A Shower of Meteors

[F3]

It was sad to see on Forces TV News last week that Meteor NF11 WM167 has made its final flight. According to the report this was last flyable Meteor in the country and I'm wondering if this is true as I was not aware of Martin Baker's modified T7 having been grounded. Anyway here is a selection of images of an icon of British engineering. You'll gather from this post that I've bitten the bullet and paid to go Pro tho it was extremely painful extracting the card from out the wallet. Goes against my Yorkshire grain.

Meteor Prototype DG202 Cosford 2018 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Meteor 7 WF791 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Meteor T7 WA662 RAE IAT '81 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Meteor T7 WL419 Martin Baker Abingdon '90 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Meteor 8 WK991 IWM Duxford by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Meteor 8 VZ467 'Winston' taking off by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Meteor F8 Winston in 615 Sqn mks by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Meteor 8 VZ467 'Winston' Coventry 2000 (1) by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Meteor 8 VZ467 'Winston' Coventry 2000 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Meteor 8 VZ 467 Winston taxi - ing by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Meteor NF11 WD790 RAE IAT '81 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Meteor NF11 WM167 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Meteor NF11 WM167 Yorks Airshow '04 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Meteor NF11 WM167 Ch. Fenton '93 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Meteor F8 + NF11 with Canberra Coventry 2000 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Meteor NF11 WM167 Coventry 2000 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Meteor D16 WK800 RAE - Valley '92 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

[Petepilot]

Lovely nostalgia, brilliant British engineering.

[paddyboy]

Hi Michael

Some cracking Meatbox shots there

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy

[james baker]

Wonderful shots of British engineering leading the world thanks for posting.

[LM47]

Both WL419/ G-JSMA and WA638/G-JMWA are still showing as being currently registered but I haven't been able to find anything more recent than flights last July.
Perhaps they were referring to private rather than company aircraft?

[1marshn30]

WM167 was sold to a US owner so may be following the T7 across the pond
Ni

[F3]

WM167 was sold to a US owner so may be following the T7 across the pond
Ni

The impression given in the news report was that it had joined the Bruntingthorpe collection so hopefully that is where it will remain. Really think that there should be a ban on the export of historic a/c such as this which are part of our heritage.

[jaybee]

Good thread Mick, and I agree about some sort of ban.We are heading towards digital air shows on the internet, paying to view the planes a bit like Flickr.... km

[jem60]

A ban on aircraft sales?. Hmmm. These aircraft are owned by private companies, or private individuals who are surely entitled to make a return on the sale of the aircraft if nobody else comes up with the wherewithal. Difficult enough to part with a Hunter for a private individual, who has thousands invested in it. If it was Government owned, then that. perhaps becomes another matter. We could, of course, have a collection to fund yet another historic aircraft so that they stay in this country, which is extremely well catered for museumwise and heritagewise compared to many countries.........

[1marshn30]

Hi all not seen the news but if it is going just up the roAd it will hopefully be kept running
Bi

[jaybee]

Just worked on this copy and hope you don't mind me adding the old girl on here...

Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.11 'WM167' (G-LOSM)/ Cranfield 1998 by John Bilcliffe, on Flickr

[F3]

Always room for another quality pic John, esp of a sight that will never be seen again. Surprised that there was nt a tear in Dan Griffith's eye when he was interviewed after flying her in.

[jaybee]

Cheers Mick...He certainly wore a smile the day in 2003, he and the other chap delivered the vampire and Meteor as the new Heritage Pair, at Coventry in 2003.
These were copied from some negatives, so a bit jaded...But a good record from the time anyway...

img470 by jaycee1962, on Flickr

img471 by jaycee1962, on Flickr