Excellent presentation, and I thought, particularly scripted in explaining why the Meteor was selected ahead of contemporaries. Very clear and well-explained.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Once the (many) issues of such a revolutionary aircraft were ironed out, it was an impressive fighter. To that end, I think I will do something on its Korean War service at a later point.
Superb piece of work, you are providing and outstanding contribution to aviation history on UA-cam, another reason for Friday being the best day of the week…😉
@@notapoundexcellent video...recently built the Matchbox 1/72 scale model kit of this aircraft.....did mine as an NF 14. of nmbr 85 squadron based at RAF Church Fenton in Yorkshire back in 1958.
@@jaws848 I remember that kit and my mind kept drifting to it with every shot of the fighters airborne, peeling off... had to keep going back to keep up with the story!
Extremely interesting comparison of post war night fighters. Fortunately we will never know which of the types would have been superior in extended action. Thanks very much and I will be most interested in The Gloster Javelin.
Sir, I am a big fan of your videos, and also that you pull out for all our benefit some obscure and little known facets of military aviation history - keep up the good work! Apologies in advance though, there may be a slight error in this one - you state that the only air-to-air kill achieved by the Meteor NF variant was the one described in this video, in October 1956 - however according to the ACIG website and respected aviation historian Tom Cooper, a Syrian Air Force Meteor NF.13 shot down an RAF Canberra PR.7 a few days after the Suez crisis ended, in November 1956. So that being the case, this aeroplane scored two kills in its service life. Thank you again for all your hard work and such high quality and meticulously researched videos!
The content is absolutely first-rate and the video and graphics are well-chosen indeed; hugely illustrative as well as on point as the narration flows. But it's the last point that does it for me - your scripts are excellent: technically informative without being overly techy, striking the balance between dry fact and engaging use of language & idioms (there's another British military history UA-camr well-known and -regarded for that, of course), but your smooth, calm delivery is excellent. there's no hint of histrionics, no suggestion of a need to please, just talking about the subject in a very pleasant tone to listen to. Please keep this up. We are loving it, matey. Greetings from Dorset.
Another informative no thrills look at a little acknowledged version of a very well documented and successful 1st gen fighter. And again, an excellent contextual history as to its reason for being. This is the second of your contributions I have read and appreciated. DO NOT apologize for presenting "obscure" marks and models of aircraft, they are meat and drink for any half way serious enthusiast of ( particularly) post WW2 military aircraft. Well done. Cheers for now.
Considering that the Meteor was Britain's first jet fighter, it had really good stretch to be able to be modified and remain relevant well into the 50s. Kind of like how the F-80 became the T-33 and the F-94. Thanks for all the background and detail. You are creating very good content. In this video, I just noticed two early Soviet bombers I had never heard of - (that medium bomber and a picture of what looks like the TU-4 with jet engines replacing the pistons.) When you finish with all the American and British aircraft, it would be neat to hear about some of the forgotten Soviet creations as well. As for the israeli mission --- geez, can you imagine not minding killing an entire airliner full of passengers in order to get one general?? That is the kind of shit you would expect from the Nazis or the Soviets. When they talk about terrorism, it is sometimes like the pot calling the kettle black.
I think the historical context plays a significant role here. At this point in time, the Israeli armed forces were very much an underdog compared to their neighbors. Neighbors that mere few years before did their very best to destroy the state of Israel. Combine this with a mindset of being a Holocaust survivors, and those international laws (that were very much broken by this attack) start to seem a little bit less important? Not that it's an excuse to do something like that.
@@PavelD83 Yeah, this is a good point of context. The Israelis have *always* fought dirty, but then they've been taught by others that war *is* murder, so they make sure they murder the other side first. And that's how little David wins wars. We might not (and certainly don't have to) approve or like it, but god damn it works.
THE Gloster Meatbox was never an effective fighter aircraft, during WW2 and in the postwar/cold war era. The RAF never used the Meatbox in the Fighter role
The practice of having one Hawker company build anothers aircraft was quite common. Apart from the prototypes, all the Hawker Typhoons were built by Gloster and most Hawker Sea Hawks were made by Armstrong Whitworth.
Another superb video, and a chance for me not only to receive an introduction to an aircraft with which I was not familiar, but to learn about it in context of contemporary systems and the times in which it served. You have a knack for converting your passion into an educational and enjoyable experience for 'fellow travelers'. The rest of us are the better for it. Thank you, again.
The early cold-war jets are the best looking and most interesting, I can't get enough of that period. Since there were so many unknowns, designers would throw all kinds of crap at the wall to see what sticks. It made for both awesomely futuristic and hideously goofy designs.
Excellent video. The Vampire and Mosquito references got me thinking about a film I've been anticipating. The Shepherd based on the novel. Is there any word on its release?
Very well done, sir. A very well produced and informative piece. I particular appreciate the measured approach to your commentary and the lack of attention grabbing (but entirely unnecessary) superlatives, which seem to be almost expected in such production these days.
