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{{Short description|Britain's first jet fighter, 1943–1980s}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox aircraft
 |name= Meteor
 |image= File:Gloster Meteor Centenary of Military Aviation 2014 (cropped).jpg
 |image_caption=One F.8 in flying condition operated by the RAAF's Historic Flight
 |aircraft_type=[[Fighter aircraft]]
 |national_origin= United Kingdom
 |manufacturer=[[Gloster Aircraft Company]]
 |designer=
 |first_flight=5 March 1943
 |introduction=27 July 1944
 |retired=1980s (RAF target tugs)
 |status= Two in use as [[testbed aircraft]] (one with civil registration)
 |primary_user=[[Royal Air Force]]
 |more_users={{ubl|[[Royal Australian Air Force]]|[[Belgian Air Force]] |[[Argentine Air Force]]<!-- only three more users please -->}}
 |produced= 1943–1955
 |number_built=3,947
 |variants=
}}

The '''Gloster Meteor''' was the first British [[jet fighter]] and the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]]' only [[jet aircraft]] to engage in combat operations during the [[Second World War]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-04-19|title=Norfolk farmer's 1951 Gloster Meteor crash find to become memorial|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-56798377|access-date=2024-06-28|language=en-GB}}</ref> The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking [[turbojet]] engines, pioneered by [[Frank Whittle]] and his company, [[Power Jets|Power Jets Ltd]]. Development of the aircraft began in 1940, although work on the engines had been under way since 1936.

The Meteor first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with [[No. 616 Squadron RAF]]. The Meteor was not a sophisticated aircraft in its [[aerodynamics]], but proved to be a successful combat fighter. Gloster's 1946 civil Meteor F.4 demonstrator ''G-AIDC'' was the first [[Aircraft registration|civilian-registered]] jet aircraft in the world.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1974/1974%20-%200497.html|title=photo caption|date=1974|magazine=Flight International <!-- originally|via=Flight Archive -->|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623201903/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1974/1974%20-%200497.html|archive-date=23 June 2016}}</ref> Several major variants of the Meteor incorporated technological advances during the 1940s and 1950s. Thousands of Meteors were built to fly with the RAF and other air forces and remained in use for several decades.

Slower and less heavily armed than its German counterpart, the jet-powered [[Messerschmitt Me&nbsp;262]],{{sfn|Gunston|1988|p=240}} the Meteor saw limited action in the Second World War. Meteors of the [[Royal Australian Air Force]] (RAAF) fought in the [[Korean War]]. Several other operators such as Argentina, Egypt and Israel flew Meteors in later regional conflicts. Specialised variants of the Meteor were developed for use in photographic [[aerial reconnaissance]] and as [[night fighter]]s.

The Meteor was also used in research and development and to break several aviation records. On 20 September 1945, a heavily modified Meteor I, powered by two [[Rolls-Royce RB.50 Trent]] turbine engines driving propellers, became the first [[turboprop]] aircraft to fly.<ref name="fi27555 p727">King ''Flight'' 27 May 1955, p. 727.</ref> On 7 November 1945, a Meteor F.3 set the first official airspeed record by a jet aircraft at {{convert|606|mph}}. In 1946, a Meteor F.4 reached a record speed of {{convert|616|mph}}. Meteors also broke records in flight time endurance and rate of climb.

On 10 February 1954, a specially adapted Meteor F.8, the [[Gloster Meteor F8 "Prone Pilot"|"Meteor Prone Pilot"]], which placed the pilot into a [[prone position]] to counteract inertial forces, took its first flight.<ref name="Young">Young 1985, p. 83.</ref>

In the 1950s, the Meteor became increasingly obsolete as more nations developed jet fighters, many of which used a [[swept wing]] instead of the Meteor's conventional straight wing. The RAF service replaced its Meteors with newer types such as the [[Hawker Hunter]] and [[Gloster Javelin]].

{{as of|2023}}, two Meteors, ''G-JSMA'' and ''G-JWMA'', remained in active service with the [[Martin-Baker]] company as [[ejection seat]] testbeds.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.key.aero/article/martin-baker-meteors-how-first-generation-jets-test-ejection-seats-5th-gen-fighters|title=Martin-Baker Meteors – How First-Generation jets test ejection seats for 5th-Gen fighters|date=12 March 2023|publisher=Key.Aero|first=Daren|last=Harbar|access-date=26 September 2023|quote=originally published in Flypast January 2017|url-access=subscription}}</ref> One further aircraft in the USA remained airworthy, as did another in Australia.

==Development==

===Origins===
{{see also|Frank Whittle}}
The development of the [[turbojet]]-powered Gloster Meteor was a collaboration between the [[Gloster Aircraft Company]] and Frank Whittle's firm, Power Jets Ltd. Whittle formed Power Jets Ltd in March 1936 to develop his ideas of jet propulsion, Whittle himself serving as the company's chief engineer.<ref>Pavelec 2007, pp. 45–46.</ref> For several years, attracting financial backers and aviation firms prepared to take on Whittle's radical ideas was difficult. In 1931, [[Armstrong-Siddeley]] had evaluated and rejected Whittle's proposal, finding it to be technically sound but at the limits of engineering capability.<ref>Pavelec 2007, pp. 43–44.</ref> Securing funding was a persistently worrying issue throughout the early development of the engine.<ref>Golley and Gunston 2010, pp. 92–94.</ref> The first Whittle prototype jet engine, the [[Power Jets WU]], began running trials in early 1937; shortly afterwards, both Sir [[Henry Tizard]], chairman of the [[Aeronautical Research Committee]], and the [[Air Ministry]] gave the project their support.<ref>Pavelec 2007, pp. 48–50.</ref>

On 28 April 1939, Whittle made a visit to the premises of the Gloster Aircraft Company, where he met several key figures, such as [[George Carter (engineer)|George Carter]], Gloster's chief designer.<ref>Golley and Gunston 2010, p. 139.</ref> Carter took a keen interest in Whittle's project, particularly when he saw the operational [[Power Jets W.1]] engine, and quickly used it as the basis for several rough proposals of various aircraft designs. Independently, Whittle had also been producing proposals for a high-altitude jet-powered bomber, although following the start of the [[World War II|Second World War]] and the [[Battle for France]], a greater national emphasis arose on fighter aircraft.<ref>Golley and Gunston 2010, pp. 156, 165.</ref> Power Jets and Gloster quickly formed a mutual understanding around mid-1939.<ref>Golley and Gunston 2010, p. 127.</ref>

[[File:Jet-Age-Museum-E28.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Gloster E.28/39]]. The yellow undersides were standard for RAF training and [[prototype]] aircraft of the period.]]
In spite of ongoing infighting between Power Jets and several of its [[Project stakeholder|stakeholders]], the Air Ministry contracted Gloster in late 1939 to manufacture a [[prototype]] aircraft powered by one of Whittle's new turbojet engines.<ref>Pavelec 2007, pp. 168–169.</ref> The single-engined [[proof-of-concept]] [[Gloster E28/39]], the first British jet-powered aircraft, conducted its maiden flight on 15 May 1941, flown by Gloster's chief test pilot, Flight Lieutenant [[Gerry Sayer|Philip "Gerry" Sayer]].<ref name="Mason p.339"/><ref>Boyne 2002, p. 261.</ref> The success of the E.28/39 proved the viability of jet propulsion, and Gloster pressed ahead with designs for a production fighter aircraft.<ref>Boyne 2002, pp. 261–262.</ref> Due to the limited thrust available from early jet engines, it was decided that subsequent production aircraft would be powered by a pair of turbojet engines.<ref>Spick 2002, pp. 169–170.</ref>

In 1940, for a "military load" of {{convert|1500|lb|kg|abbr=on}}, the [[Royal Aircraft Establishment]] (RAE) had advised that work on an aircraft of {{convert|8500|lb|kg|abbr=on}} all-up weight, with a total static thrust of {{convert|3200|lbf|kN|abbr=on}} should be started, with an {{convert|11000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} design for the expected, more powerful, [[Power Jets W.2|W.2]] and [[Metropolitan-Vickers F.2|axial engine designs]]. George Carter's calculations based on the RAE work and his own investigations were that a {{convert|8700|to|9000|lb|adj=on|abbr=off}} aircraft with two or four 20&nbsp;mm cannons and six 0.303 machine guns would have a top speed of {{cvt|400–431|mph|kn km/h}} at sea level and {{cvt|450–470|mph|kn km/h}} at {{convert|30000|ft}}. In January 1941 Gloster were told by [[Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook|Lord Beaverbrook]] that the twin jet fighter was of "unique importance", and that the company was to stop work on a [[Gloster F.9/37#F.18/40 and F.29/40|night-fighter development of their F.9/37]] to Specification F.18/40.<ref>Buttler 2004, p. 193.</ref>

===Prototypes===
[[File:Meteor DG202G at RAF Mueum London in November 2011.jpg|thumb|Prototype Meteor ''DG202/G'' on display at the [[Royal Air Force Museum London]] in 2011. The "/G" appended to the [[United Kingdom military aircraft serials|aircraft serial]] denoted that the aircraft was to have an [[Royal Air Force Police|armed guard]] at all times while it was on the ground.]]
In August 1940, Carter presented Gloster's initial proposals for a twin-engined jet fighter with a [[Tricycle landing gear|tricycle undercarriage]].{{#tag:ref|Carter has concluded earlier that year that, in order to produce an effective fighter aircraft with a satisfactory rate of climb and armament payload, the first jet fighter should have a twin-engine arrangement.<ref name = "shack 10">Shacklady 1962, p. 10.</ref>|group=Note}} On 7 February 1941, Gloster received an order for twelve prototypes (later reduced to eight) under [[List of Air Ministry Specifications|Specification F9/40]].<ref name="James 245-7">James 1971, pp. 245–248.</ref> A letter of intent for the production of 300 of the new fighter, initially to be named ''Thunderbolt,'' was issued on 21 June 1941; to avoid confusion with the USAAF [[Republic P-47 Thunderbolt]] which had been issued [[Republic P-47 Thunderbolt#P-47 in Allied service|with the same name to the RAF]] in 1944, the aircraft's name was subsequently changed to ''Meteor.''<ref name="James 247">James 1971, p. 247.</ref><ref name="Intercep p144">Goulding 1986, p. 144.</ref>{{#tag:ref|Other names that were suggested for the aircraft included Scourge, Terrific, Terrifier, Terrifire, Tempest, Cyclone, Vortex, Wildfire, Avenger, Sky-rocket, Dauntless, Tyrant, Violent, Wrathful, Annihilator, Ace, and Reaper.<ref name = "shack 13"/>|group=Note}} During the aircraft's secretive development, employees and officials made use of the codename ''Rampage'' to refer to the Meteor, as similarly the [[de Havilland Vampire]] would initially be referred to as the ''Spider Crab''. Test locations and other key project information were also kept secret.<ref name = "shack 25">Shacklady 1962, p. 25.</ref>

Although [[taxiing]] trials were carried out in 1942, it was not until the following year that any flights took place due to production and approval holdups with the Power Jets W.2 engine powering the Meteor.<ref name= "Mason p.339"/><ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, pp. 11–12.</ref> On 26 November 1942 production of the Meteor was ordered to stop due to the delays at subcontractor [[Rover Company|Rover]], which was struggling to manufacture the W.2 engines on schedule;{{#tag:ref|Much of Rover's initial difficulty in producing the engine was due to a lack of time for experimentation, aviation author Edward Shacklady commented that the W2.B engine was "rushed into production long before it was ready for such a step".<ref name = "shack 40">Shacklady 1962, p. 40.</ref>|group=Note}} considerable interest was shown in Gloster's [[Gloster E.1/44|E.1/44 proposal]] for a single-engine fighter, unofficially named Ace.<ref>Shacklady 1962, pp. 17–19.</ref> Gloster continued development work on the Meteor and the production-stop order was overturned in favour of the construction of six (later increased to eight) F9/40 prototypes alongside three E.1/44 prototypes.<ref name = "shack 19">Shacklady 1962, p. 19.</ref> Due to the breakdown in the relationship between Rover and Powerjets and the availability of Rolls Royce's supercharger division, responsibilities for development and production of the W.2B engine were transferred to [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]] that year.<ref name="auto">Shacklady 1962, p. 41.</ref>{{#tag:ref|The jet engine development team at Rover transferred to Rolls Royce along with the work they had done improving on Whittle's design.|group=Note}}

On 5 March 1943, the fifth prototype, [[United Kingdom military aircraft serials|serial]] ''DG206'', powered by two substituted [[de Havilland Goblin|de Havilland Halford H.1]] engines owing to problems with the intended W.2 engines, became the first Meteor to become airborne at [[RAF Cranwell]], piloted by [[Michael Daunt]].<ref name= "Mason p.339">Mason 1992, p. 339.</ref> On the initial flight, an uncontrollable [[Yaw (rotation)|yawing]] motion was discovered, which led to a redesigned larger rudder; however, no difficulties had been attributed to the groundbreaking turbojet propulsion.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 15.</ref><ref name = "shack 21">Shacklady 1962, p. 21.</ref> Only two prototypes flew with de Havilland engines because of their low flight endurance.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 12.</ref> Before the first prototype aircraft had even undertaken its first flight, an extended order for 100 production-standard aircraft had been placed by the RAF.<ref name ='boyne 262'>Boyne 2002, p. 262.</ref>

