Majestic Meteors over Malta
Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.
For this week's edition of Workbench, we are returning to the subject of new tooling projects for 2022 and the final update from a model we have been following since the turn of the year as it negotiated the various stages of its development, our new 1/72nd scale Gloster Meteor F.8. This last look at this future classic release will include the blog reveal of the stunning new box artwork produced to support the kit's initial release and for the first time, we are also showing the image storyboard which was produced prior to our digital artist embarking on this design project and used in discussions with the Airfix team as to which they felt would be the most appealing viewing angle for the artwork to be created.
Staying with our new Meteor kit, we will also be seeing how the specialist work of our Researcher Luke, unearthed RAF Operations Record Book details which would later lead to the discovery of some long unseen period photographs, pictures which would allow this kit and its lead scheme option to serve as a fascinating aviation snapshot in time and a mirror of these actual images. To make this as comprehensive an update as possible, we will also be including a selection of exclusive images featuring a fully completed sample from the new Meteor kit parts, finished in the lead scheme and the one which inspired the creation of this kit's stunning box artwork. As the title above suggests, there is a strong Maltese link to this latest addition to the Airfix range, so please join us as we bring you all the relevant details in this latest edition of Workbench.
Jet power points to the future of aviation
As the first jet powered fighter to enter Royal Air Force service, the Gloster Meteor was always going to attract the attentions of Airfix designers, even if it was this later F.8 variant of the aircraft which saw widespread service during the early to mid 1950s.
Although arguably not enjoying the same widespread recognition such aircraft types as the Supermarine Spitfire and Avro Lancaster still continue to do, the Gloster Meteor is without doubt one of the most significant British aircraft in the history of flight and one which introduced the Royal Air Force to the potential of jet powered flight. With the world's first jet fighters only entering service at the end of the Second World War, it can be surprising to learn that initial development of turbojet propulsion began during the 1930s and indeed, how the first flight of a turbojet powered aircraft actually took place days before the outbreak of the Second World War. Whilst this work did continue quietly in the background, the flames of war certainly had an impact on the speed at which this highly technical work could progress and would ultimately determine that jet power only played a small, yet significant part in the outcome of the European air war.
The famous pioneer of jet propulsion in Britain was Frank Whittle, a pilot officer in the Royal Air Force and a man who was convinced of the limitations of piston engines, propellers and their long-term use in future aircraft development. As the world’s military aircraft would be required to fly ever faster and at higher altitudes in the years to come, this existing technology was already approaching its zenith would ultimately prove to be something of a barrier to further development. With the clouds of war already on the horizon, it is perhaps not surprising to learn that this rather radical theory did not find favour with many in a position of influence, however, this indifference did not deter Whittle, who remained steadfast in his convictions.
A brilliant designer and engineer, Whittle regularly presented his ideas and project advancements to the Air Ministry, but for some reason, the prospect of having access to an incredibly powerful new type of aero engine didn’t appeal to them at that time. It could even be said that officials were actually rather dismissive, however, undeterred, he simply patented the idea himself and continued to work on his project.
Whittle was soon at a stage where he had a working jet engine, however, the next step was a significant one - he had to get the power-plant in an aircraft and into the air. Working in collaboration with the Gloster Aircraft Company, this project landmark soon rekindled interest from the Air Ministry, who were now keen to finance the production of a concept aircraft, to see if this unusual project actually held the potential it promised. This historic machine would be the single engined Gloster E28/39 Pioneer (W4041/G), an aircraft which made its first flight from RAF Cranwell on 15th May 1941, a day which would witness the first flight of a British jet powered aircraft. The Whittle/Gloster collaboration had a significant British aviation first to their names.
Moving this story forward almost a further two years to the spring of 1943, persistent engine production issues would play a major part in restraining the pace of development of the proposed new jet fighter for the RAF, with the subcontracting of Power Jets W2 engine production to the Rover company proving to be the main problem. As they continually struggled working with these cutting edge technologies, alternative engines would have to be sourced to allow the fight test programme to belatedly get underway and not long after, the entire engine production responsibility would be taken from Rover and handed to Rolls Royce. Finally, on 5th March 1943, Gloster Meteor DG206/G, powered by two de Havilland Halford H.1 turbojets, triumphantly took to the air at RAF Cranwell and Britain officially entered the jet age.
Gloster's Meteor heads for war
By the time the Meteor F.8 variant entered Royal Air Force service, Britain's first jet fighter had matured into an extremely capable aeroplane and one which would attract interest from several overseas air arms.