Fantastic stuff as alway, I am really enjoying the deep dives into the early Cold War planes and the context they were used in and developed from. That goes for all the planes, so the look at the Meteor is much appreciated.
👍Just subscribed. Great video. You did a good job fitting in so much relevant content. Tend to agree that Meteor development into Meteor N.F. was a sound decision at the time. It was a low risk option that ticked the box as an interim N.F. No use having the best fair weather day fighters if the enemy comes stalking on the foulest of nights.
Thanks for subscribing and glad you liked the video. I didn’t really appreciate the Meteor when I was a kid - it seemed a little unexciting. Researching this and similar videos made me realise that there is value in stable, adaptable platforms like this one. They enable quick fixes to strategic problems. Given that the first objective is to prevent a war, that perhaps outweighs the tactical value of a silver bullet.
Gratifying to learn an informed author from a much younger generation taking an interest in a relatively obscure version of a machine that was part of the mainstay of my own generation. Superb research uncovering facts and details hitherto unknown. Having witnessed Meteor NF versions fly at Airshows this brings back memories. Interesting comparisons with the Lockheed F-94 Starfire. A tantalising prospect the F-89 Scorpion in Royal Airforce service
Time and again, you fill in the gaps of aircraft history, shedding light on aircraft normally deemed unworthy of covering. The results are superb, enjoyable episodes where I feel enlightened and entertained. Thank you for making these!
Unworthy because you never heard of it?, the Avro CF-100 and its license built brother the NF-11 were NATO's only all weather interceptors during the early Cold War years
Excellent video and an excursion into the unusual is always fascinating. The late 40's till the mid 60's was a fascinating and innovating time in military aircraft development, more or less a huge leap in aeronautics and avionics brought about by fresh thinking from younger minds.
Fascinating for me. My dad was a nav/radar operator just after the war. Started on Mossie 36s, then Meteor 13s (Egypt and Cyprus) then Venom NF2s, finally Javelins. He has two "troglodyte" references in his logbook just before the Venom, don't think he liked the seating arrangement!
Great video. Just recently found your channel and your clean presentation style and interesting topics make it great! Just be careful to either rewatch the final video or pass it by someone before you make it public, as you had a couple of rereads/bloopers included in the video for the delta dagger! Tiny quality control thing, but thought I should mention it! Otherwise, excellent stuff! I look forwards to your next one.
This channel only having 10k subs is ridiculous for the quality of the content; though I have a feeling that number will be increasing steadily for the foreseeable future. Just thought I'd add that comment to help the Algorithm Gods.
Cool and unusual subject matter, very interesting. Love these NF versions of the Meteor. 👍Very cool! Also loved the comparison between this and the F-94 Starfire too. Love your videos
@strategyfromtherightbrain wow that will be super cool! Love the F-102 and 106 but don't know much about the Javelin but it is a cool looking aircraft. Also you have a great voice for narrating by the way👍
Thank you for posting this! I'll always remember the time I rode my bicycle up to Portland Airport, just to see what was happening. As luck would have it, I was riding past the end of the runway right as an Air National Guard F-89 Scorpion took off with full afterburners. Excellent!! I always liked the Meteor. Wonder how it would'a worked with axial flow turbojets?
Good video! Everyone was stretching available tech to the absolute limit. Thankfully it was never put to its ultimate use--defending the UK in a shooting war. Another little-known night fighter that was actually fairly successful is the Douglas SkyKnight; is it somewhere down the list?
Thanks for the comment - appreciate you taking the time. I am gathering material on the Javelin - it will be a longer presentation than this one and I want to get it right... which is why I needed to get myself up to speed with the Meteor and Vampire night fighters first. I'd estimate the Javelin will be early in the New Year, but we will see!
@@notapound Harmonious dragmaster! Add external tanks, to reduce range... Engage reheat, to slow down... I've seen both claims more than once but haven't looked too deep into it so don't know if they're actually true, part of me hopes they are though for the comedy value.
That monstrous boarding ladder on the Javelin made me giggle. It looked more purposeful, dangerous and over-engineered than the aircraft itself. I guess I'm easily amused in my old age. The development of the night/all-weather Meteor puts me on mind of the virtually identical and fraught American attempts to make the same thing from the off-the-shelf T-33/P-80 family. This, too, went on in the late-'40s, early '50s. The result was the F-94 Starfire, whose service was long (for the time) and thoroughly undistinguished. (I'm leaving this mostly redundant comment up as an example of the jackassery that can result when you comment before the video is over.)
Just caught up to you. Years and years back I worked with a pilot from Argentina who had flown the Meteor when it was operational with their air force. He said it flew well but that the loiter time was measured in minutes.
Great video! I had no idea that the Meteor was used as a night fighter nor did I know it was in Israeli service. It looks something like the later Lockheed U2. Very interesting.
@bfc3057 No - I was 'quick' about telling you a U2 is not a Meteor look alike - nor that it had two engines. I have nothing to add to your query about what you think the pods are for - instrument packages probably. This video is about the AW Meteor variants.