The first Whittle-engined aircraft, ''DG205/G'',{{#tag:ref|Following the maiden flight of ''DG205/G'', Daunt commented that "As the result of this flight, it is felt that there are distinct possibilities for the F9/50 as an operational low level fighter".<ref name = "shack 23">Shacklady 1962, p. 23.</ref>|group=Note}} flew on 12 June 1943 (later crashing during takeoff on 27 April 1944) and was followed by ''DG202/G'' on 24 July. ''DG202/G'' was later used for deck handling tests aboard [[aircraft carrier]] {{HMS|Pretoria Castle|F61|6}}.<ref name="James p249">James 1971, p. 249.</ref><ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 16.</ref> ''DG203/G'' made its first flight on 9 November 1943, later becoming a ground instructional airframe. ''DG204/G'', powered by [[Metrovick F.2]] engines, first flew on 13 November 1943; ''DG204/G'' was lost in an accident on 4 January 1944, the cause believed to have been an [[Jet engine compressors|engine compressor]] failure due to overspeed.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, pp. 16–17.</ref> ''DG208/G'' made its début on 20 January 1944, by which time the majority of design problems had been overcome and a production design had been approved. ''DG209/G'' was used as an engine testbed by Rolls-Royce, first flying on 18 April 1944. ''DG207/G'' was intended to be the basis for the Meteor F.2 with [[de Havilland]] engines, but it did not fly until 24 July 1945, at which time the Meteor 3 was in full production and de Havilland's attention was being redirected to the upcoming de Havilland Vampire; consequently the F.2 was cancelled.<ref name="Intercep p148-9">Goulding 1986, pp. 148–149.</ref><ref name="James p358">James 1971, p. 358.</ref><ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, pp. 20–21.</ref><ref>Shacklady 1962, pp. 27–28.</ref>

===Into production===
[[File:Gloster Meteor F.3 - Royal Air Force- 2nd Tactical Air Force, 1943-1945. CL2934.jpg|thumb|Meteor being deployed in March 1945]]
On 12 January 1944, the first Meteor F.1, serial ''EE210/G'', took to the air from [[RAF Moreton Valence|Moreton Valence]] in Gloucestershire. It was essentially identical to the F9/40 prototypes except for the addition of four nose-mounted 20&nbsp;mm (.79&nbsp;in) [[Hispano-Suiza HS.404|Hispano Mk V]] cannon and some changes to the [[Aircraft canopy|canopy]] to improve all-round visibility.<ref name="James 304-5">James 1971, pp. 304–305.</ref> Due to the F.1's similarity to the prototypes, they were frequently operated in the test program to progress British understanding of jet propulsion, and it took until July 1944 for the aircraft to enter squadron service.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, pp. 23–24.</ref> ''EE210/G'' was later sent to the U.S. for evaluation in exchange for a pre-production [[Bell P-59 Airacomet|Bell YP-59A Airacomet]], the Meteor being flown first by [[John Grierson (pilot)|John Grierson]] at [[Edwards Air Force Base|Muroc Army Airfield]] on 15 April 1944.<ref>Berry, Peter. [http://www.enginehistory.org/r-r_w2b.htm "The Whittle/Rover W2B and Rolls-Royce W2B/23 Welland Turbo-Jets."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100131015440/http://www.enginehistory.org/r-r_w2b.htm |date=2010-01-31 }} ''enginehistory.org''. Retrieved: 30 January 2010.</ref>

Originally 300 F.1s were ordered, but the total produced was reduced to 20 aircraft as the follow-on orders had been converted to the more advanced models.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 23.</ref> Some of the last major refinements to the Meteor's early design were trialled using this first production batch, and what was to become the long-term design of the engine nacelles was introduced upon ''EE211''.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 24.</ref> The original [[nacelles]] had been discovered by the RAE to suffer from [[compressibility]] buffeting at higher speeds, causing increased drag; the re-designed longer nacelles eliminated this and provided an increase in the Meteor's maximum speed. The lengthened nacelles were introduced on the final fifteen Meteor IIIs.<ref name="fi27555 p727"/> ''EE215'' was the first Meteor to be fitted with guns; ''EE215'' was also used in [[afterburner|engine reheat]] trials,<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201873.html|title=Gas Turbine Development – Further Abstracts from Hayne Constant's Sir Henry Royce Memorial Lecture|magazine=Flight|date=20 December 1957|pages=961–962|archive-date=8 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208111920/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201873.html}}</ref> the addition of reheat increasing top speed from 420&nbsp;mph to 460&nbsp;mph.<ref name="fi27555 p727"/> It was later converted into the first two-seat Meteor.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, pp. 24–25.</ref> Due to the radical differences between jet-powered aircraft and those that it replaced, a special ''Tactical Flight'' or ''T-Flight'' unit was established to prepare the Meteor for squadron service, led by [[Group Captain]] [[Hugh Wilson (RAF officer)|Hugh Joseph Wilson]].<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 25.</ref> The Tactical Flight was formed at [[Farnborough Airport|Farnborough]] in May 1944, the first Meteors arriving the following month, upon which both tactical applications and limitations were extensively explored.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, pp. 25–26.</ref>

On 17 July 1944, the Meteor F.1 was cleared for service use. Shortly afterwards, elements of the Tactical Flight and their aircraft were transferred to operational RAF squadrons.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 26.</ref> The first deliveries to No. 616 Squadron RAF, the first operational squadron to receive the Meteor, began in July 1944.<ref name ='boyne 262'/> When the F.2 was cancelled, the Meteor F.3 became the immediate successor to the F.1 and alleviated some of the shortcomings of the F.1.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, pp. 26–27.</ref> In August 1944, the first F.3 prototype flew; early F.3 production aircraft were still fitted with the Welland engine as the [[Rolls-Royce Derwent|Derwent]] engine's production was just starting at this point. A total of 210 F.3 aircraft were produced before they were in turn superseded by production of the Meteor F.4 in 1945.<ref name = "shack 45">Shacklady 1962, p. 45.</ref>

Several Meteor F.3s were converted into navalised aircraft. The adaptations included a strengthened undercarriage and arrester hook. Operational trials of the type took place aboard {{HMS|Implacable|R86|6}}. The trials included carrier landings and takeoffs.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 28.</ref> Performance of these naval prototype Meteors proved to be favourable, including takeoff performance, leading to further trials with a modified Meteor F.4 fitted with folding wings; a "clipped wing" was also adopted.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, pp. 28–29.</ref> The Meteor later entered service with the [[Royal Navy]], but only as a land-based trainer, the Meteor T.7, to prepare pilots of the [[Fleet Air Arm]] for flying other jet aircraft such as the de Havilland Sea Vampire.<ref>Sturtivant 1990, p. 164.</ref>

While various marks of Meteor had been introduced by 1948, they had remained very similar to the prototypes of the Meteor; consequently, the performance of the Meteor F.4 was beginning to be eclipsed by new jet designs. Gloster therefore embarked on a redesign programme to produce a new version of the Meteor with better performance.<ref>Andrews 1965, p. 4.</ref> Designated ''Meteor F.8'', this upgraded variant was a potent fighter aircraft, forming the bulk of RAF Fighter Command between 1950 and 1955. The Meteor continued to be operated in a military capacity by several nations into the 1960s.<ref>Andrews 1965, pp. 3–4.</ref>

===Night fighter===
To replace the increasingly obsolete [[de Havilland Mosquito]] as a [[night fighter]], the Meteor was adapted to serve in the role as an interim aircraft. Gloster had initially proposed a night fighter design to meet the Air Ministry specification for the Mosquito replacement, based on the two seater trainer variant of the Meteor, with the pilot in the front seat and the navigator in the rear.<ref name="Williams aero 1 p6-7">Williams ''[[Aeroplane Monthly]]'' April 1995, p. 6–7.</ref> Once accepted however, work on the project was swiftly transferred to Armstrong Whitworth to perform both the detailed design process and production of the type; the first prototype flew on 31 May 1950. Although based on the T.7 twin seater, it used the fuselage and tail of the F.8, and the longer wings of the F.3. An extended nose contained the AI Mk 10 (the 1940s Westinghouse SCR-720) Air Intercept radar. As a consequence the 20&nbsp;mm cannons were moved into the wings, outboard of the engines. A ventral fuel tank and wing mounted drop tanks completed the Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.11.<ref name="Williams AE p45-6">Williams 1984, pp. 45–46.</ref><ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, pp. 40–42.</ref>

[[File:Gloster Meteor NF.14 WS841 264.HMT BLA 6.9.55 edited-2.jpg|thumb|left|Operational Meteor NF.14 of [[No. 264 Squadron RAF]] in 1955]]

As [[radar]] technology developed, a new Meteor night fighter was developed to use the improved US-built [[Radar configurations and types#Detection and search radars|APS-21]] system. The ''NF.12'' first flew on 21 April 1953. It was similar to the NF.11 but had a nose section {{convert|17|in|cm}} longer;<ref name="Williams AE p50-1">Williams 1984, pp. 50–51.</ref> the fin was enlarged to compensate for the greater keel area of the enlarged nose and to counter the airframe reaction to the sideways oscillating motion of the radar scanner which caused difficulty aiming the guns, an anti-tramp motor operating on the rudder was fitted midway up the front leading edge of the fin. The NF.12 also had the new Rolls-Royce Derwent 9 engines and the wings were reinforced to handle the new engine.<ref name="James p297">James 1971, p. 297.</ref><ref name ="bb 44">Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 44.</ref> Deliveries of the NF.12 started in 1953, with the type entering squadron service in early 1954,<ref name="Williams aero p3 p14">Williams ''Aeroplane Monthly'' June 1995, p. 14.</ref> equipping seven squadrons (Nos [[No. 85 Squadron RAF|85]], [[No. 25 Squadron RAF|25]], [[No. 152 Squadron RAF|152]], [[No. 46 Squadron RAF|46]], [[No. 72 Squadron RAF|72]], [[No. 153 Squadron RAF|153]] and [[No. 64 Squadron RAF|64]]);<ref name="James p366">James 1971, p. 366.</ref> the aircraft was replaced over 1958–1959.

The final Meteor night fighter was the ''NF.14''. First flown on 23 October 1953, the NF.14 was based on the NF.12 but had an even longer nose, extended by a further {{Convert | 17 | in}} to accommodate new equipment, increasing the total length to {{convert|51|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on}} and a larger bubble canopy to replace the framed T.7 version.<ref name="Williams AE p51-3">Williams 1984, pp. 51–53.</ref> Just 100 NF.14s were built; they first entered service in February 1954 beginning with No. 25 Squadron and were being replaced as early as 1956 by the [[Gloster Javelin]]. Overseas, they remained in service a little longer, serving with No. 60 Squadron at [[Tengah]], Singapore until 1961. As the NF.14 was replaced, some 14 were converted to training aircraft as the ''NF(T).14'' and given to No. 2 Air Navigation School on [[RAF Thorney Island]] until transferring to No. 1 Air Navigation School at RAF Stradishall where they served until 1965.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, pp. 44–46.</ref>

==Design==
===Overview===
[[File:Gloster Meteor F8, UK - Air Force AN2059465.jpg|thumb|Meteor F.8 in flight at [[RAF Greenham Common]], May 1986]]
[[File:Gloster Meteor F.8 Cockpit (4746340408).jpg|thumb|Meteor F.8 cockpit]]
The first operational version of the Meteor, designated as the Meteor F.1, apart from the minor airframe refinements, was a straightforward "militarisation" of the earlier F9/40 prototypes.<ref name = "shack 29">Shacklady 1962, p. 29.</ref> The dimensions of the standard Meteor F.1 were {{convert|41|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}} long with a span of {{convert|43|ft|0|in|m|abbr=on}}, with an empty weight of {{convert|8140|lb|kg|abbr=on}} and a maximum takeoff weight of {{convert|13795|lb|kg|abbr=on}}.<ref name="James 304-5"/> Despite the revolutionary turbojet propulsion used,<ref>Flight 25 October 1945, p. 444.</ref> the design of the Meteor was relatively orthodox and did not take advantage of many aerodynamic features used on other, later jet fighters, such as [[swept wing]]s; the Meteor shared a broadly similar basic configuration to its German equivalent, the [[Messerschmitt Me 262]], which was also aerodynamically conventional.<ref>Pavelec 2007, pp. 120–121.</ref>

It was an all-metal aircraft with a tricycle [[Landing gear|undercarriage]] and conventional low, straight wings with mid-mounted turbojet engines and a high-mounted [[tailplane]] clear of the jet exhaust.{{#tag:ref|With no weight from propellers and the more rearward placement of the engines, the Meteor's centre of gravity was aft of the typical fighters of the era, thus leading to the adoption of the tricycle undercarriage arrangement.<ref name = "shackley 11">Shacklady 1962, p. 11.</ref>|group=Note}}{{#tag:ref|While there had been concerns over the structural strength from the high tailplane position selected, Carter was aware of the instability risks that the jet exhaust could generate, so it was decided to mount the tailplane as high as possible on the fin.<ref name = "shackley 11"/>|group=Note}} The Meteor F.1 exhibited some problematic flying characteristics typical of early jet aircraft; it suffered from stability problems at high [[transonic]] speeds, large trim changes, high [[Joystick|stick]] forces and self-sustained yaw instability (snaking) caused by airflow separation over the thick tail surfaces.<ref name="Loftin">Loftin, L.K. Jr. [http://www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/History/SP-468/ch11-2.htm Chapter 11: Early Jet Fighters] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170115222926/http://www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/History/SP-468/ch11-2.htm |date=15 January 2017 }} ''NASA SP-468. Quest for Performance: The Evolution of Modern Aircraft.'' (1985) NASA. Retrieved: 24 April 2006.</ref> The longer fuselage of the Meteor T.7, a two-seater trainer, significantly reduced the aerodynamic instability that the early Meteors were known for.<ref>Shacklady 1962, pp. 54, 66–67.</ref>