The Gloster Meteor F.1 entered Royal Air Force service towards the end of July 1944 and the unit taking the honour of being the one to operate Britain’s first jet fighter was No.616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron, which was based at Culmhead, in Somerset. The unit had previously been flying the Spitfire Mk. VII on armed reconnaissance missions over Northern France in support of D-Day and its pilots had been expecting to convert to the latest mark of Spitfire at any time. An official request for the unit’s CO and five of his best pilots to report to Farnborough for a short conversion course did not initially arouse any particular suspicions, however, news soon began to circulate around their home base that they would be arriving back at Culmhead not with the expected Spitfires, but with new Meteor jet fighters. Having the notable distinction of being the RAF’s first jet squadron, the arrival of the squadron’s first Meteor fighters would also bring about a move to RAF Manston and the responsibility of taking Britain's new jets to war.
By that time, Germany's Messerschmitt Me 262 was already in service and causing havoc amongst US bomber streams over Europe. The scene was now surely set for the world’s first jet versus jet fighter combat to take place and a fascinating glimpse towards future of aerial warfare, however, RAF officials were in no hurry to pit their new jet against the latest Luftwaffe fighter. Instead, the speedy Meteors would be used to combat a new threat in the days which followed the D-Day landings - Doodlebugs! The first V-1 flying bomb interceptions by RAF Meteor fighters took place on 27th July 1944 in the skies above the Kent countryside. Three jets were sent against attacking Doodlebugs that day, with just one aircraft, the one flown by the unit’s Squadron Leader, managing to take up a firing position behind a flying bomb. Squadron Leader Watts had the V-1 squarely in his gunsight, but when he pressed the gun trigger, there was nothing, all four guns had jammed! The V-1 flew on and began its tell-tale dive of destruction once its fuel reserves had been exhausted.
In the aftermath of this incident, Meteor Doodlebug interceptors hunted in pairs, as it was thought unlikely that the guns of both aircraft would fail completely at the same time. The first Meteor success against the V-1 occurred on 4th August 1944, when Pilot Officer Dean, flying Meteor EE216, spotted a Doodlebug below him, heading for Kent. Placing his aircraft in a shallow dive, he took position astern of the flying bomb and after a short burst from the four nose mounted 20mm Hispano cannons, his guns also jammed. Desperate to bring the weapon down, he flew his Meteor alongside the V-1, as close as he possibly could, before vigorously flicking his aircraft into a bank, away from the V-1. The airflow disruption this manoeuvre created caused the gyroscopic autopilot in the Doodlebug to become destabilised, causing the V-1 to crash harmlessly in the countryside below.
Another design screenshot taken during the development of the soon to be released 1/72nd scale Gloster Meteor F.8.
As can often be the case with new aircraft introductions, these first RAF Meteors were quickly superseded by a slightly improved variant of the jet fighter, with the F.3 entering service with No.616 Squadron in December 1944. By the middle of the following month, the unit had moved to RAF Colerne, where all their F.1 Meteors were exchanged for the latest upgraded variant of the fighter and just days later, four Meteors were finally sent to operate from bases in Europe and the aircraft’s possible introduction to Luftwaffe air and ground units. Initially, these aircraft operated from stations well behind the front lines and pilots were forbidden from flying into enemy territory, for fear a Meteor might fall into enemy hands. Whilst operating in Europe, RAF Meteors were initially given a rather crude coat of white paint, in an attempt to prevent Allied anti-aircraft units from firing on these strange new aircraft, an unforeseen peril facing the Allies first jet airmen.
Although a potential combat situation where British and German jet fighters could meet in the skies above Europe never actually materialised during WWII, RAF Meteors did encounter Luftwaffe aircraft on at least a couple of occasions before war’s end. By mid-April 1945, Meteors were finally allowed to enter enemy airspace and on one occasion, a British jet fighter did come across a Fieseler Fi 156 Storch reconnaissance/communications aircraft. Despite the significant speed difference between the two aircraft, the Meteor pilot managed to force the enemy aircraft to land, destroying it on the ground as its crew ran for cover.
On another occasion, Meteor pilots identified a formation of several Focke Wulf Fw 190 fighters in the distance, but as they prepared to engage, also found themselves in the vicinity of a large number of RAF Spitfires and Hurricanes. The Meteor pilots immediately broke off the engagement, but not because their fighting comrades had come between them and the enemy, but because they actually started firing at them. Having mistaken their unusual white jets for Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Me 262s, it appears as if the Allied pilots were hoping to claim an elusive jet victory for themselves, despite the fact that their targets were wearing RAF roundels.
The F.8 - Meteor perfected
A first look at the stunning box artwork produced to herald the release of the first model kit from our new 1/72nd scale Gloster Meteor F.8 kit - you may notice some obvious links to the Island of Malta.
Not many people would disagree with the statement that when Britain’s first jet fighter initially entered service during the summer of 1944, it was still a relatively primitive design in aviation terms. The fact that early jet engines were not particularly powerful and often proved slow to respond to a pilot's power selection inputs had a direct impact on the design of the Meteor and how it proceeded as a twin engined fighter. It was felt that the use of two engines would allow both a level of redundancy and provide pilots with additional reassurance as jet technology was introduced to Royal Air Force service.