8:00 Was this originally a black and white photograph that was later colourised? Unless it’s French, the colours of the roundel are the wrong way around! However the fin flash is painted correctly for an RAF aircraft. Edit: Having read the Wikipedia article for the Meteor, it’s possible that the Meteor in the photograph is French. Escadre de Chasse (EC) 30 used NF mk.11s between 1953 and 1957. Some of their surviving Meteors were there then used for test beds in Concorde development and research.
Great video. Now I love a series on British jet night fighters,and day fighters and bombers. It is something we don't hear about over here on our side of the pond. Maybe some videos on early Swedish jet fighters too.
You’ve read my mind on that one. I’m gathering materials on the 21r and 29r… might take a little while but I’ll get there. Glad you enjoyed the video. Appreciate the comment!
Lots of (presumably Canadian) commenters here asking about CF100 comparisons. Well the CF100 and F89 fit into the evolution gap mentioned here in the video between the Meteor and its long-term successor the Javelin. Ditto the F94 and F102/6
My plan is to cover the CF100 and the Voodoo in the coming months. The former is actually quite hard to research because there is so much material... but I'm getting there slowly!
Thanks for the comment. Yes, I do plan to do a much more in depth look at that subject in the coming months. Although I think the basic research I did was okay, I didn't do a good enough job at comparing the design philosophies of the two aircraft or the different phases of that battle... but I think I'm getting there now :)
Pity the cannon armament wasn't fitted in the ventral position for more accuracy & extra fuel in the wings instead on the Meteor , we had an example outside Eastern/Boarder Radar at RAF Watton until its closure in 1992 , as I understand this was taken away to be preserved but sadly the main spar had deteriorated quite badly after sitting so long outside.
The Gloster Meatbox was hastily converted into a jet from a twin propeller driven nightfighter design that was to be powered by two Bristol Centurus engines.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 Hello Sandyboy, I see you are trotting out that *LIE* again. I take it you will fail as usual to successfully identify your mythical 'twin propeller driven nightfighter design that was to be powered by two Bristol Centurus engines' . Sandyboy, do you remember when you claimed it was the G39 Reaper and got so ridiculed you deleted all your posts! That was so *FUNNY* . And then Sandyboy you came up with 'The Thunderbolt' and the only viable aircraft was the Japanese Aichi S1A Denko! Bit ambitious of the Japanese to choose the Bristol centaurus.
The Canberra was the replacement for the Mosquito bomber and the Meteor Nf11 was the temporary replacement for the Mosquito Night fighter variant After WW2 the UK had a huge aeronautical development and manufacturing capability and the technological advances were exponential but developments in Radars and Missiles were outpacing the aircraft and the UK Government stepped in and decimated the UK's aviation industry with the 1957 white Paper. The Canberra was so good that the RAF found they could not intercept it with any of their current aircraft like the Meteor and an adversary would soon develop similar bombers, and many radical designed aircraft were at a late stage of development but cancelled, with only one surviving the cuts and carnage, the Electric Lightning. It actually entered service as an "Operational Development Aircraft" and the RAF insisted that it was to form part of an integrated weapon system carrying the Blue Jay Missile, no guns , that it be "All Weather" and fully aerobatic, It was the last Operational Supersonic aircraft made entirely by the UK. Funds were always short but the RAF loved it and found many ways to "develop" it's talents, including fitting RR Avon 302r's producing 40,000 lb of thrust in a frame less than 28,000 lb. The performance of the EEL was exceptional and was a direct result of having to deal with the replacement for the Mosquito,
You might have compared the Meteor against the near contemporary AVRO Canada C100 Canuck (aka, the “Clunk”). The Canuck was much faster, had better acceleration and one-engine characteristics and had a good radar and fuel range.
The Clunk was a couple of years behind the Meteor NFs, not reaching full operational capability until 1954/5, making it a “gen 1.5” jet and putting it more on a time-par with the F89 than first-genners like the F94 and Meteor. A couple of years was a huge differentiator in those days.
The Canuck was a timeline contemporary to the F89 which, as the video narrated, thanks to being just a couple of years more into the jet age, was a big leap forwards over the F94 and Meteors
Vietnam? They kept the 'Night going a long long time, they were very sound aircraft. Edit- They called em the hungry hippo or the hog or something like that.
Thanks for the comment. I believe that they tried to intercept a Canberra but couldn’t fly high enough. Later on I think they succeeded scoring some hits on one using a MiG-15, but I may well be mistaken.
@@notapound Ok, I've done some checking up. Knew I'd read it somewhere. On 6th November 1956 a Canberra PR.7 (WH799) from 58 Sqn, flying out of Akrotiri, was intercepted and shot down by a Syrian air force Meteor NF.13. It crashed in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon with the lost of the navigator, Flg Off Urquhart-Pullen. The other two crew ejected - pilot Flt Lt Hunter & Flt Lt Small. The Syrian pilots names were al-Garudry and al-Assasa.