Later Meteor variants would see a large variety of changes from the initial Meteor F.1 introduced to service in 1944. Much attention was given to raising the aircraft's top speed, often by improving the airframe's aerodynamic qualities, incorporating the latest engine developments, and increasing the strength of the airframe.<ref name = "shack 29"/><ref>Shacklady 1962, pp. 51–53.</ref> The Meteor F.8, which emerged in the late 1940s, was considered to have substantially improved performance over prior variants;<ref>Flight 6 October 1949, p. 465.</ref> the F.8 was reportedly the most powerful single-seat aircraft flying in 1947, capable of ascending to {{convert|40000|ft|||}} within five minutes.<ref>Flight 6 October 1949, pp. 465, 469.</ref>

===Construction===
From the outset, each Meteor was constructed from several modular sections or separately produced units, a deliberate design choice to allow for production to be dispersed and for easy disassembly for transport.<ref>Shacklady 1962, p. 12, 29.</ref> Each aircraft comprised five main sections: nose, forward fuselage, central section, rear fuselage and tail units; the wings were also built out of lengthwise sections.<ref>''Flight'' 25 October 1945, p. 445.</ref> The forward section contained the pressure cabin, gun compartments, and forward undercarriage. The centre section incorporated much of the structural elements, including the inner wing, engine nacelles, fuel tank, ammunition drums, and main undercarriage. The rear fuselage was of a conventional semi-monocoque structure. Various aluminium alloys were the primary materials used throughout the structure of the Meteor, such as the stressed [[duralumin]] skin.<ref name="auto1">Shacklady 1962, p. 12.</ref>

Across the Meteor's production life, various different companies were subcontracted to manufacture aircraft sections and major components; due to the wartime workload on producing fighter aircraft such as the [[Hawker Hurricane]] and [[Hawker Typhoon]], neither Gloster nor the wider [[Hawker Siddeley|Hawker Siddeley Group]] were able to internally meet the production demand of 80 aircraft per month.<ref name = "shack 13">Shacklady 1962, p. 13.</ref> [[Bristol Tramways]] produced the forward fuselage of the aircraft, the [[Standard Motor Company]] manufactured the central fuselage and inner wing sections, the [[Pressed Steel Company]] produced the rear fuselage, and [[Parnall|Parnall Aircraft]] made the tail unit.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, pp. 14.</ref> Other main subcontractors included [[Boulton Paul Aircraft]], [[Excelsior Motor Radiator Company]], [[Bell Punch]], [[Turner Manufacturing Company]], and [[Charlesworth Bodies]]; as many of these firms had little or no experience producing aircraft, both quality and interchangeability of components were maintained by contractually enforced adherence to Gloster's original drawings.<ref>Shacklady 1962, pp. 13–14.</ref>

From the Meteor F.4 onwards, Armstrong Whitworth began completing whole units at their [[Coventry]] facility in addition to Gloster's own production line.<ref name="auto2">Shacklady 1962, p. 54.</ref> Belgian aviation firm [[Avions Fairey]] also produced the Meteor F.8 under licence from Gloster for the [[Belgian Air Force]]; a similar licence manufacturing arrangement was made with Dutch company [[Fokker]] to meet the [[Royal Netherlands Air Force]]'s order.<ref name = "shack 74">Shacklady 1962, p. 74.</ref>

===Engines===
[[File:Welland183- (1).JPG|thumb|[[Rolls-Royce Welland]] engine on display. The rear of the engine is at the left.]]

The ''Meteor F.1'' was powered by two [[Rolls-Royce Welland]] turbojet engines, Britain's first production jet engines, which were built under licence from Whittle's designs.<ref name="auto" /> The Meteor embodied the advent of practical jet propulsion; in the type's service life, both military and civil aviation manufacturers rapidly integrated turbine engines into their designs, favouring its advantages such as smoother running and greater power output.<ref>Geoffery 19 July 1945, p. 73.</ref> The Meteor's engines were considerably more practical than those of the German Me 262 as, unlike the Me 262, the engines were embedded into the wing in nacelles between the front and rear spars rather than underslung, saving some weight due to shorter landing gear legs and less massive spars.<ref name = "geff 70-71">Geoffery 19 July 1945, pp. 70–71.</ref>{{#tag:ref|Carter had considered and rejected placing the engines within the fuselage or an underslung arrangement due to the issue of accessibility; having the engines underneath the wings would have imposed weight limitations by forcing longer undercarriage legs and a heavier spar structure to be adopted in turn.<ref>Shacklady 1962, pp. 10–11.</ref>|group=Note}}

The [[Power Jets W.2#Variants|W.2B/23C]] engines upon which the Welland was based produced {{convert|1700|lbf|kN|abbr=on}} of thrust each, giving the aircraft a maximum speed of {{convert|417|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} at {{convert|3000|m|ft|order=flip}} and a range of {{convert|1000|miles|km}}.<ref name="James 304-5"/> It incorporated a hydraulically driven engine starter developed by Rolls-Royce, which was automated following the press of a starter button in the cockpit.{{#tag:ref|The F9/40 prototypes and some early production Meteors lacked the automatic starting system fitted on most aircraft, requiring a considerably more complicated procedure to be followed.<ref name="auto" />|group=Note}} The engines also drove hydraulic and vacuum pumps as well as a generator via a [[Dowty Rotol|Rotol]] gearbox fixed on the forward wing spar;<ref name="auto"/> the cockpit was also heated by [[bleed air]] from one of the engines.<ref name="auto1"/> The acceleration rate of the engines was manually controlled by the pilot; rapid engine acceleration would frequently induce [[compressor stall]]s early on; the likelihood of compressor stalls was effectively eliminated upon further design refinements of both the Welland engine and the Meteor itself.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 17.</ref> At high speeds the Meteor had a tendency to lose directional stability, often during unfavourable weather conditions, leading to a "snaking" motion; this could be easily resolved by throttling back to reduce speed.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 27.</ref>

Based upon designs produced by Power Jets, Rolls-Royce produced more advanced and powerful turbojet engines. Beyond numerous improvements made to the Welland engine that powered the early Meteors, Rolls-Royce brought the Rover B.26, a radical re-design from the W.2B/500 under Adrian Lombard at Rover, into service as the Derwent. The Derwent engine, and the re-designed Derwent V, a scaled down version of the [[Rolls-Royce Nene|Nene]], was installed on many of the later production Meteors; the adoption of this new powerplant led to considerable performance increases.<ref name="auto" /><ref name = "geff 70-71"/>{{#tag:ref|The confidence of Rolls-Royce's engineers in the performance of the Derwent 5 engines led to the engine proceeding to production straight from the drawing board, in advance of any practice testing.<ref name = "shack 53">Shacklady 1962, p. 53.</ref>|group=Note}} The Meteor often served as the basis for the development of other early turbojet designs; a pair of Meteor F.4s were sent to Rolls-Royce to aid in their experimental engine trials, ''RA435'' being used for reheat testing, and ''RA491'' being fitted with the [[Rolls-Royce Avon]], an axial-flow engine.<ref name="auto" /><ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1949/1949%20-%201497.html "Hotter and Faster."] ''Flight'', 1 September 1949. p. 203.</ref> From their involvement in the development of the Meteor's engines, Armstrong-Siddeley, [[Bristol Aeroplane Company|Bristol Aircraft]], [[Metropolitan-Vickers]] and de Havilland also independently developed their own gas turbine engines.<ref>Shacklady 1962, pp. 42–43.</ref>

===Performance===
[[File:hunter and meteor at kemble arp.jpg|thumb|Meteor NF.11 (right) flying with a [[Hawker Hunter]] T7A at the [[Cotswold Air Show]] in 2009]]
During development, sceptical elements of the Air Ministry had expected mature piston-powered aircraft types to exceed the capabilities of the Meteor in all respects except that of speed; thus, the performance of early Meteors was considered favourable for the interceptor mission, being capable of out-diving the majority of enemy aircraft.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, pp. 13–14.</ref> The conclusion of in-service trials conducted between the Meteor F.3. and the [[Hawker Tempest|Hawker Tempest V]] was that the performance of the Meteor exceeded the Tempest in almost all respects and that, barring some manoeuvrability issues, the Meteor could be considered a capable all-round fighter.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, pp. 27–28.</ref> Pilots formerly flying piston-engine aircraft often described the Meteor as being exciting to fly. British politician [[Norman Tebbit]] stated of his experience flying the Meteor in the RAF: "Get airborne, up with the wheels, hold it low until you were about 380 knots, pull it up and she would go up, well we thought then, like a rocket".<ref>BBC4 "Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies." Episode 1. Military Marvels. First broadcast 22 August 2012</ref>

Early jet engines consumed a lot more fuel than the piston engines they replaced so the Welland engines imposed considerable flight-time limitations on the Meteor F.1, leading to the type being used for local interception duties only. In the post-war environment, there was considerable pressure to increase the range of interceptors to counter the threat of bombers armed with [[nuclear weapon]]s.<ref name = "shack 129">Shacklady 1962, p. 129.</ref> The long-term answer to this question was [[Aerial refueling|in-flight refuelling]]; several Meteors were provided to [[Cobham plc|Flight Refuelling Limited]] for trials of the newly developed [[Aerial refueling#Probe-and-drogue 2|probe-and-drogue]] refuelling techniques. This capability was not incorporated in service Meteors, which had already been supplanted by more modern interceptor aircraft at this point.<ref>Shacklady 1962, pp. 129–131.</ref>

A total of 890 Meteors were lost in RAF service (145 of these crashes occurring in 1953 alone), resulting in the deaths of 450 pilots. Contributory factors in the number of crashes were the poor brakes, failure of the landing gear, the high fuel consumption and consequent short flight endurance (less than one hour) causing pilots to run out of fuel, and difficult handling with one engine out due to the widely set engines. The casualty rate was exacerbated by the lack of ejection seats in early series Meteors;<ref>{{citation|first=Miguel|last=Vasconcelos|title=Civil Airworthiness Certification: Former Military High-Performance Aircraft|publisher=Federal Aviation Administration|year=2013|pages=2–40}}</ref> the much higher speed that the aircraft was capable of meant that to bail out pilots might have to overcome high [[g force]]s and fast-moving airflow past the cockpit; there was also a greater likelihood of the pilot striking the horizontal tailplane.<ref>Marks, Paul. [http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150521-the-rocket-powered-life-saving-seat "The Rocket-Powered Rise of the Ejector Seat."] BBC News, 21 May 2015.</ref> Ejection seats were fitted in the later F.8, FR.9, PR.10 and some experimental Meteors.<ref name = "shack 73">Shacklady 1962, p. 73.</ref><ref>Kenyon, Dennis. "The Night It Rained Meteors". ''Loop Aviation'', June 2008.</ref>{{page needed|date=March 2022}} The difficulty of bailing out of the Meteor had been noted by pilots during development, reporting several contributing design factors such as the limited size and relative position of the cockpit to the rest of the aircraft, and difficulty in using the two-lever jettisonable hood mechanism.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 18.</ref>

==Operational service==

===Second World War===
[[File:Royal Air Force Fighter Command, 1939-1945. CL2946.jpg|thumb|Meteor F.1 of No. 616 Squadron]]
[[No. 616 Squadron RAF]] was the first to receive operational Meteors: a total of 14 aircraft were initially delivered. The squadron was based at [[RAF Culmhead]], [[Somerset]] and had been equipped with the [[Supermarine Spitfire|Spitfire VII]].<ref name ="bb 48">Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 48.</ref> The conversion to the Meteor was initially a matter of great secrecy.<ref name = "shack 28">Shacklady 1962, p. 28.</ref> Following a conversion course at [[Farnborough Airfield|Farnborough]] attended by the squadron's six leading pilots, the first aircraft was delivered to Culmhead on 12 July 1944.<ref name= "Mason p.339"/>{{#tag:ref|Aviation author Edward Shacklady noted that pilot conversion was "surprisingly easy", and that the main problem encountered during training was often becoming accustomed to the Meteor's tricycle undercarriage.<ref name = "shack 30">Shacklady 1962, p. 30.</ref>|group=Note}} The squadron and its seven Meteors moved on 21 July 1944 to [[RAF Manston]] on the east [[Kent]] coast and, within a week, 32&nbsp;pilots had been converted to the type.<ref name = "shack 30"/>

The Meteor was initially used to counter the [[V-1 flying bomb]] threat. 616 Squadron Meteors saw action for the first time on 27 July 1944, when three aircraft were active over Kent. These were the first operational jet combat missions for the Meteor and for the RAF. After some problems, especially with jamming guns, the first two V-1 "kills" were made on 4 August.<ref>Shacklady 1962, pp. 30–31.</ref> By war's end, Meteors had accounted for 14&nbsp;flying bombs.<ref>Geoffery 19 July 1945, p. 70.</ref> After the end of the V-1 threat, and the introduction of the ballistic [[V-2 rocket]], the RAF was forbidden to fly the Meteor on combat missions over German-held territory for fear of an aircraft being shot down and salvaged by the Germans.

