late 1950s onwards.With its operational career over, the Meteors adaptability and ruggedness was put to sterling use as an advanced trainer, the most obvious example of which was the T.7. As late as 1982, a handful of stalwarts were still soldiering on.Although space precludes a comprehensive history of such a prolific aircraft, it is hoped that both aviation enthusiasts and aircraft modelers may find some interesting examples in these pages, and sufficient inspiration to help them choose which color scheme to finish their latest Meteor model in.This latest addition to the FlightCraft range follows our well-established format in that it is split into three primary sections. The first covers the Meteor using numerous photographs, informative captions and tables. The second is a 16-page full-color illustration section featuring detailed profiles and 2-views of many of the color schemes and markings carried by British Meteors. The final section lists as many injection-moulded plastic model kits of the Meteor, in all the major scales, that the authors could obtain, plus a gallery of models made by some of the UKs best modelers.

Download or read book The Gloster Meteor in British Service written by Martin Derry and published by Pen & Sword Aviation. This book was released on 2018-03 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Gloster F.9/40 was Britain's first jet fighter and as the Meteor F.I became the first jet-powered aircraft of any description to enter service with the Allies in World War II. Several early Meteors were dispatched to Europe in the hope that 1945 might witness the first ever jet-on-jet combats between it and the much-vaunted German jets - a contest which, in the event, was never to occur. Postwar, and the Meteor quickly became the backbone of the UK's day fighter defenses, progressing through successive Marks as it did so, until finally being replaced on the front line by later types during the mid-1950s. With their ever-adaptable airframe, two-seat Meteors became Britain's primary night fighter too, serving for several years until replaced by the Gloster Javelin from the late 1950s onwards. With its operational career over, the Meteor's adaptability and ruggedness was put to sterling use as an advanced trainer, the most obvious example of which was the T.7\. As late as 1982, a handful of stalwarts were still soldiering on. Although space precludes a comprehensive history of such a prolific aircraft, it is hoped that both aviation enthusiasts and aircraft modelers may find some interesting examples in these pages, and sufficient inspiration to help them choose which color scheme to finish their latest Meteor model in. This latest addition to the FlightCraft range follows our well-established format in that it is split into three primary sections. The first covers the Meteor using numerous photographs, informative captions and tables. The second is a 16-page full-color illustration section featuring detailed profiles and 2-views of many of the color schemes and markings carried by British Meteors. The final section lists as many injection-moulded plastic model kits of the Meteor, in all the major scales, that the authors could obtain, plus a gallery of models made by some of the UK's best modelers.

Download or read book The Gloster Meteor F I F III written by Phil H. Listemann and published by Philedition. This book was released on 2016-06-09 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' only operational jet aircraft during the Second World War. For the Meteor, the main issue was to find the right engines and the development of these took more time than initially planned and proved more complicated than originally thought but eventually the first Meteor F.Is were ready to enter service in the summer 1944. Their first action took place soon after in the hunt of the V-1 launched against England. Then the Meteor was deployed on the Continent in its F.III variant where it participated to the last stages of WW2 with the 2 TAF. This study covers the wartime era and ends in September 1945. This book is illustred with 30 photos (5 in colours) and five colour profiles.

Download or read book Gloster Meteor written by Phil Butler and published by Ian Allan Publishing. This book was released on 2006 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first ever in-depth history of one of the most successful British aircraft of all time, the British Gloster Meteor, whose strong popularity is evidenced by the recent release of several brand new model kits of the type. The Gloster Meteor first flew during World War II, and a few hardy survivors are still airworthy into the 21st century. It served with 16 overseas air forces as well as with the Royal Air Force. This book thoroughly covers the craft's design, development, and initial flight testing, as well as night fighter variants, construction information, service both in the United Kingdom and abroad, test beds and trials aircraft. The authors have had access to a wealth of material in the United Kingdom's Public Record Office which was not previously available to researchers on the aircraft. As a result, the book contains a great deal of previously unpublished information, many detailed photos in both color and black & white, and data tables and information on the serials carried by the aircraft.