Correct, the NF-11 was a license built version of the Avro CF-100 all weather interceptor. The CF-100 and its progeny remained NATO's only capable all weather fighter for at least a decade
The NF-11 had nothing to do with the Avro CF-100. It was developed from the Meteor T.7 two seat trainer and is a direct descendant of the F.1 variants of ww2.@@brentdallyn8459
Only toward the middle of the video is the full context given of the shoot down. This was no airliner full of innocent passengers. It was a military aircraft carrying senior officers of the Arab armies. It was a perfectly legitimate target. Well done the IAF.
The shoot down of the “officers plane” was the prelude to “operation Kadesh” that started the following day. This was a delegation of Egyptian army to Syria to coordinate their operations. The Meteor pilot was quite experienced. He flew so slow alongside the Ilyushin in order to positively identify it. The pilot report seeing people in uniform through the windows. Near the stall speed, the jamming of the cannons on one side, made the recoil from the other wing cannons throw the plane into a spin. The 2nd time the pilot pulled out the flaps, but the recoil still spun the plane. The Meteor was a terrible fighter and extremely prone to spinning. I like it, it’s a cool aircraft, but it was not a great fighter.
Interesting assessment that the RAF and USAF both ended up with aircraft betting suited to the other airforce. Great video.
Excellent presentation, and I thought, particularly scripted in explaining why the Meteor was selected ahead of contemporaries. Very clear and well-explained.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Once the (many) issues of such a revolutionary aircraft were ironed out, it was an impressive fighter. To that end, I think I will do something on its Korean War service at a later point.
The Meatbox was not selected, it was by default the only twin engine British jet available.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 Sandyboy, two is not the only quantity.
Superb piece of work, you are providing and outstanding contribution to aviation history on UA-cam, another reason for Friday being the best day of the week…😉
Thank you for the kind comment - that has made me very happy this (rainy) Friday!
@@notapoundexcellent video...recently built the Matchbox 1/72 scale model kit of this aircraft.....did mine as an NF 14. of nmbr 85 squadron based at RAF Church Fenton in Yorkshire back in 1958.
@@jaws848 I remember that kit and my mind kept drifting to it with every shot of the fighters airborne, peeling off... had to keep going back to keep up with the story!
@@AndrewGivens nicevone,Andrew.👍👍👍🍻🍻🍻
Extremely interesting comparison of post war night fighters. Fortunately we will never know which of the types would have been superior in extended action. Thanks very much and I will be most interested in The Gloster Javelin.
Sir, I am a big fan of your videos, and also that you pull out for all our benefit some obscure and little known facets of military aviation history - keep up the good work! Apologies in advance though, there may be a slight error in this one - you state that the only air-to-air kill achieved by the Meteor NF variant was the one described in this video, in October 1956 - however according to the ACIG website and respected aviation historian Tom Cooper, a Syrian Air Force Meteor NF.13 shot down an RAF Canberra PR.7 a few days after the Suez crisis ended, in November 1956. So that being the case, this aeroplane scored two kills in its service life. Thank you again for all your hard work and such high quality and meticulously researched videos!
Shaping up as a truly excellent channel. In only 15 or so vids. Very impressed.
The content is absolutely first-rate and the video and graphics are well-chosen indeed; hugely illustrative as well as on point as the narration flows.
But it's the last point that does it for me - your scripts are excellent: technically informative without being overly techy, striking the balance between dry fact and engaging use of language & idioms (there's another British military history UA-camr well-known and -regarded for that, of course), but your smooth, calm delivery is excellent. there's no hint of histrionics, no suggestion of a need to please, just talking about the subject in a very pleasant tone to listen to.
Please keep this up. We are loving it, matey.
Greetings from Dorset.
Thanks so much for the nice comment. Made my evening :)
Another informative no thrills look at a little acknowledged version of a very well documented and successful 1st gen fighter. And again, an excellent contextual history as to its reason for being. This is the second of your contributions I have read and appreciated. DO NOT apologize for presenting "obscure" marks and models of aircraft, they are meat and drink for any half way serious enthusiast of ( particularly) post WW2 military aircraft. Well done. Cheers for now.
Considering that the Meteor was Britain's first jet fighter, it had really good stretch to be able to be modified and remain relevant well into the 50s. Kind of like how the F-80 became the T-33 and the F-94.
Thanks for all the background and detail. You are creating very good content.
In this video, I just noticed two early Soviet bombers I had never heard of - (that medium bomber and a picture of what looks like the TU-4 with jet engines replacing the pistons.) When you finish with all the American and British aircraft, it would be neat to hear about some of the forgotten Soviet creations as well.
As for the israeli mission --- geez, can you imagine not minding killing an entire airliner full of passengers in order to get one general?? That is the kind of shit you would expect from the Nazis or the Soviets. When they talk about terrorism, it is sometimes like the pot calling the kettle black.
