Gloster Meteor Mk III
EE456
Long Nacel Late Version
AvHistory - Version-4.00.167

The Gloster Meteor Mk III (LNLV) fighter was developed by John "johno_UK" Benfield.  He has painted the plane as tail number EE239 a generic combat livery based in England to defend against the V-1 flying bomb during 1944.



The only Allied turbojet-powered aircraft to see combat during World War II, the Gloster Meteor was designed by George Carter, whose preliminary study gained Air Ministry approval in November 1940 under Specification F.9/40. Its twin-engine layout was determined by the low thrust produced by the turbojet engines then available.

The Meteor F.Mk III, the second and last mark to see operational service during World War II, had increased fuel capacity and a sliding bubble canopy in place of the sideways-opening hood of the Meteor Mk.l. Fifteen F.Mk IIIs were completed with Welland engines and 195 with Derwents, some in lengthened engine nacelles. The Derwent engines in the Mk III produced 2000 lbs of thrust improving the performance over the original Mk I Meteors.



Flight tests demonstrated that the original short nacelles, which extended fore and aft of the wing, contributed heavily to compressibility buffeting at high speed. New, longer nacelles not only cured some of the compressibility problems but added 120 km/h (75 mph) at altitude, even without upgraded powerplants.

The last batch of Meteor F 3s featured the longer nacelles while other F 3s were retrofitted in the field with the new nacelles.

The RAF began recieving Mk III Meteors in December of 1944. In 1945, Mk III's were deployed to the continent. However, these fighters were prohibited from flying over Germany to prevent capture. At any rate, Meteors did not encounter any German jet aircraft during the war.

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