No. 616 Squadron briefly moved to [[RAF Debden]] to allow [[United States Army Air Forces]] (USAAF) bomber crews to gain experience and create tactics in facing jet-engined foes before moving to [[RAF Colerne|Colerne]], [[Wiltshire]]. For a week from 10 October 1944 a series of exercises were carried out in which a flight of Meteors made mock attacks on a formation of 100 B-24s and B-17s escorted by 40 Mustangs and Thunderbolts. These suggested that, if the jet fighter attacked the formation from above, it could take advantage of its superior speed in the dive to attack the bombers and then escape by diving through the formation before the escorts could react. The best tactic to counter this was to place a fighter screen {{convert|5,000|ft}} above the bombers and attempt to intercept the jets early in the dive.<ref>Shacklady 1962, pp. 31–32.</ref> The exercise was also useful from No. 616 Squadron's perspective, giving valuable practical experience in Meteor operations.<ref name = "shack 32">Shacklady 1962, p. 32.</ref>

[[File:Gloster Meteor III ExCC.jpg|thumb|left|Meteor F.3s with original short engine nacelles]]
No. 616 Squadron exchanged its F.1s for the first ''Meteor F.3''s on 18 December 1944. These first 15 F.3s differed from the F.1 in having a sliding canopy in place of the sideways hinging canopy, increased fuel capacity and some airframe refinements. They were still powered by Welland I engines.<ref>Green 1968, p. 55.</ref> Later F.3s were equipped with the Derwent I engines. This was a substantial improvement over the earlier mark, although the basic design still had not reached its potential. [[Wind tunnel]] and flight tests demonstrated that the original short [[nacelle]]s, which did not extend far fore and aft of the wing, contributed heavily to compressibility buffeting at high speed. New, longer nacelles not only cured some of the compressibility problems but added {{convert|120|km/h|mph|order=flip}} at altitude, even without upgraded powerplants. The last batch of Meteor F.3s featured the longer nacelles; other F.3s were retrofitted in the field with the new nacelles. The F.3 also had the new Rolls-Royce Derwent engines, increased fuel capacity and a new larger, more strongly raked [[bubble canopy]].<ref name = "shack 45"/>

Judging the ''Meteor F.3''s were ready for combat over Europe, the RAF finally decided to deploy them on the continent. On 20 January 1945, four Meteors from 616 Squadron were moved to [[Melsbroek Air Base|Melsbroek]] in Belgium and attached to the [[RAF Second Tactical Air Force|Second Tactical Air Force]],<ref name="cl2934" /> just under three weeks after the Luftwaffe's surprise [[Unternehmen Bodenplatte]] attack on New Year's Day, in which Melsbroek's RAF base, designated as Allied [[Advanced Landing Ground]] "B.58", had been struck by piston-engined fighters of [[JG 27]] and [[JG 54]]. The 616 Squadron Meteor F.3s' initial purpose was to provide air defence for the airfield, but their pilots hoped that their presence might provoke the Luftwaffe into sending [[Messerschmitt Me 262|Me 262]] jets against them.<ref name ="bb 48"/> At this point the Meteor pilots were still forbidden to fly over German-occupied territory, or to go east of [[Eindhoven]], to prevent a downed aircraft being captured by the Germans or the Soviets.<ref>Shacklady 1962, pp. 32–33.</ref>

[[File:GlosterMeteorMelsbroek.jpg|thumb|Ground crew servicing a Meteor of 616 Squadron at Melsbroek, Belgium, 1945. The all-white finish used by the four F.3s sent to Belgium was to aid recognition by ground troops during familiarisation training before the operational F.3 aircraft arrived]]
In March, the entire squadron was moved to [[Gilze-Rijen Air Base]] and then in April, to [[Nijmegen]]. The Meteors flew armed [[reconnaissance]] and ground attack operations without encountering any German jet fighters. By late April, the squadron was based at [[Faßberg Air Base|Faßberg]], Germany and suffered its first losses when two aircraft collided in poor visibility. The war ended with the Meteors having destroyed 46 German aircraft through ground attack.{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}} [[Friendly fire]] through misidentification as Messerschmitt Me 262s by Allied anti-aircraft gunners was more of a threat than the already-diminished forces of the Luftwaffe; to counter this, continental-based Meteors were given an all-white finish as a recognition aid.<ref name = "shack 32"/><ref name="cl2934">[http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205211785 "CL 2934."] ''Imperial War Museum.'' Retrieved: 3 June 2012.</ref><ref name ="bb 49">Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 49.</ref>

===Post-war===
The next-generation ''Meteor F.4'' prototype first flew on 17 May 1945, and went into production in 1946 when 16 RAF squadrons were already operating Meteors.<ref name ="bb 49"/> Equipped with Rolls-Royce Derwent 5 engines, the smaller version of the Nene, the F.4 was {{convert|170|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} faster than the F.1 at sea level (585 against 415), but the reduced wings impaired its rate of climb.<ref>Shacklady 1962, pp. 52–54.</ref>{{#tag:ref|Extra stresses imposed by the 111 mph airspeed increase of the F.4 over the preceding F.3 were mainly being absorbed by the Meteor's wings. Rather than extensive redesign the wings to strengthen them, the designers shortened them. This reduced stress and improved the roll rate, but increased takeoff and landing speeds and reduced rate of climb and ceiling.<ref name="auto2"/>|group=Note}} The F.4 wingspan was 86.4&nbsp;cm shorter than the F.3 and with blunter wing tips, derived from the world speed record prototypes. Improvements included a strengthened airframe, [[Cabin pressurization|fully pressurised cockpit]], lighter [[aileron]]s to improve manoeuvrability, and [[rudder]] [[Trim tab|trim adjustments]] to reduce [[Dutch roll|snaking]]. The F.4 could be fitted with a drop tank under each wing, and experiments were carried out with carriage of [[Hardpoint|underwing stores]] and also in lengthened [[fuselage]] models.

Because of increased demand, F.4 production was divided between Gloster and Armstrong Whitworth. The majority of early F.4s did not go to the RAF: 100 were exported to Argentina, seeing action on both sides in the [[Revolución Libertadora|1955 revolution]];<ref name="AE 104 p69-2">Cicaleso, del Gaizo and Rivas 2003, pp. 69–72.</ref> in 1947, only RAF Nos. 74 and 222 squadrons were fully equipped with the F.4. Nine further RAF squadrons converted from 1948 onwards. From 1948, 38 F.4s were exported to the Dutch, equipping four squadrons (322, 323, 326 and 327) split between bases in [[Soesterberg]] and [[Leeuwarden]] until the mid-1950s. In 1949, only two RAF squadrons were converted to the F.4, Belgium was sold 48 aircraft in the same year (going to 349 and 350 squadrons at [[Beauvechain]]) and Denmark received 20 over 1949–1950. In 1950, three more RAF squadrons were upgraded, including No. 616 and, in 1951, six more.

[[File:Meteor T7.jpg|thumb|left|WA742, a two-seat Meteor T.7 in 1961]]
A modified two-seater F.4 for jet-conversion and advanced training was tested in 1949 as the ''T.7''. It was accepted by the RAF and the Fleet Air Arm and became a common addition to the various export packages (for example 43 to Belgium between 1948 and 1957, a similar number to the Netherlands over the same period, two to Syria in 1952, six to Israel in 1953, etc.). Despite its limitations&nbsp;– unpressurised cockpit, no armament, limited instructor instrumentation&nbsp;– more than 650 T.7s were manufactured.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, pp. 31–32.</ref><ref>Andrews 1965, pp. 9–10.</ref> The T.7 remained in RAF service into the 1970s.<ref>[http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/collections/gloster-meteor-t7/ "Gloster Meteor T7."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924052441/http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/collections/gloster-meteor-t7/ |date=24 September 2016 }} ''Royal Air Force Museum'', Retrieved 12 July 2013.</ref>

As improved jet fighters emerged, Gloster decided to modernise the F.4 while retaining as much of the manufacturing tooling as possible. The result was the definitive production model, the ''Meteor F.8'' (G-41-K), serving as a major RAF fighter until the introduction of the [[Hawker Hunter]] and the [[Supermarine Swift]]. The first prototype F.8 was a modified F.4, followed by a true prototype, ''VT150'', that flew on 12 October 1948 at Moreton Valence.<ref>Mason 1992, p. 341.</ref> Flight testing of the F.8 prototype led to the discovery of an aerodynamic problem: after ammunition was expended, the aircraft became tail-heavy and unstable around the pitch axis due to the weight of fuel in fuselage tanks no longer being balanced by the ammunition. Gloster solved the problem by substituting the [[Empennage|tail]] of the abortive G 42 single-engined jet fighter. The F.8 and other production variants successfully used the new tail design, giving the later Meteors a distinctive appearance, with taller straighter edges compared with the rounded tail of the F.4s and earlier marks.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, pp. 32–33.</ref>

[[File:Gloster Meteor F. MK. 8 1.jpg|thumb|Meteor F.8 at the Danish Flight Museum, 2006]]
The F.8 also featured a fuselage stretch of {{convert|76|cm|in|abbr=on}}, intended to shift the aircraft's [[centre of gravity]] and also eliminate the use of [[ballast]] formerly necessary in earlier marks due to the subsequent elimination from the design of two of the originally designed six installed cannon. The F.8 incorporated uprated engines, Derwent 8s, with {{convert|3600|lbf|kN|abbr=on}} thrust each combined with structural strengthening, a [[Martin-Baker|Martin Baker]] [[ejection seat]] and a "blown" teardrop cockpit canopy that provided improved pilot visibility.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, pp. 32–34.</ref>

Between 1950 and 1955, the Meteor F.8 was the mainstay of [[RAF Fighter Command]], and served with distinction in [[Korean War|combat in Korea]] with the RAAF as well as operating with many air forces worldwide, although it was clear that the original design was obsolete compared with contemporary swept-wing fighters such as the [[North American F-86 Sabre]] and the Soviet [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15|MiG-15]].<ref>Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 52-53.</ref> The last Meteor F.8 left RAF frontline squadrons in 1957. Several F.8 were used for target towing or as [[Aggressor squadron|aggressor]] until 1970.<ref>{{cite web|first=Tom|last=Spencer|url=https://www.key.aero/article/glosters-meteor-f8-last-its-kind|title=Gloster's Meteor F.8 – the last of its kind?|website=key.aero|date=10 March 2023|access-date=6 January 2025}}</ref>

Initial deliveries of the F.8 to the RAF were in August 1949, with the first squadron receiving its fighters in late 1950. Like the F.4, there were strong export sales of the F.8. Belgium ordered 240 aircraft, the majority assembled in The Netherlands by Fokker. The Netherlands had 160 F.8s, equipping seven squadrons until 1955. Denmark had 20, ordered in 1951, the last F.8s in front-line service in Europe. The RAAF ordered 94 F.8s, which served in the Korean War. Despite arms embargoes, both Syria and Egypt received F.8s from 1952, as did Israel, each using their Meteors during the [[Suez Crisis]]. Brazil ordered 60 new Meteor F.8s and 10 T.7 trainers in October 1952, paying with 15,000&nbsp;tons of raw cotton.<ref name="James p369">James 1971, p. 369.</ref>

In the 1950s, Meteors were developed into effective photo-reconnaissance, [[Trainer (aircraft)|training]] and night fighter versions. The fighter reconnaissance (FR) versions were the first to be built, replacing the ageing Spitfires and Mosquitos then in use. Two ''FR.5''s were built on the F.4 body; one was used for nose section camera tests, the other broke up in midair while in testing over Moreton Valence. On 23 March 1950, the first ''FR.9'' flew. Based on the F.8, it was 20&nbsp;cm longer with a new nose incorporating a remote control camera and window and was also fitted with additional external ventral and wing fuel tanks. Production of the FR.9 began in July. No. 208 Squadron, then based at Fayid, Egypt was the first to be upgraded followed by the 2nd Tactical Air Force in [[West Germany]], [[No. 2 Squadron RAF]] at [[Bückeburg]] and [[No. 79 Squadron RAF]] at [[RAF Gutersloh]] flew the FR.9 from 1951 until 1956. In [[Aden Protectorate|Aden]], [[No. 8 Squadron RAF]] was given FR.9s in November 1958 and used them until 1961.<ref name="Shufti p31">Harrison 2001, p. 31.</ref> Ecuador (12), Israel (7) and Syria (2) were foreign customers for the FR.9.<ref name="Shufti p28">Harrison 2001, p. 28.</ref>

[[file:Gloster Meteor (468977151).jpg|thumb|A Meteor NF.13 of the [[Israeli Air Force]] at the [[Israeli Air Force Museum|IAF Museum]] in 2007]]
In 1951, [[No. 29 Squadron RAF|29]], [[No. 141 Squadron RAF|141]], 85 and [[No. 264 Squadron RAF|264 squadrons]] each received a number of NF.11 aircraft, the first of the Meteor night fighters.<ref name="Williams aerop2 p22">Williams ''Aeroplane Monthly'' May 1995, p. 22.</ref> It was rolled out across the RAF until the final deliveries in 1954.<ref name="James p293">James 1971, p. 293.</ref> A "tropicalised" version of the NF.11 for the Middle East was developed; first flying on 23 December 1952 as the ''NF.13''. The aircraft equipped [[No. 219 Squadron RAF]] at [[RAF Kabrit|Kabrit]] and No. 39 Squadron at Fayid, both in Egypt. The aircraft served during the Suez crisis and remained with No. 39 Squadron after they were withdrawn to Malta until 1958. Several problems were encountered: the heavily framed T.7 canopy made landings tricky due to limited visibility, the under-wing external fuel tanks tended to break up when the wing cannons were fired, and gun harmonisation, normally set to about 400 yards, was poor due to the wings flexing in flight. Belgium (24), Denmark (20) and France (41) were foreign customers for the NF.11.<ref name="Williams aero p3 p10-2">Williams ''Aeroplane Monthly'' June 1995, pp. 10–12.</ref> Ex-RAF NF.13s were sold to France (two), Syria (six), Egypt (six) and Israel (six).<ref name="Williams aero p3 p12">Williams ''Aeroplane Monthly'' June 1995, p. 12.</ref>

In addition to the armed, low altitude operation, tactical FR.9 variant, Gloster also developed the ''PR.10'' for high altitude missions.<ref name ="bb 55">Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 55.</ref> The first prototype flew on 29 March 1950 and was actually converted into the first production aircraft. Based on the F.4, it had the F.4-style tail and the longer wings of the earlier variant. All the cannons were removed and a single camera placed in the nose with two more in the rear fuselage; the canopy was also changed. The PR.10 was delivered to the RAF in December 1950 and were given to No. 2 and No. 541 squadrons in Germany and [[No. 13 Squadron RAF]] in Cyprus. The PR.10 was rapidly phased out from 1956; rapid improvements in [[surface-to-air missile]] technology and the introduction of newer aircraft capable of flying at greater altitudes and speeds had rendered the aircraft obsolete.