I think the historical context plays a significant role here. At this point in time, the Israeli armed forces were very much an underdog compared to their neighbors. Neighbors that mere few years before did their very best to destroy the state of Israel. Combine this with a mindset of being a Holocaust survivors, and those international laws (that were very much broken by this attack) start to seem a little bit less important?
Not that it's an excuse to do something like that.
@@PavelD83 Yeah, this is a good point of context. The Israelis have *always* fought dirty, but then they've been taught by others that war *is* murder, so they make sure they murder the other side first. And that's how little David wins wars. We might not (and certainly don't have to) approve or like it, but god damn it works.
@@PavelD83A good assessment. Thanks for the bit of context, it can’t be easy living surrounded by nations trying to eliminate them. Still, dramatic.
Do not forget the Meteor killed more pilots then the Luftwaffe in BOB did!
THE Gloster Meatbox was never an effective fighter aircraft, during WW2 and in the postwar/cold war era.
The RAF never used the Meatbox in the Fighter role
The practice of having one Hawker company build anothers aircraft was quite common. Apart from the prototypes, all the Hawker Typhoons were built by Gloster and most Hawker Sea Hawks were made by Armstrong Whitworth.
Another superb video, and a chance for me not only to receive an introduction to an aircraft with which I was not familiar, but to learn about it in context of contemporary systems and the times in which it served. You have a knack for converting your passion into an educational and enjoyable experience for 'fellow travelers'. The rest of us are the better for it. Thank you, again.
And now I'm really looking forward to that Javelin/Delta Dagger video...
I've been loving your deep dives into various early night fighters and interceptors, and look forward to seeing more of them
Beautiful work on the video. I’m fascinated by the early Cold War era and the almost experimental design of jet fighters in concert. Thanks mate!
The early cold-war jets are the best looking and most interesting, I can't get enough of that period.
Since there were so many unknowns, designers would throw all kinds of crap at the wall to see what sticks. It made for both awesomely futuristic and hideously goofy designs.
Excellent video. The Vampire and Mosquito references got me thinking about a film I've been anticipating. The Shepherd based on the novel. Is there any word on its release?
I do hope we’re going to get a follow up on the night fighter variant of the Venom.
Thanks for the comment. You are going to get a video on the Vampire night fighter in two weeks... and you thought that this one was niche!!
Strewth! I honestly thought the Vampire night fighter got cancelled!
Very well done, sir. A very well produced and informative piece. I particular appreciate the measured approach to your commentary and the lack of attention grabbing (but entirely unnecessary) superlatives, which seem to be almost expected in such production these days.
Agreed. It's like a bloody great breath of fresh air.
Fantastic stuff as alway, I am really enjoying the deep dives into the early Cold War planes and the context they were used in and developed from. That goes for all the planes, so the look at the Meteor is much appreciated.
👍Just subscribed. Great video. You did a good job fitting in so much relevant content. Tend to agree that Meteor development into Meteor N.F. was a sound decision at the time. It was a low risk option that ticked the box as an interim N.F. No use having the best fair weather day fighters if the enemy comes stalking on the foulest of nights.
Thanks for subscribing and glad you liked the video. I didn’t really appreciate the Meteor when I was a kid - it seemed a little unexciting. Researching this and similar videos made me realise that there is value in stable, adaptable platforms like this one. They enable quick fixes to strategic problems.
Given that the first objective is to prevent a war, that perhaps outweighs the tactical value of a silver bullet.
Gratifying to learn an informed author from a much younger generation taking an interest in a relatively obscure version of a machine that was part of the mainstay of my own generation.
Superb research uncovering facts and details hitherto unknown.
Having witnessed Meteor NF versions fly at Airshows this brings back memories.
Interesting comparisons with the Lockheed F-94 Starfire.
A tantalising prospect the F-89 Scorpion in Royal Airforce service
I wish I could go back and briefly fly all the aircraft you cover. You write very vividly pictures of what it was like back then.
Time and again, you fill in the gaps of aircraft history, shedding light on aircraft normally deemed unworthy of covering. The results are superb, enjoyable episodes where I feel enlightened and entertained. Thank you for making these!
Unworthy because you never heard of it?, the Avro CF-100 and its license built brother the NF-11 were NATO's only all weather interceptors during the early Cold War years
My time was well spent watching this presentation! Well done, sir!
Really glad you enjoyed it :). Thanks!
Great to see the UK cold war
air defence problem explained like this
This channel started well and just gets better. Thanks from Brooklyn, mate.
Thank you for the comment. Glad you’re enjoying the videos :).
Excellent video and an excursion into the unusual is always fascinating. The late 40's till the mid 60's was a fascinating and innovating time in military aircraft development, more or less a huge leap in aeronautics and avionics brought about by fresh thinking from younger minds.
I love nightfighters so thank you for covering this little known gem.
Superb video and wonderful narration - all without the aid of a crappy music track! Bravo!
A comparison of the Javelin with the F-102 would be really interesting. I don't think I've ever come across one.
