Musings on the Gloster Meteor

[monkeyhanger]

I was thinking about a night attack Gloster Meteor version from the late 1950s. The idea started with a conversion of a Matchbox/Revell night fighter variant. I have read somewhere about the "short legs" of the NF versions and the gun aiming problems caused by wing flexing. So how about converting the under fuselage fuel tank to take four 20mm or two 30mm cannon thus removing the wing flex/range problems.

[The Wooksta!]

Except by putting guns in the fuel tank, you're actively removing fuel from an aircraft that's already got short range!  Unless you're relocating it to the position formerly occupied by the wing cannons & ammo and/or giving it tip tanks.  Which means you can use the wing pylons to carry bombs.

I like the idea of the F8 with the wing guns as an 8 gunned ground attack aircraft.

[monkeyhanger]

Well spotted Wooksta, the next bit is to add wingtip tanks, which was proposed for several versions:

[monkeyhanger]

The zoom lense on the camera makes that wing tip tank look skew wiff. The rest of the components are:

[The Wooksta!]

The tank *is* skewed!  It should be parallel to the panel line from the aileron forwards.

Best of luck with filling the fuselage.  You'll need it.  Try P38 car body filler.  That Meteor is a horrible kit to build.  I can just about live with the wings but the fuselage...

I would have went with the NF14 and added a pair of bang seats.  I quite like the idea of light night interdictors being rebuilt from ex-RAF nightfighters for resale to tin pot third world air forces.  Kuwaiti perhaps?  Right time period for the troubles with Iraq in the early 60s.

[monkeyhanger]

OK, last efforts for this weekend. I'm away during the week so the putty has plenty of time to set! I'll be at it again next Sunday as the powers that be want me to work on Saturday. I know what you mean about the fuselage Wooksta, so I've slapped on plenty of body putty. Also gives me more scope to blend the wing tank into the wing. Looks like the first job new week is to sand it all down.

The components used so far are:

Matchbox Meteor NF11/12/14 - using the NF11 radome and NF14 canopy
Airfix mosquito 20mm cannon
Italeira (?) Hawk fuel tanks
Perhaps add a flight refueling probe?
Underwing bombs and 60lb rockets?

I've been thinking of colour scheme and all black is tempting but I do like the idea of browns and sands for Middle East service. Another Meteor idea was to turn the back seat round, trim the canopy to open and give the rear gunner a, well, a gun! Latest pics:

[Geoff]

I like this idea.
I was wondering about fitting tip tanks as I wanted to convert the underwing tanks to recce pods for an "FR-8" ?

[kitnut617]

A bit late to the party but this might help, it was called a Reaper

[Geoff]

Ahh, thank you.

[The Wooksta!]

I like this idea.
I was wondering about fitting tip tanks as I wanted to convert the underwing tanks to recce pods for an "FR-8" ?

The Hornets had an oblique camera fit for their drop tanks but they were never used.  I don't see why the front of a Meteor wing tank can't be given the same mod.

[Weaver]

I like this idea.
I was wondering about fitting tip tanks as I wanted to convert the underwing tanks to recce pods for an "FR-8" ?

The Hornets had an oblique camera fit for their drop tanks but they were never used.  I don't see why the front of a Meteor wing tank can't be given the same mod.

Remember the camera/fuel pods on Swiss Venoms?

[NARSES2]

Interesting - looking forward to this

[PR19_Kit]

A bit late to the party but this might help, it was called a Reaper

Mr Zurakowski's 'Cartwheeler' no less.

Some aeroplane, some pilot too!

[pyro-manic]

Looking good, monkeyhanger - I have a similar ground-attack machine planned based on an F.8 for my Aden/Yemen scenario.

[Geoff]

I like this idea.
I was wondering about fitting tip tanks as I wanted to convert the underwing tanks to recce pods for an "FR-8" ?

The Hornets had an oblique camera fit for their drop tanks but they were never used.  I don't see why the front of a Meteor wing tank can't be given the same mod.

That was the basic idea.