Gloster Aircraft Company
Meteor F1
The Gloster Meteor F.1 was the United Kingdom’s first operational jet fighter and the Allies’ first jet to see combat. Developed by the Gloster Aircraft Company in the early 1940s, the type emerged from the Ministry of Aircraft Production’s Specification E.1/44, which called for a high‑speed, all‑metal fighter powered by twin turbo‑jets. The prototype, WG 236, first flew on 12 March 1943, piloted by Michael Daunt, and demonstrated the viability of the de Havilland Goblin centrifugal‑flow engines. Production examples entered service with the Royal Air Force in July 1944, initially equipping No. 616 Squadron and later No. 263 Squadron for ground‑attack missions over Europe.
Key features included a streamlined, low‑drag airframe with a 35‑ft wingspan, two Goblin 2 engines delivering 3,300 lbf thrust, and a hydraulic‑operated armament of four 20 mm Hispano Mk V cannons. The Meteor’s all‑metal construction, tricycle landing gear, and emphasis on speed (top speed 588 mph at sea level) set new standards for fighter design. Although it saw limited combat, the Meteor proved the reliability of jet propulsion, accelerated post‑war aircraft development, and paved the way for later British jet icons such as the Hawker Hunter and Gloster Javelin, cementing its legacy in aviation history.
Key features included a streamlined, low‑drag airframe with a 35‑ft wingspan, two Goblin 2 engines delivering 3,300 lbf thrust, and a hydraulic‑operated armament of four 20 mm Hispano Mk V cannons. The Meteor’s all‑metal construction, tricycle landing gear, and emphasis on speed (top speed 588 mph at sea level) set new standards for fighter design. Although it saw limited combat, the Meteor proved the reliability of jet propulsion, accelerated post‑war aircraft development, and paved the way for later British jet icons such as the Hawker Hunter and Gloster Javelin, cementing its legacy in aviation history.