Really interesting analysis. Thank you.
Fascinating for me. My dad was a nav/radar operator just after the war. Started on Mossie 36s, then Meteor 13s (Egypt and Cyprus) then Venom NF2s, finally Javelins. He has two "troglodyte" references in his logbook just before the Venom, don't think he liked the seating arrangement!
Great video. Just recently found your channel and your clean presentation style and interesting topics make it great!
Just be careful to either rewatch the final video or pass it by someone before you make it public, as you had a couple of rereads/bloopers included in the video for the delta dagger! Tiny quality control thing, but thought I should mention it!
Otherwise, excellent stuff! I look forwards to your next one.
Excellent! I wasn't aware of this version of the Meteor.
Excellent presentation, thanks.
Nice blend of history and technology.
This channel only having 10k subs is ridiculous for the quality of the content; though I have a feeling that number will be increasing steadily for the foreseeable future.
Just thought I'd add that comment to help the Algorithm Gods.
Appreciate it! Thank you!
Thank you for your efforts. The videos you produce are always interesting and informative.
Thank you for producing this video
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it!
Extremely well done and enjoyable--thanks very much. New favorite channel.
Cool and unusual subject matter, very interesting. Love these NF versions of the Meteor. 👍Very cool! Also loved the comparison between this and the F-94 Starfire too. Love your videos
Really glad you enjoyed it - I had a great time researching it… now I need to do the F-102, Javelin & Canuck comparison. One for the ages!
@strategyfromtherightbrain wow that will be super cool! Love the F-102 and 106 but don't know much about the Javelin but it is a cool looking aircraft. Also you have a great voice for narrating by the way👍
Just excellent from an old RO with a few hours in the 94C who moved onward and upward. Thank you sir. Ro
Superb is the word! Another night fighter that comes to mind of this period is the F3D. A suggestion for your special attention in the future!
Superb video as always.
Awesome video, really enjoyed it. Something on the Delta Dagger would be nice!
Just come across your channel, and was so delighted by this presentation I have subscribed. Thank you. RAF Vet.
I'm really enjoying this channel, keep up the good work.
My first RAF service was with Meteor NF 12s & 14s with 85 Sqn at West Malling in Kent in 1957
Thank you for posting this! I'll always remember the time I rode my bicycle up to Portland Airport, just to see what was happening. As luck would have it, I was riding past the end of the runway right as an Air National Guard F-89 Scorpion took off with full afterburners. Excellent!! I always liked the Meteor. Wonder how it would'a worked with axial flow turbojets?
Hardly any difference in performance.
A good comparison would also have been made between the Canadian CF-100 Canuck and the NF Meteor
I think an unfair comparison. The CF-100 was newer by a few years, and a purpose built interceptor, like the Scorpion.
How right you are, the NF Meteor was a license built version of the CF-100
@@brentdallyn8459 No, it was not. They were completely different aircraft.
Another good vid!
Thanks
Impressive! I really enjoy your approach to the subject matter.
Really nice! This along with the Nimrod is, in my view, one of the most British early cold war aircraft.
Very good video. Just subbed.
In addition to the Meteor, the Vampire and Venom, both of which are mentioned here, were produced in successful night fighter versions.
Thanks for the comment - appreciate you taking the time. Vampire to come in a fortnight. I haven't started on the Venom yet though...
Great stuff. Please do one on the Gloster Javelin. I have subscribed.
Good video! Everyone was stretching available tech to the absolute limit. Thankfully it was never put to its ultimate use--defending the UK in a shooting war.
Another little-known night fighter that was actually fairly successful is the Douglas SkyKnight; is it somewhere down the list?
The Skynight is very much on the list. It really is a fascinating plane and I'm giving it some time to try and do it justice :)
@@notapound Performancewise, the Skyknight seemed to be a bit of a dog, but it did some good work.
This was a great video, thank you.
Very good presentation of this aircraft.any plans for the gloster javelin
Thanks for the comment - appreciate you taking the time. I am gathering material on the Javelin - it will be a longer presentation than this one and I want to get it right... which is why I needed to get myself up to speed with the Meteor and Vampire night fighters first. I'd estimate the Javelin will be early in the New Year, but we will see!
@@notapound
Harmonious dragmaster!
Add external tanks, to reduce range...
Engage reheat, to slow down...
I've seen both claims more than once but haven't looked too deep into it so don't know if they're actually true, part of me hopes they are though for the comedy value.
That monstrous boarding ladder on the Javelin made me giggle. It looked more purposeful, dangerous and over-engineered than the aircraft itself. I guess I'm easily amused in my old age.
The development of the night/all-weather Meteor puts me on mind of the virtually identical and fraught American attempts to make the same thing from the off-the-shelf T-33/P-80 family. This, too, went on in the late-'40s, early '50s. The result was the F-94 Starfire, whose service was long (for the time) and thoroughly undistinguished.
(I'm leaving this mostly redundant comment up as an example of the jackassery that can result when you comment before the video is over.)