===Argentina===
[[File:C-041 Gloster Meteor F.4 (8164115201).jpg|thumb|Meteor C-041 at [[Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica de Argentina]], 2012]]
[[File:Junín Aero Club 001.jpg|thumb|Meteor C-038 near to [[Junín Airport]], 2010]]
Argentina became the first overseas operator of the Meteor, placing an order for 100 F Mk.4s in May 1947.<ref name="James 262"/> The Meteor's procurement led to Argentina becoming the second air force in the Americas to operate jet aircraft.{{Citation needed|date=July 2015}}

The Argentine Meteors were first used in combat during the 16 June 1955 rebellion when, in an attempt to kill [[Juan Perón]], [[Bombing of Plaza de Mayo|rebel-flown aircraft bombed]] the [[Casa Rosada]]. A loyalist Meteor shot down a rebel [[North American T-6 Texan|AT-6]], while another strafed rebel-held [[Ministro Pistarini International Airport|Ezeiza airport]]. The rebels seized [[Morón Airport and Air Base]], base of the Meteors, and used several captured aircraft to perform multiple attacks against loyalist forces and the Casa Rosada before the rebellion was defeated by day's end.<ref name="IAPR7 p122-3">Cicalesi and Rivas 2002, pp. 122–123.</ref>

A second revolt, the ''[[Revolución Libertadora]]'', broke out on 16 September 1955, with, again, both sides operating the Meteor. The rebels seized three Meteors. Government Meteors flew strafing attacks against the rebel-held destroyers [[ARA La Rioja (E-4)|''Rioja'']] and [[ARA Cervantes|''Cervantes'']], and several landing ships near [[Río Santiago Shipyard|Rio Santiago]] on 16 September and attacking [[Ingeniero Aeronáutico Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport|Pajas Blancas]] airport near the city of [[Córdoba, Argentina|Córdoba]], damaging several [[Avro Lincoln]] bombers. The rebel-flown Meteors were used to attack loyalist forces attacking Córdoba, losing one of their number on 19 September to an engine failure caused by use of [[Gasoline|automobile petrol]] instead of [[jet fuel]].<ref name="IAPR7 p124">Cicalesi and Rivas 2002, p. 124.</ref>

The acquisition of F-86 Sabres in 1960 allowed the remaining Meteors to be transferred to the ground attack role. In this role, the aircraft were refitted with bomb pylons and rocket rails; the bare metal colour scheme was also discarded for a camouflage scheme.<ref name="IAPR7 p126">Cicalesi and Rivas 2002, p. 126.</ref><ref name="AE 104 p72"/>

Argentine Meteors were used to attack rebels during attempted uprisings in September 1962 and April 1963.<ref name="IAPR7 p125">Cicalesi and Rivas 2002, p. 125.</ref> The type was ultimately withdrawn from service in 1970.<ref name="AE 104 p72"/>

===Australia===

[[File:77 Sqn (AWM JK1025).jpg|thumb|upright=.9|No. 77 Squadron RAAF pilots and Meteor aircraft in Korea, c. 1952.]]

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) acquired 113 Meteors between 1946 and 1952, 94 of which were the F.8 variant.<ref name= "ADF Aircraft Serial Numbers: RAAF A77 Gloster Meteor F 8">[http://www.adf-serials.com/2a77.shtml "ADF Aircraft Serial Numbers: RAAF A77 Gloster Meteor F 8."] ''adf-serials.com.'' Retrieved: 8 August 2010.</ref> The first RAAF Meteor was an F.3 delivered for evaluation in June 1946.<ref name ="bb 69">Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 69.</ref>{{#tag:ref|Upon the announcement of Australia's decision to procure the Meteor F.8 in 1950, Australian prime minister [[Robert Menzies]] stated: "The Meteor is regarded as the most modern type of jet fighter now available and will give a striking power, speed, and manoeuvrability of a kind to add enormously to our air strength.<ref name = "shack 77">Shacklady 1962, p. 77.</ref>|group=Note}}

Australia's F.8s saw extensive service during the Korean War with [[No. 77 Squadron RAAF]], part of [[British Commonwealth Forces Korea]]. The squadron had personnel from the RAF and other Commonwealth air forces attached to it. It had arrived in Korea equipped with piston-engined [[North American P-51 Mustang|Mustangs]]. To match the threat posed by MiG-15 jet fighters, it was decided to reequip the squadron with Meteors.<ref name ="bb 69"/><ref>Shacklady 1962, pp. 74–75.</ref> Jet conversion training was conducted at Iwakuni, Japan, after which the squadron returned to the Korean theatre in April 1951 with about 30 Meteor F.8s and T.7s. The squadron moved to [[Gimpo International Airport|Kimpo Air Base]] in June, and was declared combat ready the following month.<ref>Andrews 1965, p. 5.</ref> More advanced designs, such as the F-86 Sabre and [[Hawker P.1081]], were considered but would not be available within a realistic time frame; the Meteor proved to be considerably inferior in combat against the MiG-15 in several respects, including speed and manoeuvrability at high altitude.<ref>Andrews 1965, pp. 6–7.</ref>

On 29 July 1951, 77 Squadron began operating their Meteors on combat missions. The squadron had mainly been trained for [[Ground attack aircraft|ground attack]] and had difficulty when assigned to bomber escort duty at sub-optimum altitudes. On 29 August 1951, eight Meteors were on escort duty in "[[MiG Alley]]" when they were engaged by six MiG-15s; one Meteor was lost and two were damaged.<ref name ="Andrews 6">Andrews 1965, p. 6.</ref>{{#tag:ref|According to anecdotal accounts, [[Warrant Officer]] Ron Guthrie destroyed a MiG-15 in this engagement. He was shot down during the dogfight and captured by ground forces. During his interrogation, two Soviet pilots told Guthrie, through an interpreter, that he had downed a MiG-15. He survived internment and was released on 3 September 1953.{{Citation needed|date=July 2007}}|group=Note}} On 27 October, the squadron achieved its first probable followed by two probables six days later.<ref>[http://www.raaf.gov.au/airpower/publications/pathfinder/Pathfinder_9_Oct04_lores.pdf "RAAF Airpower."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060524134012/http://www.raaf.gov.au/airpower/publications/pathfinder/Pathfinder_9_Oct04_lores.pdf |date=24 May 2006 }} ''raaf.gov.au''. Retrieved: 23 March 2010.</ref> On 1 December the [[Battle of Sunchon (air)|Battle of Sunchon]] took place between 14 Meteors and at least 20 MiG-15s – in North Korean markings but operated secretly by the elite Soviet 176th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (176 GIAP). The Australians lost three Meteors, with one pilot killed and two captured,<ref name ="Andrews 7"/> while claiming one MiG destroyed and one damaged. Russian records and accounts, which became public after the end of the Cold War, suggested that no MiGs from 176 GIAP were lost.<ref name="seidov">Igor Seidov & Stuart Britton, 2014, ''Red Devils over the Yalu: A Chronicle of Soviet Aerial Operations in the Korean War, 1950–53'', Solihull, England; Helion & Company, pp. 272–276.</ref>

[[File:Meteor F8 77 Sqn RAAF at Kimpo c1952.jpg|thumb|left|RAAF Meteor F.8 ''A-77-570'' undergoing maintenance at [[Gimpo International Airport#Korean War|Kimpo air base]] (K-14) during the Korean War.]]
At the end of 1951, due to the superiority of the MiGs in air combat&nbsp;– as well as the Meteor's favourable low-level performance and sturdy construction, RAAF commanders had 77 Squadron returned to ground-attack.<ref name ="Andrews 7">Andrews 1965, p. 7.</ref> In February 1952, more than a thousand ground-attack sorties were flown and these continued until May 1952, when 77 Squadron switched to fighter sweeps. The last encounter between the Meteor and the MiG-15 was in March 1953, during which a Meteor piloted by Sergeant John Hale recorded a victory.<ref name ="Andrews 8">Andrews 1965, p. 8.</ref> By the end of the conflict, the squadron had flown 4,836 missions, destroying six MiG-15s, over 3,500 structures and some 1,500 vehicles. About 30 Meteors were lost to enemy action in Korea, the vast majority shot down by anti-aircraft fire on ground-attack operations.<ref name="ADF Aircraft Serial Numbers: RAAF A77 Gloster Meteor F 8"/>

The RAAF began introducing the locally-built [[CAC Sabre]] powered by the Rolls-Royce Avon, in 1955, which relegated Meteors to training and secondary duties. A number of Meteors would be assigned to the reserve [[Citizen Air Force]], while others were configured as pilotless drone aircraft or for target towing. [[No. 75 Squadron RAAF]] was the last Australian squadron to operate the Meteor; notably, it had operated a three-unit aerobatic team, named "The Meteorites".<ref name ="Andrews 9">Andrews 1965, p. 9.</ref><ref name ="bb 70">Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 70.</ref>

===Egypt===
Although Egypt's first order for the Meteor was placed in 1948, the rising tension in the region led to the imposition of a series of arms embargoes. Twelve F Mk.4s were eventually delivered between October 1949 and May 1950,<ref name="James p263">James 1971, p. 263.</ref> along with three T Mk.7s.<ref name="James p270">James 1971, p. 270.</ref> Twenty-four F Mk.8s were ordered in 1949, but this order was stopped by an embargo. A further order for 12 ex-RAF F.8s was placed in December 1952, of which four were delivered before the order was cancelled, with the final eight being delivered in 1955,<ref name="James p280">James 1971, p. 280.</ref> along with three more T Mk.7s.<ref name="James p270"/> and six NF Mk.13s, all ex-RAF aircraft.<ref name="James p298">James 1971, p. 298.</ref> Britain had allowed the Meteor sales as part of an effort to foster and support good relations; tensions over the [[Suez Canal]] led to arms sales being suspended once again.<ref>Jabber 1981, pp. 81, 99–100.</ref>

Egyptian Meteors participated in the fighting during the Suez Crisis of 1956, typically being used in ground attack missions against Israeli forces.<ref name="AE112 p57">Nicolle ''Air Enthusiast'' No 112, p.57.</ref><ref name="AE113 p36-7">Nicolle ''Air Enthusiast'' No 113, pp. 36–37.</ref> In one incident, an Egyptian Meteor NF Mk.13 claimed to have damaged an RAF [[Vickers Valiant]] bomber.<ref name="AE113 p43">Nicolle ''Air Enthusiast'' No 113, p. 43.</ref> An aerial bombing campaign of Egyptian airfields by Anglo-French forces resulted in several aircraft being destroyed on the ground; the Egyptian Air Force subsequently withdrew from combat within the [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]] region.<ref name="AE114 p54">Nicolle ''Air Enthusiast'' No 114, p. 54.</ref><ref name = "aloni 24"/>

===Syria===
Meteors were the first jet aircraft of the fledgling [[Syrian Air Force]]. It acquired 25 of them between 1952 and 1956.<ref>Andrews 1965, pp. 10, 12.</ref> Although the British were willing to supply aircraft, they did not supply combat training or radar. As Syria became more aligned with [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]] and Egypt, British support for Meteor operations was withdrawn and Syrian pilots began training with their Egyptian counterparts.{{Citation needed|date=February 2014}} During the Suez Crisis, the RAF performed high altitude reconnaissance flights over Syria by [[English Electric Canberra]] aircraft from bases in Cyprus. Lacking radar to track the aircraft, the Syrian Air Force developed a ground spotter network that reported information by telephone to intercept the flights. On 6 November 1956, a Syrian Meteor shot down a Canberra of [[No. 13 Squadron RAF]], which crashed in Lebanon.<ref name=Phoenix>{{cite book|last1=Nicolle|first1=David|last2=Nordeen|first2=Lon|title=Phoenix over the Nile: A History of Egyptian Air Power, 1932–1994|date=1996|page=346|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press|location=Washington, D.C.|isbn=978-1560986263}}</ref> In 1957, Syria began to replace its Meteors with new [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17|MiG-17s]] from the Soviet Union.{{Citation needed|date=February 2014}}

===France===
The [[French Air Force]] was keen to acquire jet aircraft as part of its re-equipment program following the Second World War. In 1953, 25 new-build aircraft were diverted from RAF orders to fulfil a French order; a further 16 ex-RAF NF.11s were purchased in 1954 and delivered between September 1954 and April 1955,<ref name="Williams aero p3 p10-1">Williams ''Aeroplane Monthly'' June 1995, pp. 10–11.</ref> these being supplemented by about 14 T Mk.7s.<ref name="James p271-2">James 1971, pp. 271–272.</ref> The NF Mk.11s replaced the Mosquito night fighter with the Escadre de Chasse (EC) 30, serving with that Wing until replaced by the [[Sud Aviation Vautour]] in 1957. Several Meteors were then transferred to ECN 1/7 in Algeria, which saw combat in the [[Algerian War]], operating from [[Bône]], while others were used for training Vautour night fighter crews. The Vautour was retired from French Air Force service in 1964.<ref name="Williams aero p3 p11">Williams ''Aeroplane Monthly'' June 1995, p. 11.</ref><ref name="Williams AE p49">Williams 1984, p. 49.</ref> Five Meteor NF.11s were transferred to the Centre d’Essais en Vol (Flight Test Centre) in 1958, where they were used as equipment testbeds and chase planes,<ref name="Williams AE p49"/> and were later joined by two NF Mk.13s and two NF Mk.14s.<ref name="Williams aero p3 p12"/><ref name="Williams aero p4 p44"/> The test aircraft were used in a wide variety of experiments, including radar and missile tests and during the development of [[Concorde]].<ref name="Williams aero p3 p11-2">Williams ''Aeroplane Monthly'' June 1995, pp. 11–12.</ref>

