Musings on the Gloster Meteor

[monkeyhanger]

Only a little sanding and filling work today. I've attached whr wings and discovered the large valleys at the wing roots. Also the tail on aircraft number two (OK, I'm building a backup!) wasn't true. So that came off again today. More filling and let it dry for the week. I've got some 60lb rockets and masses of bombs int he spares box. Four rockets and two 500lb bombs sound reasonable? I also read this week that firing the wing cannon tended to damage the underwing fuel tanks! Best to move the guns then. Also, what sort of air to ground radar would be suitable for this period (late 50s, early 60s)?

[monkeyhanger]

The successfully attached tail............

[kitnut617]

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!

Slightly off topic, but reading 'The Hornet File' again I found a comment that Zurakowski was rumoured to do the cartwheeling in the Hornet too

[PR19_Kit]

Slightly off topic, but reading 'The Hornet File' again I found a comment that Zurakowski was rumoured to do the cartwheeling in the Hornet too

I've read that too Robert, but never seen any photos etc. But I saw him do it in the Reaper with my own eyes at Farnborough, amazing flying!

[rickshaw]

Video of the Meteor cartwheeling - http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=78557  - about 2:00 minutes in.

[SPINNERS]

Nice find. Thanks!

[PR19_Kit]

Fantastic! 

That brought back some wonderful memories, thanks so much. I'd forgotten the re-heat Venom, that was REALLY loud, and I think the first time re-heat had ever been seen/heard by the great Brit public. Neville Duke in the prototype Hunter was seriously impressive, even then it looked like the Hunter had the legs over the Swift. I'd forgottn quite how weird the Sperrin looked then, like something off another planet. And the Vickers 508 needs modelling, and I have an original part built Frog Scimitar to hand, which is really an un-area-ruled N-113, so a pair of Attacker wings may find a new home. 

And I've only got half way though it so far. 

[The Wooksta!]

I think Project X (Maintrack) did the 508.  IIRC, the wings are much bigger than an Attacker's, a CF100 may be closer the mark..  I'll have a look in the Barrie Hygate book,

[PR19_Kit]

Lee,

I think they did too, but I've never even seen one, sad to say.

I agree about the Attacker wings, but they might make good outer sections, the 508 was a BIG piece of aeroplane for sure! I've got a couple of CF-100s in The Loft too...... 

[Weaver]

Video of the Meteor cartwheeling - http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=78557  - about 2:00 minutes in.

Splendid stuff old boy! </MODE=MR CHOLMONDLEY-WARNER>

Random thoughts:

The cartwheeling Meteor was outstanding: respect to Zura (as if any more were needed)

The Airspeed Ambassador was damn pretty.

The 508 looked very sprightly.

The Valiant looked awesome in natural metal - I swear I got a smell of hot oily metal as it was landing....

[kitnut617]

The first aircraft to appear in flight was the GAL Universal, that was an impressive bit of kit.  Just a few days ago I was reading an article about it in one of the Air-Britain quarterlies I get.

[rickshaw]

Olimp are promising (threatening?) a 508 for sometime in the future.

I agree the Sperrin looks like a throwback to early WWII.  Seriously BIG plane though.  The Brabazon in the background was HUGE!   

[PR19_Kit]

For 'GAL Universal' read 'Blackburn Beverly', of which it has been  said that the aircraft's test pilot, on its first flight, said to the First Officer 'My side's airborne, how about yours?' 

I like the way the English language seems to have changed somewhat since then, in aviation terms at least. The commentator talks about 'propellor turbins' for goodness sake! I can't ever remember anyone using that phrase before, and I was there, darn it!

[monkeyhanger]

After working most weekends for the last few weeks, I've had a day off because they replaced the main generator at work. Computers don't work very well without electricty, so I pressed on with the Meteor(s). The tail is a pig to fit, so I had to build a jig to hold the tail planes at the correct angle. The airframe is complete, just the last round of sanding and then add the flight refueling probe.

Armament will be four 20mm cannon, two 500lb bombs and four 60lb rockets, the latter donated by an Airfix Mosquito kit. Colour scheme will be mainly black with desert camoflage upper surfaces, to reflect the night attack role in the Middle East.

If I'm clever enough I'll try and make up a back story...........

Pictures coming soon.

[The Wooksta!]

The whole Matchbox kit is a pig to build.  They got too damn clever with the tool on that one.