I appreciated the comment, thank you! I love the Starfire. A flawed but in some ways decent fighter.
Good work!!
Thanks, I enjoy your vids very much
For anyone in the area the Jet Age museum at Gloucester has an NF or two to look at.
Nicely presented. Scorpion would rule? Thank god we never had to use any of these!
Your content is superb, new subscriber here!
Thank you! Lots more to come!
Brilliant!!! Thank You!!!
Just caught up to you. Years and years back I worked with a pilot from Argentina who had flown the Meteor when it was operational with their air force. He said it flew well but that the loiter time was measured in minutes.
You just have to follow this up with Javelin vs F102 !
You read my mind...
Great video! I had no idea that the Meteor was used as a night fighter nor did I know it was in Israeli service. It looks something like the later Lockheed U2. Very interesting.
It was the Canberra that was used to overfly Russia for photo recon missions.
A Meteor looks nothing at all like a U2.
@@bfc3057 There were NO 'twin engine ' versions of the Lockheed U2.
@bfc3057 No - I was 'quick' about telling you a U2 is not a Meteor look alike - nor that it had two engines. I have nothing to add to your query about what you think the pods are for - instrument packages probably. This video is about the AW Meteor variants.
8:00 Was this originally a black and white photograph that was later colourised? Unless it’s French, the colours of the roundel are the wrong way around! However the fin flash is painted correctly for an RAF aircraft.
Edit: Having read the Wikipedia article for the Meteor, it’s possible that the Meteor in the photograph is French. Escadre de Chasse (EC) 30 used NF mk.11s between 1953 and 1957. Some of their surviving Meteors were there then used for test beds in Concorde development and research.
Excellent.
Its 80 F. clear with an overcast sky in Madison, Mississippi, USA.
Great video. Now I love a series on British jet night fighters,and day fighters and bombers. It is something we don't hear about over here on our side of the pond. Maybe some videos on early Swedish jet fighters too.
You’ve read my mind on that one. I’m gathering materials on the 21r and 29r… might take a little while but I’ll get there.
Glad you enjoyed the video. Appreciate the comment!
Very interesting!
Good video
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the comment.
They did a similar thing to the Canberra later. Lot of processing electronic boxes with their radar domes, hence the long nose.
Lots of (presumably Canadian) commenters here asking about CF100 comparisons. Well the CF100 and F89 fit into the evolution gap mentioned here in the video between the Meteor and its long-term successor the Javelin. Ditto the F94 and F102/6
My plan is to cover the CF100 and the Voodoo in the coming months. The former is actually quite hard to research because there is so much material... but I'm getting there slowly!
Great stuff. I saw you took down the F-86/MiG-15 comparison video. Whatever the reason do you plan on redoing that one at some point?
Thanks for the comment. Yes, I do plan to do a much more in depth look at that subject in the coming months. Although I think the basic research I did was okay, I didn't do a good enough job at comparing the design philosophies of the two aircraft or the different phases of that battle... but I think I'm getting there now :)
This video shows an awesome feat of engineering, the plane is genius too. 😁
Pity the cannon armament wasn't fitted in the ventral position for more accuracy & extra fuel in the wings instead on the Meteor , we had an example outside Eastern/Boarder Radar at RAF Watton until its closure in 1992 , as I understand this was taken away to be preserved but sadly the main spar had deteriorated quite badly after sitting so long outside.
If there were any components from Lucas Electric, well...
PLEASE! Do the Javelin-Dagger video!
Why weren't the guns put in the inboard wing sections or slung under the fuselage?
I would assume that part of the wing already had smtng in it, it looks like they just lengthened the outer wing section.
Gun gases would cause compressor stalls in these early engines
The Gloster Meatbox was hastily converted into a jet from a twin propeller driven nightfighter design that was to be powered by two Bristol Centurus engines.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 Hello Sandyboy, I see you are trotting out that *LIE* again.
I take it you will fail as usual to successfully identify your mythical 'twin propeller driven nightfighter design that was to be powered by two Bristol Centurus engines' .
Sandyboy, do you remember when you claimed it was the G39 Reaper and got so ridiculed you deleted all your posts! That was so *FUNNY* .
And then Sandyboy you came up with 'The Thunderbolt' and the only viable aircraft was the Japanese Aichi S1A Denko! Bit ambitious of the Japanese to choose the Bristol centaurus.
@sandervanderkammen9230 Nope. A conversion of the Meteor was to a twin turboprop, however that was only one prototype.
The Canberra was the replacement for the Mosquito bomber and the Meteor Nf11 was the temporary replacement for the Mosquito Night fighter variant
After WW2 the UK had a huge aeronautical development and manufacturing capability and the technological advances were exponential but developments in Radars and Missiles were outpacing the aircraft and the UK Government stepped in and decimated the UK's aviation industry with the 1957 white Paper.