===Israel===
[[File:Meteor IAF 1954.jpg|thumb|[[Israeli Air Force]] Meteor in 1954]]
Due to tensions between the newly formed nation of Israel and its neighbours, both sides had commenced an arms race which led to jet aircraft being vigorously purchased by various countries in the region. In 1953 Israel ordered four ''T Mk.7''s and 11 ''F Mk.8''s, with delivery continuing until early 1954. The ''F Mk.8''s were modified to carry American HVAR rockets but were otherwise identical to RAF aircraft.<ref name="ae50 p39-0">Aloni ''Air Enthusiast'' Fifty, pp. 39–40.</ref> A second batch of seven refurbished ''FR Mk.9''s and two more ''T Mk.7''s was delivered in 1955.<ref name="ae50 p42">Aloni ''Air Enthusiast'' Fifty, p. 42.</ref> In 1956, Israel purchased six NF Mk.13s, with three delivered that year, and the remaining three, delayed by an arms embargo, in 1958.<ref name="ae50 p44">Aloni ''Air Enthusiast'' Fifty, p. 44.</ref> Five more T Mk.7s were later purchased, these were converted from ex-Belgian ''F Mk.4''s and were fitted with the Mk.8 tail.<ref name="ae50 p47">Aloni ''Air Enthusiast'' Fifty, p. 47.</ref><ref>Jabber 1981, p. 112.</ref>

On 1 September 1955, an Israeli Meteor shot down an Egyptian [[de Havilland Vampire]], the first jet aircraft to be shot down in the theatre.<ref>Aloni 2001, p. 23.</ref> The Meteor played a key role during the Suez Crisis; on 28 October 1956, an Israeli NF.13 took part in [[Operation Tarnegol]], in which it successfully located and shot down an Egyptian [[Ilyushin Il-14]] that had been carrying several high-ranking Egyptian military officers on the eve of the crisis.<ref>Yonay 1993, pp. 161–163.</ref> The operation had intended to shoot down the Il-14 that was supposed to be carrying the supreme commander of the Egyptian armed forces, [[Abdel Hakim Amer]], however a different aircraft had been inadvertently attacked and destroyed instead.<ref name = "aloni 24">Aloni 2001, p. 24.</ref> After deploying paratroopers east of the Suez Canal, the [[Israeli Air Force]] continued to support them on the ground predominantly using its jet aircraft, fearing its propeller-driven aircraft would be vulnerable against Egypt's jet fighters.<ref name = "aloni 24"/>

While initially flying [[combat air patrol]] missions, the Meteors and other Israeli aircraft could not prevent effective attacks by Egyptian aircraft on the ground forces.<ref name = "aloni 24"/> Israeli officers came to recognise that the Meteor was outclassed by Egyptian MiG-15s, and subsequently limited the Meteor's employment as a fighter against other aerial adversaries.{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}} Following the start of the Anglo-French bombing campaign against Egyptian airbases, the Egyptian Air Force mostly withdrew from combat in the Sinai, allowing Israeli aircraft to operate unhindered.<ref name = "aloni 24"/>

The Mk.8s remained in front line service until 1956, and were then used as training aircraft. The NF Mk.13s remained in operational use until 1962.<ref name="ae50 p47-8">Aloni ''Air Enthusiast'' Fifty, p. 47–48.</ref>

===Record setting===
[[File:SapphireMeteorWA820.jpg|thumb|The Sapphire Meteor WA820 on display at [[Farnborough Airshow]], 1951]]
Late in 1945, two F.3 Meteors were modified for an attempt on the world [[air speed record]]. On 7 November 1945 at [[Herne Bay]] in Kent, UK, Group Captain Hugh "Willie" Wilson set the first official air speed record by a jet aircraft of {{convert|606|mph|kph|abbr=on}} [[True airspeed|TAS]].<ref name="James 257-8">James 1971, pp. 257–258.</ref><ref name ="bb 60">Butler and Buttler 2006, p. 60.</ref> In 1946, Group Captain [[Edward Mortlock Donaldson|Edward "Teddy" Donaldson]] broke this record with a speed of {{convert|616|mph|kph|abbr=on}} TAS, in ''EE549'', a Meteor F.4.<ref name ="bb 60"/><ref name="James 258-9">James 1971, pp. 258–259.</ref>

On 4–5 April 1950, Sqn Ldr [[Janusz Żurakowski]] set an international speed record London-Copenhagen-London in a production standard F.8 (''VZ468''). Suitably impressed, the Danes later purchased the type.<ref>Zuk 2004, p. 145.</ref>

Another "claim to fame" was the Meteor's ability to perform the "[[Janusz Żurakowski#Postwar|Zurabatic Cartwheel]]", an aerobatics manoeuvre named after Gloster's acting Chief Test Pilot, it was first demonstrated by Meteor [[United Kingdom aircraft test serials|G-7-1]] ''G-AMCJ'' prototype at the 1951 Farnborough Air Show;<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1955/1955%20-%200731.html "Mars to Javelin."] ''Flight International'', 27 May 1955. p. 729.</ref> the Meteor, due to its widely set engines, could have individual engines throttled back and forward to achieve a seemingly stationary vertical cartwheel. Many Meteor pilots went on to "prove their mettle" by attempting the same feat.<ref>[http://zurakowskiavroarrow.homestead.com/Biography.html "Janusz Żurakowski 'Zura' 1914–2004, Biography of the World Famous Pilot."] ''zurakowskiavroarrow.homestead.com''. Retrieved: 23 March 2010.</ref>

On 7 August 1949, the Meteor III, ''EE397'', on loan from the RAF and flown by [[Flight Refuelling Ltd]] (FRL) [[test pilot]] Patrick Hornidge, took off from [[RAF Tarrant Rushton|Tarrant Rushton]] and, refuelled 10 times by the Lancaster tanker, remained airborne for 12 hours and 3 minutes, receiving {{convert|2352|impgal|L}} of fuel from the tanker in ten tanker contacts and flying an overall distance of {{convert|3600|mi|km}}, achieving a new jet endurance record.<ref>Webster, David. [http://www.the-best-of-british.com/PlaneCrazyHeritage/airpictorial/1999/RefuellingFDC.htm "50 Years of Probe and Drogue Flight Refuelling cover signed Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Knight KCB AFC FRAES, Director of Flight Refuelling Limited."] ''the-best-of-british.com''. Retrieved: 23 March 2010.</ref>

Meteor F.8 ''WA820'' was adapted during 1948 to take two [[Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire]] turbojets, and from Moreton Valence, on 31 August 1951, established a time-to-height climb record. The pilot was [[Flight Lieutenant|Flt Lt]] Tom Prickett, of [[Armstrong Siddeley]]. A height of 9,843&nbsp;ft was reached in 1 min 16 sec, 19,685&nbsp;ft in 1 min 50 sec, 29,500&nbsp;ft in 2 min 29 sec, and 39,370&nbsp;ft in 3 min 7 sec. [[Air Service Training]] Ltd were responsible for the conversion.<ref>King, H. F., 1955, p. 729.</ref>

==Variants==
;Gloster F.9/40
:Prototypes, eight built:
[[File:Gloster Meteor F9-40, UK - Air Force AN2235214.jpg|thumb|F.9/40 Meteor prototype ''DG202/G'' in wartime finish]]
* DG202/G powered by two [[Power Jets W.2|Rover W2B]] jet engines, first flown 24 July 1943.<ref name="Gloster1987-357">James 1987, pp. 357–358.</ref>
* DG203/G powered by two [[Power Jets W.2|Power Jets W2/500]] engines, first flown 9 November 1943.<ref name="Gloster1987-357" />
* DG204/G powered by two [[Metropolitan-Vickers F.2|Metrovick F2]] axial jet engines, unlike the other F.9/40s the engines were mounted under the wing, first flown 13 November 1943.<ref name="Gloster1987-357" />
* DG205/G powered by two [[Power Jets W.2|Rover W2B/23]] jet engines, first flown 12 June 1943.<ref name="Gloster1987-357" />
* DG206/G powered by two [[de Havilland Goblin|Halford H1]] jet engines, the first to fly on 5 March 1943.<ref name="Gloster1987-357" />
* DG207/G powered by two [[de Havilland Goblin|Halford H1]] jet engines, first flown 24 July 1945, became the prototype F.2 variant.<ref name="Gloster1987-357" />
* DG208/G powered by two [[Power Jets W.2|Rover W2B/23]] engines, first flown 20 January 1944.<ref name="Gloster1987-357" />
* DG209/G powered by two [[Power Jets W.2|Rover W2B/27]] engines, first flown 18 April 1944.<ref name="Gloster1987-357" />
;Meteor F.1
:First production aircraft built between 1943 and 1944, 20 built.<ref name="Gloster1987-357" />
;Meteor F.1, Trent turboprop
[[File:Gloster Trent-Meteor EE227.jpg|thumb|The ''Trent Meteor'']]
:One-off engine test bed, converted from former No. 616 Squadron RAF operational F.1 serial number ''EE227'', for the [[Rolls-Royce RB.50 Trent|Rolls-Royce Trent]] [[turboprop]] engine making it the world's first turboprop-powered aircraft.<ref name="Gloster1987-251">James 1987, p. 251.</ref> The undercarriage was lengthened to give ground clearance for the initial 7 ft 7 inch [[Dowty Rotol|Rotol]] airscrews. First flying in September 1945, it was not shown publicly until June 1946. It was found that separate controls for thrust and constant speed units required a lot of skill to manage. It was then flown with higher engine thrust and smaller propellers to enable development of a combined control system.<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1947/1947%20-%201201.html "Know how from the Trent."] ''Flight International'', 1947. p. 79, 82.</ref> The development programme was complete by 1948.<ref>Smith, Maurice A. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1948/1948%20-%200359.html "Trent Meteor In the Air."] ''Flight International'', 18 March 1948. p. 299.</ref>
;Meteor F.2
:Alternative engined version with two [[de Havilland Goblin|Halford H1s]] – one of the F.9/40s was used as prototype and trials by de Havilland, did not enter production.<ref name="Gloster87-252">James 1987, p. 252.</ref>
;Meteor F.3
:Derwent I powered, with sliding canopy. First flown 11 September 1944, 210 built (first 15 were Welland-powered).<ref name="Gloster1987-253">James 1987, pp. 253–257.</ref>
[[File:Gloster Meteor F4, UK - Air Force AN1364478.jpg|thumb|Meteor F.4]]
;Meteor F.4
:Derwent 5 powered with strengthened fuselage, 489 built by Gloster and 46 by Armstrong Whitworth for the Royal Air Force.<ref name="Gloster 257–264">James 1987, pp. 257–264.</ref> The F.4 was also exported to Argentina (50 aircraft), Belgium (48 aircraft), Denmark (20 aircraft), Egypt (12 aircraft), Netherlands (38 aircraft).<ref name="Gloster1987-253" />
;Meteor FR.5
:One-off fighter reconnaissance version of the F.4. Fitted with vertical cameras in the nose instead of the four cannon and with oblique cameras in the fuselage. Destroyed on maiden flight, 15 June 1949.<ref name="Gloster1987-264">James 1987, p. 264.</ref>
;Meteor F.6
:Under development in 1946–1947 and in all respects a forebear of the later F.8 having the short wings of the F.4 and a fuselage similar to that of the F.8 and an E.1/44 tail assembly. Did not progress beyond the drawing board and not built.<ref>Page 65 'The Gloster Meteor'by Edward Shacklady.</ref><ref>Page 129'Wings of Fame' Volume 15.</ref>
;Meteor T.7
:Two-seat trainer variant of the F.4, company prototype first flew 19 March 1948, 640 production aircraft for the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy (43) and 72 for export (Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Egypt, France, Israel, Netherlands). Avions Fairey modified 20 Belgian Air Force F.4s to T.7 standard.  Designated '''T-7''' and later '''TF-7''' by the [[Brazilian Air Force]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Brazilian Military Aircraft Designations|url=https://designation-systems.net/non-us/brazil.html|access-date=2025-03-17|website=designation-systems.net}}</ref>
;Meteor F.8
[[File:RDAF-499-Gloster-Meteor-MK8.jpg|alt=RDAF Gloster Meteor no. 499|thumb|Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) no. 499 Meteor F. MK.8 on display at Danmarks Flymuseum i Stauning, Skjern, Denmark]]
[[File:Gloster Meteor F.8 being prepared for flight.jpg|thumb|Meteor F.8 being prepared for flight]]
[[File:Gloster Meteor F8, UK - Air Force AN2233201.jpg|thumb|Meteor F.8]]
:Greatly improved from the F.4. Longer fuselage, greater fuel capacity, standard ejection seat and modified tail (derived from the [[Gloster E.1/44|E.1/44]]). A prolific frontline fighter in the RAF during 1950–54, this variant was ordered by the RAAF, with which it saw action in the Korea War.  Designated '''F-8''' by the Brazilian Air Force.<ref name=":0" />
;Gloster Meteor F8 "prone pilot"
:One-off experimental [[Gloster Meteor F8 "Prone Pilot"|Meteor F.8 "prone pilot"]], ''WK935'' modified by Armstrong Whitworth.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=AuADAAAAMBAJ&dq=1954+Popular+Mechanics+January&pg=PA139 "Jet Pilot Flies on His Stomach in British Experiment."] ''Popular Mechanics'', July 1954, p. 139.</ref>
[[File:Gloster Meteor Prone.jpg|thumb|The "prone pilot" experimental testbed]]
;Meteor F.8 jet deflection test-bed: One F.8 (RA490) modified with [[Rolls-Royce Nene]] engines cantilevered forward of the wings and "deflection boxes" to direct jet exhaust downwards for jet-lift.<ref name="Flight271257p985">{{cite magazine|title=N.G.T.E. METEOR|magazine=Flight|date=27 December 1957|volume=72|issue=2553|page=985|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201896.html|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref>
;Meteor FR.9
:Fighter armed reconnaissance version of the F.8, first flown 23 March 1950, 126 built by Gloster for the Royal Air Force. Former RAF aircraft were later sold to Ecuador, Israel and Syria.
;Meteor PR.10
:Photo reconnaissance version of the F.8, first flown 29 March 1950, 59 built for the Royal Air Force.
;Meteor NF.11
:Night Fighter variant with airborne interception (AI) radar designed and built by Armstrong Whitworth, three prototypes followed by 311 production aircraft for the Royal Air Force and 20 for the Royal Danish Air Force.
;Meteor NF.12
:Longer-nosed version of the NF.11 with American [[AN/APS-21]] radar, this was balanced by a slightly larger fin, first flown on 21 April 1953, 100 built by Armstrong Whitworth.
;Meteor NF.13
:"Tropicalised" version of the NF.11 to replace the Mosquito NF.36 for service with [[No. 39 Squadron RAF|39 Squadron]] in Malta and Cyprus and [[No. 219 Squadron RAF|219 Squadron]] based in Egypt. The first of 40 production aircraft built by Armstrong Whitworth was first flown on 21 December 1952. Former Royal Air Force aircraft were later sold to Egypt (6 aircraft), France (2 aircraft), Israel (6 aircraft) and Syria (6 aircraft).
;Meteor NF.14
:NF.11 with new two-piece blown canopy rather than the heavy-framed version. It also had a longer nose giving a length of 51 ft 4 in. Prototype modified from an NF.11 was first flown 23 October 1953 and was followed by 100 production aircraft built by Armstrong Whitworth for the Royal Air Force.
;Meteor U.15
:[[Target drone]] conversion of the F.4, 92 modified by [[Cobham plc|Flight Refuelling Ltd]].<ref name="James300">James 1987, pp. 300–302.</ref>
;Meteor U.16
:Target drone conversion of the F.8, 108 modified by Flight Refuelling.<ref name="James300" />
;Meteor TT.20
[[File:Gloster Meteor TT.20 WM159 776 Hurn 15.07.67 edited-3.jpg|thumb|Meteor TT.20 target tug of the [[Royal Navy]] in 1967]]
:High speed target towing conversion of the NF.11 for the Royal Navy by Armstrong Whitworth, 20 former Royal Air Force NF.11s were modified. Four additional conversions of four NF.11s of Royal Danish Air Force, after conversion these were flown by civil operators on behalf of the Danish military.<ref name="James302">James 1987, pp. 302–303.</ref>
;Meteor U.21
:Target drone conversion of the F.8 for the Royal Australian Air Force by Flight Refuelling, some aircraft modified in Australia by Fairey Aviation of Australasia using Flight Refuelling supplied modification kits.<ref name="James300" />
;Ground attack fighter
:Also known as the "Reaper", it was a F.8 modified by Gloster as a private venture ground attack fighter. The modification allowed the carriage of external rocket-assisted take-off Gear ([[JATO|RATOG]]), added extra pylons on the lower fuselage for expanded ordinance capacity and tip tanks. First flown 4 September 1950, only one was built.<ref name="James283">James 1987, pp. 283–286.</ref>
;Gloster CXP-1001
:A single-engine version of the Meteor proposed by Gloster as a pursuit fighter for the [[Republic of China Air Force]]. None were built.