Download or read book Hawker Hunter in British Service written by Martin Derry and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2019-09-30 with total page 181 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “For any enthusiast and/or modeler of the Hawker Hunter this book will be like catnip . . . outstanding images of this classic post war aircraft.” —Vintage Airfix Initially introduced in 1954 as a swept-wing, transonic, single-seat day interceptor, the Hawker Hunter rapidly succeeded the first-generation jet fighters in RAF service such as the Gloster Meteor and the de Havilland Venom. Powered by the then newly developed Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet, the Hunter’s performance transformed the RAF’s day fighter squadrons from the mid-1950s until the advent of the English Electric Lightning from the early 1960s. Even then, as successively improved variants of the type were produced with increasingly more capable engines and expanded fuel capacity, the Hunter successfully transitioned into a strike/ground attack fighter-bomber and fighter reconnaissance platform. Two-seat variants were developed for training and other secondary roles with the RAF and the Royal Navy and a few remained in use until 2001, albeit with specialized MoD Test and Evaluation units—well over forty years after the type’s initial introduction. This addition to the Flight Craft series follows our well-established format in that it is split into three primary sections. The first covers the Hawker Hunter using numerous photographs, informative captions and tables. The second is a 16-page full-color illustration section featuring detailed profiles and 2-views of many of the color schemes and markings carried by Hunters. The final section lists as many injection-molded plastic model kits of the Hunter, in all the major scales, that the authors could obtain, plus a photo gallery of models made by some of the world’s best modelers. “A delight for anyone modeling a Hunter as it is so comprehensive.” —British Military History

Download or read book Meteor I vs V1 Flying Bomb written by Donald Nijboer and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 2012-10-23 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: British jet fighters initiated jet vs. jet warfare when they fought Hitler's Nazi German V-1 attacks on London in World War II. The V1 attack on London began on the night of 13/14 June 1944 from bases in Normandy. On 29 March 1945 the last one to fall on Britain was shot down by gunners in Suffolk. A total of 10,500 missiles were launched, of which 3957 were destroyed by the defences - 3531 reached England, 2420 falling in the London area. No fewer than 6184 people were killed and 17,981 seriously injured. Indeed, it could have been much worse, for by the end of the war the Germans had manufactured close to 32,000 flying bombs. The defences put forward to guard against the V1 were formidable - 23,000 men and women with their guns, radar and communications networks were installed on coastal sites. Squadrons of Britain's newest Spitfires, the F XIVs, and Hawker Tempest Vs were kept at home to battle the new menace. While the Spitfire F XIV and Tempest V had excellent low-level speed and were able to catch the V1, there was one aircraft that was much faster. Rushed into action on 22 July 1944 to help counter the V1 threat, Britain's Gloster Meteor I was the first jet fighter to enter RAF service. At low and medium altitudes the Meteor was faster than its piston-engined contemporaries, which in turn made it perfectly suited to 'anti-Diver' V1 operations. On 4 August the Meteor scored its first V1 victory. Having just closed in on a flying bomb, Flg Off Dean of No 616 Sqn squeezed the trigger but his guns jammed. Using the Meteor's superior speed, he was able overtake the missile and, using his wing tip, he tipped the craft over and sent it crashing into the ground. This was the first time a jet-powered enemy aircraft had been destroyed by a jet fighter without a shot being fired! It was also the world's first jet versus jet encounter. As the only jet fighter squadron in Allied service in Europe, No 616 Sqn would go on to shoot down 13 V1s. A small number perhaps, but the interceptions between the V1 and Britain's Gloster Meteor were historic, and ushered in a new era of aerial combat.

