Legends 24 by debbielove

Photography • Aviation • posted on Sep 06, 2014

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Description

Greetings Folks, Legends sweeps into action once more with a vintage jet.. Here is an Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.11.. I'm not sure if this is still airworthy, I took this on my first trip with my Nikon D40 at RAF Waddington many moons ago.. It was in 2009.. In order 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.. 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 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 and so it was born.. It did work, just, and several Mk's were made and a trainer version.. They severed overseas with the RAF in Singapore.. They were replaced by 1956 in the UK with Gloster Javelins.. It served with 5 airforces.. (various Mk's).. On a Meteor note, they are still in service today, even in the U.K. Martin Baker still use them testing their seats.. The oldest Jet aircraft flying is a Meteor.. Enjoy Rob

Comments (13)

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magnus073

9:19AM | Sat, 06 September 2014

Very nice work on another very cool presentation Rob. As always I very much enjoyed the detailed background info you provided.

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Richardphotos

10:14AM | Sat, 06 September 2014

great capture. seems like I may have seen one of these before

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bebopdlx

10:30AM | Sat, 06 September 2014

Another one I haven't seen before, very cool looking plane Rob.

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jayfar

1:22PM | Sat, 06 September 2014

A great shot and a wonderful old aircraft.

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blinkings

1:40PM | Sat, 06 September 2014

I loved my old D40 back in the day!

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neiwil

2:10PM | Sat, 06 September 2014

Great capture, fine aircraft and excellent info....I had no idea they still had one in service! That's quite amazing...

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Buffalo1

2:28PM | Sat, 06 September 2014

What a great shot of a plane I haven't seen before. It's hard to replace a classic like the Meteor and I'm delighted that they are still doing a good day's work.

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AliceFromLake

4:51PM | Sat, 06 September 2014

So many aircrafts there... I should move to England. :-)

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flavia49

5:34PM | Sat, 06 September 2014

fantastic

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goodoleboy

10:17PM | Sat, 06 September 2014

Stellar POV in this shot of the Meteor, Rob. Wow, how geometrically simplistic can you get with a jet design. Love those voluminous jet engines with the round intakes, the high horizontal tail, the typical radar nose structure, and that WWII cockpit canopy.

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