==Operators==

===Military operators===
[[File:Gloster Meteor A77-871 WK791 F8 - RAAF Base Wagga (01).jpg|thumb|Australian F.8, 2011]]
[[File:Gloster IAF efi e.jpg|thumb|Israeli Meteor F.8, 2008]]
[[File:Royal Military Museum Brussels 2007 442.JPG|thumb|Belgian Meteor F.8 of the 25th Squadron]]
[[File:Gloster F-8 Meteor (F8), Brazil - Air Force AN1198897.jpg|thumb|Brazilian Meteor F.8, 2007]]
[[File:GlosterFMk4MeteorC-0411.jpg|thumb|Preserved [[Argentine Air Force]] F.4]]
;{{ARG}}
* [[Argentine Air Force]] ordered 100 F.4s in May 1947, comprising 50 ex-RAF aircraft and 50 newly built.<ref name="James 262">James 1971, p. 262.</ref> Deliveries started in July that year,<ref name="AE 104 p69">Cicaleso, del Gaizo and Rivas 2003, p. 69.</ref> the Meteor remaining in service until 1970, when the last examples were replaced by [[Dassault Mirage III]]s.<ref name="AE 104 p72">Cicaleso, del Gaizo and Rivas 2003, p. 72.</ref>
;{{AUS}}
* [[Royal Australian Air Force]] operated 104 aircraft from 1946 to 1947 (1× F.3) and 1951 to 1963 (94× F.8, 9× T.7, 1× NF.11).
** [[No. 22 Squadron RAAF]]
** [[No. 23 Squadron RAAF]]
** [[No. 75 Squadron RAAF]]
** [[No. 77 Squadron RAAF]]
;{{BEL}}
* [[Belgian Air Force]] received 40 aircraft of F.4 variant, 43 of T.7 variant, 240 of F.8 variant and 24 aircraft of NF.11 variant.
;{{flag|Biafra}}
* [[Biafran armed forces#Air wing|Biafran Air Force]] purchased two Meteor NF 14s through a cover company. One crashed during a ferry flight between [[Madeira]] and [[Cape Verde]], while the second was abandoned at [[Bissau]], [[Portuguese Guinea]].<ref name= "Williams aero p4 p44">Williams ''Aeroplane Monthly'' July 1995, p. 44.</ref> An attempt to purchase a further two ex-Danish target tugs via a German intermediary was discovered by the ''[[Bundesnachrichtendienst]]'', the West German intelligence service, and stopped by grounding the aircraft.<ref name="Williams aero p4 p46-7">Williams ''Aeroplane Monthly'' July 1995, pp. 46–47.</ref>
;{{BRA}}
* [[Brazilian Air Force]] received 62 aircraft in F.8 and TF.7 variants.
* 2°/1°GAvCa
* 1°/1°GAvCa
* 1°/14°GAv
;{{flag|Canada|1921}}
* [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] – from 1945 to 1950, one Meteor III and Meteor T.7 were used for tests and evaluation by the RCAF.
;{{DNK}}
* [[Royal Danish Air Force]] – 20 F.4/F.8, 20× NF.11 and 6× T.7 in service from 1949 to 1962, replaced by 30 Hunter Mk 51 since 1956.<ref name="Schrøder">Schrøder 1991, pp. 1–64.</ref>
;{{ECU}}
* [[Ecuadorian Air Force]]
;{{flag|Egypt|1922}}
* [[Royal Egyptian Air Force]] – used 12× F.4, 6× T.7, 12× F.8 and 6× NF.13 from 1949 to 1958,<ref name="IAF-63">IsraDecal Studio, IAF-63, Middle East Meteors, instruction booklet</ref> some of them saw action during Suez Crisis in 1956, replaced by [[MiG-15]]bis.
;{{FRA}}
* [[French Air Force]]
;{{flag|West Germany}}
* [[German Air Force|Luftwaffe]] – Meteor TT.20 target towing aircraft.
;{{ISR}}
* [[Israeli Air Force]]
** [[117 Squadron (Israel)|117 Squadron]] (First Jet Squadron) – from 1953 to 1962, 4× T.7, 11× F.8, 7× FR.9, and 5× "T.7.5" or "T.8" variants (T.7 with F.8's tail, ex Belgian Air Force).<ref name="IAF-117">{{cite web|url=http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/aa-mideast/israel/af/units/117sqn.htm|website=aeroflight.co.uk|title=117 Squadron|date=9 January 1998}}</ref>
** [[119 Squadron (Israel)|119 Squadron]] (Bat Squadron) – from 1956 to 1963, 5× NF.13 variant.<ref name="IAF-119">[http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/aa-mideast/israel/af/units/119sqn.htm 119 Squadron] aeroflight.co.uk</ref> (ordered 6 aircraft, but one has crashed during ferry flight to Israel.<ref name="IAF-63"/>)
** [[107 Squadron (Israel)|107 Squadron]] (Knights of the Orange Tail Squadron) – from 1962 to 1964, some F.8 and FR.9 variants, ex 117 sqn.<ref name="IAF-107">[http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/aa-mideast/israel/af/units/107sqn.htm 107 Squadron] aeroflight.co.uk</ref>
** [[110 Squadron (Israel)|110 Squadron]] (Knights of The North Squadron) – from 1962 to early 1970s, some T.7 and T.8 variants, ex 117 sqn. and some F.8 and FR.9 variants, ex 107 sqn.<ref name="IAF-110">[http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/aa-mideast/israel/af/units/110sqn.htm 110 Squadron] aeroflight.co.uk</ref>
;{{NLD}}
* [[Royal Netherlands Air Force]] – 60× F.4 used 1948–1957, along with 160× F.8 1950–1959, replaced by [[Hawker Hunter]].
**[[322 Squadron RNLAF]]; 323, 324, 325, 326, 327 and 328 Squadrons
* [[Dutch Naval Aviation Service]]
;{{NZL}}
* [[Royal New Zealand Air Force]]
** [[No. 14 Squadron RNZAF]] in Cyprus, operated two Meteor T.7 aircraft hired from the RAF.
** Various squadrons, one F.3 used for pilot jet conversion training, then trade training airframe.
;{{flag|South Africa|1928}}
* [[South African Air Force]] – Meteor F.3 aircraft, in service from 1946 to 1949.
;{{flag|Syria|1932}}
* [[Syrian Air Force]] – used some T.7, F.8, FR.9 variants, and 6× NF.13 variant, from 1951 to early 1960s.<ref name="IAF-63"/>
;{{UK}}
* [[Royal Air Force]]<ref>Jefford 2001, p. 175.</ref><ref>Caruana and Franks 2004, pp. 124–125.</ref>
{{block indent|left=1.5|{{Div col|colwidth=13em}}
* [[No. 1 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 2 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 5 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 8 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 11 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 13 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 19 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 25 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 29 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 33 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 34 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 39 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 41 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 43 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 46 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 54 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 56 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 60 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 63 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 64 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 65 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 66 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 68 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 72 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 74 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 79 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 81 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 85 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 87 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 91 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 92 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 96 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 111 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 124 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 125 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 141 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 151 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 152 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 153 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 208 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 219 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 222 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 234 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 245 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 247 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 256 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 257 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 263 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 264 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 266 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 500 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 501 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 504 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 527 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 541 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 600 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 601 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 604 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 609 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 610 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 611 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 615 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 616 Squadron RAF]]
{{Div col end}}}}
* [[Fleet Air Arm]]<ref>Sturtivant and Balance 1994, p. 362.</ref>
{{block indent|left=1.5|{{Div col|colwidth=13em}}
* [[700 Naval Air Squadron]]
* [[702 Naval Air Squadron]]
* [[703 Naval Air Squadron]]
* [[728 Naval Air Squadron]]
* [[736 Naval Air Squadron]]
* [[759 Naval Air Squadron]]
* [[764 Naval Air Squadron]]
* [[767 Naval Air Squadron]]
* [[771 Naval Air Squadron]]
* [[781 Naval Air Squadron]]
* [[806 Naval Air Squadron]]
* [[813 Naval Air Squadron]]
{{Div col end}}}}
;{{flag|United States|1912}}
* [[United States Army Air Forces]] tested one aircraft and returned it to UK after tests.

===Civilian operators===
;{{SWE}}
* [[Svensk Flygtjänst AB]] Three Meteor T.7 and four Meteor TT.20 for target towing between 1955 and 1974.
;{{UK}}
* [[Defence Evaluation and Research Agency|DERA]], based at [[Llanbedr Airport#History|Llanbedr]] used NF.11 variant ''WD790'' between 1952 and 1982
* [[Martin-Baker]] Aircraft Company has used various variants since 1946 to test their ejection seats
* [[Ferranti]] Flying Unit, based at [[RAF Turnhouse]] used NF.14 variant ''WM261'' G-ARCX to test airborne radar and gunsights between 1960 and 1969
* [[Cobham plc|Flight Refuelling Ltd]] (FRL) were lent the RAF Meteor F.3 ''EE397'' for use in [[Aerial refueling|probe-and-drogue]] trials. This aircraft set a world jet endurance record of 12 hours and 3 minutes on 7 August 1949
* [[Classic Air Force]]
* [[Airwork Services#Fleet Requirements Unit|Airwork Fleet Requirements Unit]] used TT.20 variant between 1958 and 1971

==Surviving aircraft==
{{main|List of surviving Gloster Meteors}}
[[File:WA591 (7503026524).jpg|thumb|Meteor T.7 ''G-BWMF'' formerly of the [[Classic Air Force]] displaying at [[RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron)|RNAS Yeovilton]], 2012]]
Although many Meteors survive in museums, collections and on pylons in public spaces as [[gate guardian]]s, only four remain airworthy. 
* {{Flag|UK}} – Two of the airworthy Meteors are in the United Kingdom:
:*Two Meteor T.7/F.8 Hybrids used by Martin-Baker as ejection seat test aircraft "G-JMWA/WA638" & "WL419". Both are last recorded as being at Chalgrove.
* {{Flag|Australia}} – A former RAF F.8 ''VH-MBX'' (this being a play on the Meteor's nickname of "Meatbox") at the [[Temora Aviation Museum]] with Royal Australian Air Force markings as 'A77-851'. Ownership was transferred to the RAAF in July 2019 and it is operated by the [[No. 100 Squadron RAAF|Air Force Heritage Squadron (Temora Historic Flight)]].
* {{Flag|USA}} – A former RAF T7 ''WA591/G-BWMF'' is in the [[Planes of Fame Air Museum]] in [[Chino, California]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/planes-of-fame-air-museum-receives-rare-gloster-meteor-t-7.html|title=Planes of Fame Air Museum Receives Rare Gloster Meteor T.7|website=warbirdsnews.com|date=2 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://planesoffame.org/aircraft/plane-T-7|title=Gloster Meteor T7|date=20 September 2022}}</ref>

