Gloster Meteor F8 - RAF Museum, Hendon, London, UK
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Master Mariner
N 51° 35.845 W 000° 14.263
30U E 691311 N 5719878
This Gloster Meteor F8 is located in the "Historic Hangars" at the RAF Museum in Hendon, London. The aircraft dates from 1951.
Waymark Code: WMNH2E
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/16/2015
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member DougK
Views: 2

The RAF Museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm with admission being free. Car parking is available but there is a charge. The nearest underground station is Colindale about a 10-15 minute walk away or a number 303 bus passes both the tube station and museum. The co-ordinates posted are for the entrance to the "Milestones of Flight" hall/exhibition entrance.

The RAF Museum's website tells us about the Gloster Meteor:

The Gloster Meteor was the only allied jet to see combat in World War Two and in its various marks served in day, night and training operations. Its sturdy construction also made it an ideal test bed for a variety of products which followed it. Between 1950 and 1955 the Meteor F8 provided the backbone of Britain's air defence capability.

By the end of the 1947 the British Meteor fighter had fallen behind its contemporaries in efficiency and performance. In an effort to redress the balance the Gloster design office produced a re-design which was a marked improvement while retaining as much of the structure of the earlier aircraft as possible for production purposes.

The new Meteor proved a success and over a thousand of the new fighters were built to re-equip twenty Fighter Command squadrons and ten squadrons of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

The Royal Air Force never used the Meteor F8 in anger but it did see combat with the Royal Australian Air Force during the Korean War (1950 to 1953). Outclassed by the MiG-15 in the fighter role, the Meteor was switched to ground attack where it notched up an impressive record.

After withdrawal from front line service a number of Meteor F8s were converted for target towing duties.

A history of this aircraft can be seen here.

Type of Aircraft: (make/model): Gloster Meteor F8

Tail Number: (S/N): WH301

Construction:: original aircraft

Location (park, airport, museum, etc.): RAF Musuem, Hendon, London

inside / outside: inside

Access restrictions:
Please see the detailed description.


Other Information:: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Photo of aircraft (required - will be interesting to see if the aircraft is ever repainted or progress if being restored)
Photo of serial number (required unless there is not one or it is a replica)
Photo(s) of any artwork on the aircraft (optional but interesting)

Tell why you are visiting this waymark along with any other interesting facts or personal experiences about the aircraft not already mentioned.
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