Gloester Meteor?

[HoHun]

Hi Furball,

>meteor was held back to combat V-1's, entered service in 44 i think.  When the III was introduced they took it to europe and as angus says - were on patrol for weeks but couldnt find anything to fight.  They were however used for ground attack during that time.

One reason for the hesitant deployment of the Meteor probably was its high-speed snaking tendency. According to Eric Brown, this was encountered by all early jet fighters to some degree, but the Meteor was affected worse than the rest and was not a good high-speed gunnery platform as a result.

V-1 chasing was the perfect niche for the Meteor because in the dense air at low altitude, it could go very fast without hitting the problematic Mach range.

After WW2, the snaking problem was solved, so most Meteors ever built were actually trouble-free.

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

[Angus]

I remember that some were tested in post war races, - source is Neville Duke on that occasion.
And for Mr. Curfew's information, in the late months of the war, LW fighters were few and far apart, so it's no wonder that a squadron or so of Meteors did not find any trouble. Since entire daylight ops were frequantly carried out as deep as Berlin without enemy ac encounter, and pilots would finish as much as a TOD without encountering an enemy ac, that should not be surprizing.

[CrzyMonk]

Originally posted by TexMurphy
This is so amazing.

We lack sooooo many important WW2 planes that saw tons of combat and still we get requests for planes like this one.

After all the missing russian, japanese, italian fighters and bombers are added and the US, UK and German sides have been complemented with their missing planes THEN. Not before could planes like this one or the F8F even be considered.

Amazing that these type of requests keep comming up.

Tex.

It IS a shame that anyone would consider this...  really, love for flying and respect for this sim should really keep goobers like me from suggesting anything that might be interesting to a few people.  The nerve of me  (sigh)

[Squire]

616 Squadron was the sole unit that operated the type. It was not deployed to the continent (Belgium) untill January 1945 and was used primarily to intercept V-1s fired at Antwerp. In April 1945 it was cleared for the fighter ground attack role. The war ended May 7th 1945.

Its not surprising that it did not encounter any LW fighters, many allied squadrons did not in the last few months of the war. After "Bodenplatte", LW activity was spotty at best as it ran put of pilots, fuel and bases to fly from.

The Meteor was too few and too late to have any real influence on the war.

[Guppy35]

Originally posted by Squire
616 Squadron was the sole unit that operated the type. It was not deployed to the continent (Belgium) untill January 1945 and was used primarily to intercept V-1s fired at Antwerp. In April 1945 it was cleared for the fighter ground attack role. The war ended May 7th 1945.

Its not surprising that it did not encounter any LW fighters, many allied squadrons did not in the last few months of the war. After "Bodenplatte", LW activity was spotty at best as it ran put of pilots, fuel and bases to fly from.

The Meteor was too few and too late to have any real influence on the war.

During my Spit XII researching days I got to be good friends with a former RAF pilot who was a B of B vet, and service test pilot for Supermarine.  When he went back on Ops it was with 616 Squadron and he was flying Meteors in the summer of 44 and on to the continent.  Because of his jet and test flying experience he also was sent to retrieve a 262 at Fassberg..

Meteors were definately operational, but also in small numbers.

Dan/CorkyJr

[bunch]

any info on what 616 did in the fighter ground attack role?

[TexMurphy]

Originally posted by CrzyMonk
It IS a shame that anyone would consider this...  really, love for flying and respect for this sim should really keep goobers like me from suggesting anything that might be interesting to a few people.  The nerve of me  (sigh)

Hey dont get me wrong sudgestions to improve the game are always good sudgetions. But can you honestly say that adding the Gloester Meteor would improve the game more then adding any of the following.

*Spit 8 Clipped Wing
*Spit 12
*Later version(s) of the Mossie
*Mig-3
*LaGG3
*Ki43
*Ki44
*B25
*HE-111
*PE-2

To name a few.

If you honestly can say that you think the Meteor should be higher prio then all the above mentioned then no problem.
Tex.

[Squire]

I dont have any in depth articles on 616 Sqn as to what they did in the ground attack role, maybe somebody else does. Its often mistated that "it didnt see combat" thats not true. The YP-80 did not, the Meteor did, albeit limited.

[CrzyMonk]

Originally posted by TexMurphy
Hey dont get me wrong sudgestions to improve the game are always good sudgetions. But can you honestly say that adding the Gloester Meteor would improve the game more then adding any of the following.

*Spit 8 Clipped Wing
*Spit 12
*Later version(s) of the Mossie
*Mig-3
*LaGG3
*Ki43
*Ki44
*B25
*HE-111
*PE-2

To name a few.

If you honestly can say that you think the Meteor should be higher prio then all the above mentioned then no problem.
Tex.

OK sorry for the smart-alec reply.  I was not advocating the Meteor at all over any other aircraft.  I personally would love to see the Oscar and the Mitchell, even the Raiden.  I was only suggesting that the Meteor would be fun, especially since we have one Jet (163 not included for obvious reasons).

Heck, if you look at this from an early War standpoint, the P-36, Nate and I-16 should all be here.

One thing about all the replies I like to see is the knowledge and passion people have here on aircraft....pretty cool stuff

[Angus]

I'd like to see the Meteor in AH, it's not just time for it yet.
And still, it could be, for AH TOD is going to be about late war, the bombing campaign and advance into Europe, right?
The only thing that could threaten the 262 as well...

[humble]

The first operational jet fighter squadron was No. 616, based at Culmhead, Somerset, equipped with Spitfire F.Mk VIIs when its first two Meteor F.Mk Is arrived on 12 July 1944. On 21 July the squadron moved to Manston, Kent, receiving more Meteors on 23 July to form a detached flight of seven. The first operational sorties were flown on 27 July, and on 4 August, near Tonbridge, Flying Officer Dean destroyed the first Vl fiying bomb to be claimed by a jet fighter, using the Meteor's wingtip to tip it over into a spin after the aircraft's four 20 mm cannon had jammed. On the same day, Flying Officer Roger shot down a second V1 near Tenterden.


Conversion to Meteors was completed towards the end of August, and the autumn was spent preparing for operations on the continent. Between 10 and 17 October, however, four Meteors were detached to Debden, to take part in an exercise with the USAAF 2nd Bombardment Division and 65th Fighter Wing, to enable defensive tactics against the Luftwaffe's Messerschmitt Me 163 and Me 262 fighters to be devised. The first Meteor F.Mk III aircraft were delivered to Manston on 18 December, and on 17 January the squadron moved to Colerne, Wiltshire, where the remaining Meteor F.Mk Is were replaced. On 20 January 1945 one flight of No. 616's Meteors joined No. 84 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force in Belgium, and in March No. 504 became the second Meteor F.Mk Ill unit to operate on the other side of the English Channel.


I'd think the Meteor is a no brainer given it was operational in a combat role in 7/44....