==Specifications (Meteor F.8)==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=The Great Book of Fighters,<ref>Green 2001</ref>{{page needed|date=March 2023}} Quest for Performance<ref name="Loftin" /> and Aircraft in Profile, Volume 1<ref>Andrews 1965, p. 12.</ref>
|prime units?=imp

<!--General characteristics-->
|crew=1
|length ft=44
|length in=7
|length note=
|span ft=37
|span in=2
|span note=
|height ft=13
|height in=0
|height note=
|wing area sqft=350
|wing area note=
 
|airfoil='''root:''' EC(12.5)40/0640; '''tip:''' EC1040/0640<ref name="Selig">{{cite web|last1=Lednicer|first1=David|title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage|url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html|website=UIUC Applied Aerodynamics Group, University of Illinois|access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref>
|empty weight lb=10684
|empty weight note=
|gross weight lb=15700
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=

<!--Powerplant-->
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 name=[[Rolls-Royce Derwent 8]]
|eng1 type=centrifugal flow turbojet engine
|eng1 lbf=3600

<!--Performance-->
|max speed mph=600
|max speed note=at {{cvt|10000|ft}}
|max speed mach=0.82
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed mph=
|minimum control speed note=
|range miles=600
|range note=
|combat range miles=
|combat range note=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling ft=43000
|ceiling note=
 
|climb rate ftmin=7000
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude={{cvt|30000|ft}} in 5 minutes
|wing loading lb/sqft=44.9
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|thrust/weight=0.45

|more performance=

<!--Armament-->
|guns=4 × 20 mm [[Hispano-Suiza HS.404#British production|Hispano MkV cannon]]
|rockets=Provision for up to sixteen [[RP-3|"60 lb" RP-3 rockets]] or eight 5-inch [[HVAR]] rockets under outer wings
|bombs= two 1000 lb (450 kg) bombs
|avionics=
}}

==Appearances in media==
{{Main|Aircraft in fiction#Gloster Meteor}}
<!-- ===============({{NoMoreCruft}})===============-->
<!-- Please READ [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content#Popular culture]] and [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Military history/Style guide#Popular culture]] before adding any "Popular culture" items.

Please do not add the many minor appearances of the aircraft. This section is only for major cultural appearances where the aircraft plays a MAJOR part in the story line, or has an "especially notable" role in what is listed. A verifiable source proving the appearance's notability may be required. Random cruft, including ALL Ace Combat, Battlefield, and Metal Gear Solid appearances, and ALL anime/fiction lookalike speculation, WILL BE removed.

If your item has been removed, please discuss it on the talk page FIRST. A verifiable source proving the appearance's notability may be required. If a consensus is reached to include your item, a regular editor of this page will add it back. Thank you for your co-operation.-->

==See also==
{{Aircontent|
|related=
|similar aircraft=
* {{lwc|Alekseyev I-21}}
* {{lwc|Bell P-59 Airacomet}}
* {{lwc|de Havilland Vampire}}
* {{lwc|Heinkel He 280}}
* {{lwc|Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star}}
* {{lwc|McDonnell FH Phantom}}
* {{lwc|Messerschmitt Me 262}}
* {{lwc|Nakajima Kikka}}
* {{lwc|Sukhoi Su-9 (1946)}}
|lists=
* [[List of jet aircraft of World War II]]
* [[List of aircraft of World War II]]
* [[List of non-carrier aircraft flown from aircraft carriers]]
|see also=
* [[Gloster E.28/39]]
}}

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* Aloni, Shlomo. ''Arab-Israeli Air Wars 1947–82''. Osprey Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|1-84176-294-6}}.
* Aloni, Shlomo. "The Jet Age: Gloster Meteor in Israeli Service". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]'', Fifty, May to June 1993, pp.&nbsp;38–48. Stamford, UK: Key Publishing. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}.
* Andrews, C.F. "The Gloster Meteor F.8" ''Aircraft in Profile, Volume 1/Part1''. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 4th revised edition 1975 (first published in 1965). {{ISBN|0-85383-410-5}}.
* Ashley, Glenn. ''Meteor in Action''. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc., 1995. {{ISBN|0-89747-332-9}}.
*{{cite magazine|last1=Black|first1=Ian|title=On Target!: A Pictorial Tribute to the Drones of RAE Llanbedr, Wales|magazine=Air Enthusiast|date=July–August 1999|issue=82|pages=40–41|issn=0143-5450}}
* Bowyer, Chaz. ''Postwar Military Aircraft 2: Gloster Meteor''. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1985. {{ISBN|0-7110-1477-9}}.
* Boyne, Walter J. ''Air Warfare: an International Encyclopedia: M-Z''. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2002. {{ISBN|1-57607-345-9}}.
* Butler, Phil and Tony Buttler. ''Gloster Meteor: Britain's Celebrated First-Generation Jet''. Hersham, Surrey, UK: Midland Publishing, 2006. {{ISBN|1-85780-230-6}}.
* Buttler, Tony. ''Secret Projects: British Fighters and Bombers 1935 -1950 (British Secret Projects 3)''. Leicester, UK: Midland Publishing, 2004. {{ISBN|1-85780-179-2}}.
* Caruana, Richard J. and Richard A. Franks. ''The Gloster & AW Meteor''. Kingsway, Bedford, UK: SAM Publications, 2004. {{ISBN|0-9533465-8-7}}.
* Cicalesi, Juan Carlos and Santiago Rivas. "Argentina's Meteors: Latin America's first jet fighters". ''International Air Power Review'', Volume 7, Winter 2002. pp.&nbsp;120–128. Norwalk, Connecticut, USA: AIRtime Publishing. {{ISBN|1-880588-48-X}}. {{ISSN|1473-9917}}.
* Cicalesi, Juan Carlos, César del Gaizo and Santiago Rivas. "Into the Jet Age: The Gloster Meteor in Argentina". ''Air Enthusiast'' No. 104, March/April 2003, pp.&nbsp;68–73. Stamford, UK: Key Publishing. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}.
*{{cite magazine|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1949/1949%20-%201701.html|title=Meteor 8|magazine=Flight|date=6 October 1949|pages=465–469|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227234806/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1949/1949%20-%201701.html|archive-date=2017-02-27}}
* [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1945/1945%20-%202107.html "The Gloster Meteor."] ''Flight'', 25 October 1945, pp.&nbsp;444–446.
* Geoffery, G. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1945/1945%20-%201397.html "Progress with Jet Propulsion: Details of the Meteor."] ''Flight'', 19 July 1945. pp.&nbsp;70–73.
* Golly, John and Bill Gunston. ''Jet''. Eloy Gutierrez, 2010. {{ISBN|1-907472-00-2}}.
* Goulding, James. ''Interceptor: RAF Single Seat Multi-Gun Fighters''. London: Ian Allan, 1986. {{ISBN|0-7110-1583-X}}.
* Green, William. ''Warplanes of the Second World War, Vol. 2.'' London: Macdonald & Co Ltd, 1968, First edition 1960.
* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. ''The Great Book of Fighters''. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|0-7603-1194-3}}.
* {{Cite book|last=Gunston|first=Bill|year=1988|title=The Illustrated Directory of Fighting Aircraft of World War II|location=London, UK|publisher=Salamander Book Limited|isbn=978-1-84065-092-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/illustrateddirec0000guns}}
* Harrison, W.A. "Forgotten Breed ... The RAF's Last 'Shufti' Meteors". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]'', No 93, May/June 2001, pp.&nbsp;26–33. Stamford, UK: Key Publishing. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}.
* Jabber, Paul. ''Not by War Alone: Security and Arms Control in the Middle East''. University of California Press, 1981. {{ISBN|0-52004-050-3}}.
* James, Derek N. ''Gloster Aircraft since 1917''. London: Putnam, 1971. {{ISBN|0-370-00084-6}}.
* James, Derek N. ''Gloster Aircraft since 1917'' (2nd Edition). London: Putnam, 1987. {{ISBN|0-85177-807-0}}.
* Jefford, C.G. ''RAF Squadrons, A Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912''. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|1-84037-141-2}}.
* Jones, Barry. ''Gloster Meteor''. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: The Crowood Press Ltd., 1998. {{ISBN|1-86126-162-4}}.
* King, H. F. [https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1955/1955%20-%200715.html "Mars to Javelin, Gloster aircraft of forty years"]. ''[[Flight International|Flight]]'', Vol. 67, No. 2418, 27 May 1955, pp.&nbsp;713–731.
* Loftin, L.K. Jr. ''Quest for Performance: The Evolution of Modern Aircraft''. NASA SP-468. Retrieved: 22 April 2006.
* Mason, Francis K. ''The British Fighter Since 1912''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. 1992. {{ISBN|1-55750-082-7}}.
* Nicolle, David. "Suez: The Other Side: Part Two". ''Air Enthusiast'', No 112, July/August 2004. pp.&nbsp;48–57. Stamford, UK: Key Publishing. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}.
* Nicolle, David. "Suez: The Other Side: Part Three". ''Air Enthusiast'', No 113, September/October 2004. pp.&nbsp;36–44. Stamford, UK: Key Publishing. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}.
* Nicolle, David. "Suez: The Other Side: Part Four". ''Air Enthusiast'', No 112, November/December 2004. pp.&nbsp;52–60. Stamford, UK: Key Publishing. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}.
* Nijboer, Donald. ''Meteor I Vs V 1 Flying Bomb, 1944''. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd, 2012.{{ISBN| 978-1-84908-706-3}}.
* Partridge, J.J. "The Gloster Meteor F.IV" ''Aircraft in Profile, Volume 4''. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 2nd revised edition 1970 (original in 1966). {{ISBN|0-85383-013-4}}.
* Pavelec, Sterling Michael. ''The Jet Race and the Second World War''. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing, 2007. {{ISBN|0-275-99355-8}}.
* Schrøder, Hans. ''Royal Danish Airforce''. København, Denmark: Tøjhusmuseet, 1991. {{ISBN|87-89022-24-6}}.
* Shacklady, Edward. ''The Gloster Meteor''. London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd., 1962.
* Spick, Mike. ''The Illustrated Directory of Fighters''. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint, 2002. {{ISBN|0-7603-1343-1}}.
* Spring, Ivan. "Springbok Jet Age: The Gloster Meteor III in SAAF service". ''Air Enthusiast'', No. 55, Autumn 1994, pp.&nbsp;8–12. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}
* Sturtivant, Ray. ''British Naval Aviation: The Fleet Air Arm, 1917–1990''. Naval Institute Press, 1990. {{ISBN|0-87021-026-2}}.
* Sturtivant, Ray and Theo Ballance. ''The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm.'' Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 1994. {{ISBN|0-85130-223-8}}.
*{{cite magazine|last1=Warnes|first1=Alan|title=Hatzerim Album: Spitfires and Meteors at the Israeli Defence Force Museum|magazine=Air Enthusiast|date=March–April 1999|issue=80|pages=76–77|issn=0143-5450}}
* Williams, Ray. "The Night-Fighting Meteor". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]'', Twenty-five, August–November 1984, pp.&nbsp;44–59. Bromley, Kent, UK: Fine Scroll. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}.
* Williams, Ray. "Meteor Night Fighters: Part One". ''Aeroplane Monthly'', April 1995, Vol. 23, No 4, Issue No. 264, pp.&nbsp;6–10.
* Williams, Ray. "Meteor Night Fighters: Part Two". ''Aeroplane Monthly'', May 1995, Vol. 23, No 5, Issue No. 265, pp.&nbsp;18–22.
* Williams, Ray. "Meteor Night Fighters: Part Three". ''Aeroplane Monthly'', June 1995, Vol. 23, No 6, Issue No. 266, pp.&nbsp;10–24.
* Williams, Ray. "Meteor Night Fighters: Part Four". ''Aeroplane Monthly'', July 1995, Vol. 24 No 1, Issue No. 267, pp.&nbsp;42–47.
* Yonay, Ehud. ''No Margin for Error: The Making of the Israeli Air Force.'' New York: Pantheon Books, 1993. {{ISBN|978-0-679-41563-3}}.
* Young, Michael G. "Prone Meteor." ''Aviation News,'' Vol. 13, No. 22, 22 March–4 April 1985.
* Zuk, Bill. ''Janusz Zurakowski: Legends in the Sky''. St. Catharine's, Ontario: Vanwell, 2004. {{ISBN|1-55125-083-7}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Gloster Meteor}}
{{External media|topic= |width=20% |float=right |video1=[https://archive.org/details/1945-11-13_Attlee_Here_For_Parley News coverage of Meteor world record, 1945] |video2=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOEG6bEc76s Meteor in flight in Australia, 2012] |video3=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q60bhhM3aWk Footage of Meteors during World War 2]}}
* [http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au/aircraft/Meteor.cfm Temora Aviation Museum Meteor F.8]
* [http://www.warbirdalley.com/meteor.htm Warbird Alley: Meteor]
* [http://tanks45.tripod.com/Jets45/Histories/Trent/Trent.htm Jets 35: Trent engine]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151017135131/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1949/1949%20-%201413.html "Meteor's Twelve-hour Flight"] a 1949 ''Flight'' article (via Archive.org)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160305160539/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1951/1951%20-%200584.html "Meteor Mk 8"] a 1951 ''Flight'' article (via Archive.org)

{{Gloster aircraft}}
{{British military aircraft since World War II}}
{{ADF aircraft designations}}
{{FAB aircraft designations}}

[[Category:Gloster Meteor]]
[[Category:1940s British fighter aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1943]]
[[Category:Cruciform tail aircraft]]
[[Category:Twinjets]]
[[Category:World War II jet aircraft of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear]]