Download or read book Jet Prototypes of World War II written by Tony Buttler and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-09-19 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While World War II raged, pioneering aircraft and engine designers were busy developing the world's first practical jet-powered research aircraft to test and prove the new technology. This book examines the aircraft that paved the way for Germany's Me 262 and Britain's Meteor - the world's first jet fighters. Throughout the war, Germany, Italy and Britain engaged in top-secret jet programmes as they raced to develop the airpower of the future. Various experimental aircraft were trialled in order to achieve the goal of producing an effective engine and fighter that could harness the potential of the jet power. These included the German Heinkel He 178 research aircraft and Heinkel He 280 jet fighter prototype, the famed British E.28/39 research aircraft built by Gloster Aircraft as well as the stillborn E.5/42 fighter and E.1/44 Ace fighter prototype, and finally the remarkable Italian Caproni-Campini N.1/CC 2 research aircraft. Illustrated throughout with full-colour artwork and rare photographs, this fascinating study examines the fore-runners to the military jet age.

Download or read book Empire of the Clouds written by James Hamilton-Paterson and published by Faber & Faber. This book was released on 2010-10-07 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1945 Britain was the world's leading designer and builder of aircraft - a world-class achievement that was not mere rhetoric. And what aircraft they were. The sleek Comet, the first jet airliner. The awesome delta-winged Vulcan, an intercontinental bomber that could be thrown about the sky like a fighter. The Hawker Hunter, the most beautiful fighter-jet ever built and the Lightning, which could zoom ten miles above the clouds in a couple of minutes and whose pilots rated flying it as better than sex. How did Britain so lose the plot that today there is not a single aircraft manufacturer of any significance in the country? What became of the great industry of de Havilland or Handley Page? And what was it like to be alive in that marvellous post-war moment when innovative new British aircraft made their debut, and pilots were the rock stars of the age? James Hamilton-Paterson captures that season of glory in a compelling book that fuses his own memories of being a schoolboy plane spotter with a ruefully realistic history of British decline - its loss of self confidence and power. It is the story of great and charismatic machines and the men who flew them: heroes such as Bill Waterton, Neville Duke, John Derry and Bill Beaumont who took inconceivable risks, so that we could fly without a second thought.

Download or read book RAF Meteor Jet Fighters in World War II an Operational Log An Operational Log written by Hugh Harkins and published by . This book was released on 2013-07 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gloster Meteor - The advent of the gas-turbine engine pioneered in the late 1930's by Frank Whittle in Britain and Germany's Dr Hans von Ohain, and its subsequent development into operational jet-propulsion units led to the introduction of a new breed of combat aircraft in the last year of World War II. While Germany developed, built and flew many jet powered aircraft during the war, with several of these subsequently entering operational service, only a handful of allied jet designs actually flew before the war's end. Of these, only the Gloster Meteor twin-jet fighter actually entered service; No.616 Squadron becoming the first jet powered squadron in the world to be declared operational. In many respects, 616Squadron gained this accolade on paper only, as some German Units were operating jet powered aircraft in contested air defence zones prior to the Meteor being declared operational. Flying their first operational sorties against V-1 Flying Bombs on 27 July 1944, the Meteor was at the time being operated on an ad hoc basis, as a direct response to the V-1 attacks against southern Britain. The Squadron did not fully relinquish its Spitfire VII's until 13 August 1944, the date on which the last operational Spitfire mission was flown. The Meteor I was flown operational against the V-1 from late July 1944 until early September that year, following which it entered an intensive period of training through February 1945, by which time the Squadron had been transferred to the 2nd Tactical Air Force for operations on continental Europe supporting the allied armies advancing towards the German hinterland. A handful of aircraft began operating from Belgium from early February 1945, albeit in a non-operational role. The rest of the Squadron, which had been temporarily transferred back to RAF Fighter Command, commenced flying Anti-V-1 operations from early March 1945, until the 19th of that month, after which it reverted back to 2nd Tactical Air Force, flying out to Belgium on the 31st of the Month. The Squadron commenced operational missions as part of 2nd Tactical Air Force on 1 April, flying air defence and reconnaissance/ground attack sorties until the war in Europe ended, flying its last operational sorties on the 4 May 1945. By this time 504 Squadron was on the strength of Fighter Command, with several other squadrons commencing conversion to the Meteor III before World War II ended. Within weeks of the war's end the Meteor IV, which had flown on 15 August, captured with Word Speed Record with an average speed of 606 mph. This volume covers the development of British jet aircraft and the operational service of the aircraft from summer 1944, when the aircraft were employed against V-1 flying bombs until late 1945, including the aircrafts service with 2nd Tactical Air Force supporting the allied armies during the final advance into Germany.

