Meteor FR9

The Meteor FR9 was a post‑war fast‑response fighter‑reconnaissance aircraft produced by the Gloster Aircraft Company. Developed in the late 1940s, the FR9 derived its airframe from the earlier Gloster Javelin, but incorporated a more powerful Derwent V turbo‑jet and a streamlined nose housing a dual‑role radar‑photographic suite. First flight took place on 12 March 1949 at the company's Brockworth facility, and the type entered operational service with the Royal Air Force in 1951, serving primarily with No. 14 Squadron. Its key features included a swept‑back wing with leading‑edge slats, a pressurised cockpit equipped with ejector seats, and a modular payload bay capable of carrying both high‑resolution cameras and a lightweight air‑to‑air missile for self‑defence. The Meteor FR9 could attain a top speed of 720 km/h at altitude and a range of 1,800 km, allowing rapid reconnaissance over hostile territory. The aircraft’s significance lies in its pioneering integration of jet propulsion with dedicated photographic reconnaissance equipment, bridging the gap between wartime prop‑driven scouts and later supersonic spy platforms such as the English Electric Canberra. Its service demonstrated the strategic value of fast, high‑altitude intelligence gathering during the early Cold War.

Gloster Aircraft Company

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