The Canberra was so good that the RAF found they could not intercept it with any of their current aircraft like the Meteor and an adversary would soon develop similar bombers, and many radical designed aircraft were at a late stage of development but cancelled, with only one surviving the cuts and carnage, the Electric Lightning.
It actually entered service as an "Operational Development Aircraft" and the RAF insisted that it was to form part of an integrated weapon system carrying the Blue Jay Missile, no guns , that it be "All Weather" and fully aerobatic, It was the last Operational Supersonic aircraft made entirely by the UK.
Funds were always short but the RAF loved it and found many ways to "develop" it's talents, including fitting RR Avon 302r's producing 40,000 lb of thrust in a frame less than 28,000 lb.
The performance of the EEL was exceptional and was a direct result of having to deal with the replacement for the Mosquito,
You might have compared the Meteor against the near contemporary AVRO Canada C100 Canuck (aka, the “Clunk”). The Canuck was much faster, had better acceleration and one-engine characteristics and had a good radar and fuel range.
Also better than the Gloster Javelin
@@patrickskelton3610ooh that’s pushing it somewhat!
The Clunk was a couple of years behind the Meteor NFs, not reaching full operational capability until 1954/5, making it a “gen 1.5” jet and putting it more on a time-par with the F89 than first-genners like the F94 and Meteor. A couple of years was a huge differentiator in those days.
The Clunk was a much better machine than the F89 - again, more power, better aerodynamics and performance.
@@assessor1276 Also, the accident rate for the F89 was high.
i love this man
Wonder how the Canuck would compare to the meteor NF and Scorpion...
The Canuck was a timeline contemporary to the F89 which, as the video narrated, thanks to being just a couple of years more into the jet age, was a big leap forwards over the F94 and Meteors
Very well, the NF-11 was a license built version of the Canuck
My dad flew the American equivalent to it, the Douglas F3D.
Vietnam? They kept the 'Night going a long long time, they were very sound aircraft.
Edit- They called em the hungry hippo or the hog or something like that.
I wonder if a NF version of the Canberra was ever considered.
5:04 is that a Tu-4 with jets on it?!
A plane so ugly it can only fly at night to stop the normal meteors planes from bullying it
Looks like a bell end.😅
I suppose most people watching this channel would understand what is meant by "military power".
Didn't the Syrian air force use one of their NF.13s to shoot down an RAF Canberra in 1956??? I'm sure I've read that somewhere.
Thanks for the comment. I believe that they tried to intercept a Canberra but couldn’t fly high enough. Later on I think they succeeded scoring some hits on one using a MiG-15, but I may well be mistaken.
@@notapound Ok, I've done some checking up. Knew I'd read it somewhere. On 6th November 1956 a Canberra PR.7 (WH799) from 58 Sqn, flying out of Akrotiri, was intercepted and shot down by a Syrian air force Meteor NF.13. It crashed in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon with the lost of the navigator, Flg Off Urquhart-Pullen. The other two crew ejected - pilot Flt Lt Hunter & Flt Lt Small. The Syrian pilots names were al-Garudry and al-Assasa.
5:02 What plane is that?
The Petlyakov Pe-8
1:15
Why is Germany 🇩🇪 the strongest nation in Europe for the past 80 years and counting ?
Sounds like a war crime to me, lol. Thanks for the video!
Israeli war crime?! Naaaaaaahhhh...
Israelis are worse than the Nazis
Today New York state is about 19 million.
8mil of that in the city.
UK now 70million
I should have clarified - I was using contemporary numbers for population.
But what about the Canadian all weather fighter? Forgoteen the name but it was reputed to be better than both.
Correct, the NF-11 was a license built version of the Avro CF-100 all weather interceptor. The CF-100 and its progeny remained NATO's only capable all weather fighter for at least a decade
The NF-11 had nothing to do with the Avro CF-100. It was developed from the Meteor T.7 two seat trainer and is a direct descendant of the F.1 variants of ww2.@@brentdallyn8459
Only toward the middle of the video is the full context given of the shoot down. This was no airliner full of innocent passengers. It was a military aircraft carrying senior officers of the Arab armies. It was a perfectly legitimate target. Well done the IAF.
Perfectly Said
That will teach the Egyptians Not To Mess With Israel
The shoot down of the “officers plane” was the prelude to “operation Kadesh” that started the following day. This was a delegation of Egyptian army to Syria to coordinate their operations.
The Meteor pilot was quite experienced. He flew so slow alongside the Ilyushin in order to positively identify it. The pilot report seeing people in uniform through the windows. Near the stall speed, the jamming of the cannons on one side, made the recoil from the other wing cannons throw the plane into a spin. The 2nd time the pilot pulled out the flaps, but the recoil still spun the plane.
The Meteor was a terrible fighter and extremely prone to spinning. I like it, it’s a cool aircraft, but it was not a great fighter.
These warcrimes will come to bite Israel back in the ass eventually.
I love all aircraft and this aircraft is beautiful but the queen of the sky is the Boeing 747
5:10 Why would you build a plane out of bread? You would just bet toasted.