This Day in Aviation History
March 5th, 1943
First flight of the Gloster Meteor
 
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies’ only operational jet aircraft during the Second World War. The Meteor’s development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turbojet engines, pioneered by Sir Frank Whittle and his company, Power Jets Ltd. Development of the aircraft itself began in 1940, although work on the engines had been under way since 1936. The Meteor first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with No. 616 Squadron RAF. Nicknamed the “Meatbox”, the Meteor was not a sophisticated aircraft in its aerodynamics, but proved to be a successful combat fighter….
 
Source:
Wikipedia, Gloster Meteor: http://gstv.us/1U00fY5
 
YouTube, Classic Aircraft – Early Jets (Full Documentary 2015): http://gstv.us/1U00iDi
 
YouTube, Gloster Meteor Display: http://gstv.us/1U00nH0
By FlyingMachinesTV
 
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