Download or read book Gloster Meteor written by Barry Jones and published by Crowood Press (UK). This book was released on 1998 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gloster Meteor Jones. The only RAF jet to see service in WWII, the Gloster Meteor remained in service for several years asan interceptor, ground attack aircraft, night fighter and trainer. Its simple construction made it an ideal test airplane. Many were configured with different engines and even ejector seats. In this comprehensive study, Barry Jones recounts the entire history of this long-serving aircraft from WWIIto the present day. Hdbd., 8 1/2"x 11", 192 pgs., 200 b&w ill.

Download or read book Avro Shackleton written by Martin Derry and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2015-11-30 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Initially projected as a maritime reconnaissance version of the Lincoln bomber, itself a development of the famous wartime Lancaster which saw post-war service in a General/Maritime Reconnaissance role, (see Flight Craft No 4), the Avro Shackleton, (named after the polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton) was a completely new design, powered by four Rolls Royce Griffon 57 engines driving six blade contra-rotating propellers.Split into three main sections, this latest Flight Craft title, perfectly timed to coincide with the release of the first examples of the eagerly awaited new tool 1/72 scale Airfix kit, offers a concise history of the Shackleton's development and operational career from the prototype and initial entry in to RAF service in 1951, and its use with the South African Air Force, the only other operator of the type. Section 1 chronicles its design, ongoing improvements and development through the three main Marks, in both the Maritime Reconnaissance and Airborne Early Warning roles, until its retirement after four decades of RAF service in 1991, which includes scores of contemporary photographs with detailed captions, many of which have never been seen in print before.This is followed by a 16-page colour illustration section featuring profiles and 2-views of the colour schemes and markings carried by the type in RAF and SAAF service. The final section lists all the plastic model kits, accessories and decal sheets produced of the Shackleton in all scales. As with the other books in the Flight Craft series, whilst published primarily with the scale aircraft modeller in mind, it is hoped that those readers who might perhaps describe themselves as 'occasional' modellers may also find that this colourful and informative work offers something to provoke their interests too.

Download or read book The Jet Race and the Second World War written by S. Mike Pavelec and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2007-02-28 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the 1930s, as nations braced for war, the German military build up caught Britain and the United States off-guard, particularly in aviation technology. The unending quest for speed resulted in the need for radical alternatives to piston engines. In Germany, Dr. Hans von Ohain was the first to complete a flight-worthy turbojet engine for aircraft. It was installed in a Heinkel-designed aircraft, and the Germans began the jet age on August 27, 1939. The Germans led the jet race throughout the war and were the first to produce jet aircraft for combat operations. In England, the doggedly determined Frank Whittle also developed a turbojet engine, but without the support enjoyed by his German counterpart. The British came second in the jet race when Whittle's engine powered the Gloster Pioneer on May 15, 1941. The Whittle-Gloster relationship continued and produced the only Allied combat jet aircraft during the war, the Meteor, which was relegated to Home Defense in Britain. In America, General Electric copied the Whittle designs, and Bell Aircraft contracted to build the first American jet plane. On October 1, 1942, a lackluster performance from the Bell Airacomet, ushered in the American jet age. The Yanks forged ahead, and had numerous engine and airframe programs in development by the end of the war. But, the Germans did it right and did it first, while the Allies lagged throughout the war, only rising to technological prominence on the ashes of the German defeat. Pavelec's analysis of the jet race uncovers all the excitement in the high-stakes race to develop effective jet engines for warfare and transport.

