Название: Meteor: Britan's First Jet-Powered Cold War Warrior
Автор(ы): Martyn Chorlton
Издательство: Kelsey Publishing
Серия: Aeroplane Icons
Год: 2012
ISBN: 978-1907426476
Страниц: 132
Язык: English
Формат: PDF
Размер: 102 MB
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. Gloster's 1946 civil Meteor F.4 demonstrator G-AIDC was the first civilian-registered jet aircraft in the world.