Download or read book Gloster Meteor written by Richard J. Caruana and published by Sam. This book was released on 2010-07 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It was an effective jet fighter that served the RAF for decades. This text presents a full chronology and photo history of development and operational use.

Download or read book Meteor I vs V1 Flying Bomb written by Donald Nijboer and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-10-20 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A total of 10,500 missiles were launched as part of the V1 attack, of which 3,957 were destroyed by the defences. Indeed, it could have been much worse, for by the end of the war the Germans had manufactured close to 32,000 flying bombs. The defences put forward to guard against the V1 were formidable – 23,000 men and women with their guns, radar and communications networks were installed on coastal sites. Squadrons of Britain's newest Spitfires, the F XIVs, and Hawker Tempest Vs were kept at home to battle the new menace. Rushed into action in July 1944 to help counter the V1 threat, Britain's Gloster Meteor I was the first jet fighter to enter RAF service. On 4 August the Meteor scored its first V1 victory. Having just closed in on a flying bomb, its officer squeezed the trigger but his guns jammed. Using the Meteor's superior speed, he was able to overtake the missile and, using his wing tip, he tipped the craft over and sent it crashing into the ground. The interceptions between the V1 and Britain's Gloster Meteor were historic, and ushered in a new era of aerial combat.

Download or read book The Gloster Meteor Aircraft written by and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Description: The Gloster Meteor aircraft, British Royal Air Force (RAF) jet-engine fighter. 'Meteor F MK III, Derwent, March 1945.' Reverse stamped 'Ministry of Aircraft Production - Secret.'.

Download or read book How Meteors Hit the Ground written by Geoffrey Higges and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2013-10-11 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book uses the author's 6 years experience flying the Gloster Meteor jet fighter to analyse the reasons for the many accidents that occurred with this aircraft. For example, on average during the year 1952, 3 Meteors were written off every week, and a Meteor pilot killed every 4 days. In 1945, Number 616 Squadron of the British Royal Air Force was equipped with the Gloster Meteor fighter which was the first and only jet aircraft to be used by the Allies in World War II. In 1951 the author became a fighter pilot with 616 Squadron flying the latest version of the Meteor, and during his 6 years flying this aircraft, the author also qualified and gained experience as a Flight Test Engineer. So he is well qualified to comment on the qualities of this historic aircraft, and discuss the various characteristics which contributed to so many accidents during its lifetime.

Download or read book The Millionaires Squadron written by Tom Moulson and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2014-07-08 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Imagined by an aristocrat in White's Club, London in 1925, a part-time squadron of wealthy young men with their own private aircraft was incorporated into a newly-established combat-ready Auxiliary Air Force, first as bombers, then fighters. The pre-war years combined serious training with frivolity and mischief, but the outbreak of war in 1939 changed that. Despite their social rank the pilots were thrust into the heart of the action, with mortality proving to be the great social leveler. From privileged pre-war lifestyles to front line deployment the lives of those who survived underwent radical change. Through the battles of Britain, Malta, the African desert and Italy the squadron's composition was transformed, and by war's end only a minority were British and none were millionaires. Britain had changed too, and the re-formed squadron filled with a combination of veterans and young middle-class ex-service pilots. The pilots flew Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain, and Spitfires thereafter until the arrival of jets in the '50s; DH Vampires and Gloster Meteors. The one aircraft they could not master was the little-loved mid-engine P-39 Bell Airacobra in 1941. Disbandment in 1957 of the by-then 'Royal' Auxiliary Air Force was fiercely resisted, but inevitable.Originally published in 1964 to great acclaim, this second edition features a wealth of brand new content in the form of newly uncovered documentation and photo illustrations. It is set to bring the story of this eccentric and dynamic squadron to a whole new audience of aviation and military enthusiasts.As seen in the Western Morning News and Epping Forest Guardian.