Despite these obvious limitations, once the Meteor was in the air and up to speed, it was a delight to fly. With no propeller to obscure the pilots view and the aircraft being equipped with a tricycle undercarriage, the view from the cockpit was exceptional both in the air and on the ground and when designers overcame the fighter’s potentially disastrous gun jamming problems, it also proved to be an exceptionally stable gun platform.
Undergoing almost constant development following its introduction, the early marks of Meteor fighter were all based around those first machines to enter service, however, the arrival of the F.8 variant in 1950 saw the Meteor maturing into a truly exceptional early jet, one which would not only see service with the RAF, but also with several other air arms across the world. Looking to keep pace with the latest breed of jet fighters entering service with the major world powers, the Gloster Aircraft Company wanted to endow the Meteor with more power and greater operational effectiveness, whilst at the same time keeping development costs to a minimum. This was achieved by utilising as many of the existing F.4 variant tooling jigs as they possibly could.
Visually, the Meteor F.8 featured a lengthened fuselage, which gave this variant a sleeker, more cultured appearance over its predecessors, with other identifying features being redesigned horizontal and vertical stabilisers and an impressive new high visibility ‘blown’ cockpit canopy. From the perspective of power, the F.8 featured the new Rolls Royce Derwent 8 engines, with each one possessing 3,600Ibf of thrust, presenting the aircraft with more power and greater power responsiveness. Increased structural strengthening allowed the F.8 variant to be equipped with ejection seats, something many pilots flying the earlier variants probably wished they had access to, as these early aircraft had a poor safety record and claimed the lives of many unfortunate airmen. Offensively, this latest variant was also capable of carrying two 1000Ib bombs or sixteen unguided rocket projectiles, which provided this latest Meteor with a useful ground attack capability.
More Meteor image exclusives, this time showing a fully built kit using advanced production sample parts from this newly tooled model.
Arguably the most capable version of Britain’s first jet fighter, for five years following its squadron introduction in late 1949, the Meteor F.8 would form the backbone of the RAF’s fighter defence force, a jet powered equivalent of the Spitfire’s which had protected Britain’s skies during the Battle of Britain only ten years earlier. With 1,183 aircraft built, the F.8 was both the final single seat fighter variant of the Meteor and also the most heavily produced, arguably making this one of the most important British aircraft of the post war era.
For all the aircraft’s many impressive attributes, it does also have to be acknowledged that the Meteor’s introduction into squadron service was not without its challenges and indeed, it would go on to endure something of a 'troubled' service record. With the adoption of new technologies and pilots sometimes struggling to make the transition from piston to jet powered flight, the Meteor had to endure a poor safety record, with many pilots paying for misjudgements or inexperience with their lives. During its RAF service, almost 900 Meteors would be lost in accidents, with pilots and ground crews referring to the aircraft as the ‘Meatbox’ as a result.
Despite its difficulties, as one of the world’s most successful early jet fighters, the Meteor would also prove appealing to several overseas air arms who were looking for a route into the jet age and access to a rugged and capable jet fighter, which wouldn't cost them the earth. Some received former RAF machines, whilst others placed orders for new built aircraft, although it does have to be said that following the introduction of such aircraft as the North American Sabre and the MiG-15, the Meteor was undoubtedly beginning to show its age.
New Airfix Meteor - The fascinating subject of research
The lead scheme included with this new kit includes decal details which were uncovered by our researcher Luke during his work gathering information for this project.
One of the most important aspects supporting the introduction of a new model tooling to the Airfix kit range are the research files which support the entire project. This extends far beyond the creation of a robust file of information for the product designer to refer to throughout his latest project, but will often also involve the scanning of one or several suitable donor machines and highlighting any non-standard features they may exhibit, but also whilst the design phase is underway, work to support the scheme options which will eventually accompany the release of the new kit. This work is all the specialist domain of our talented researcher Luke Slaney-Hewitt, a man who has a vital role to play in the continuing Airfix story and a role which is just as fascinating as the product design work we have all become so familiar with over the years through many a Workbench feature.
We will be spending a little more time with Luke later in the year, as we intend to produce a couple of blog specials to highlight some of the finer points of his role here at Airfix, but for this week, we will be concentrating on an interesting little story he told us regarding our soon to be released new Gloster Meteor kit.
When working on providing supporting research information for the lead scheme option to be included with the launch of the new Meteor kit, Luke obviously wanted to be as accurate as possible with the details he provided the team, not just because subject accuracy matters, but because they would also be used for the production of the box artwork, a feature which is such a popular component of any Airfix kit. Heralding from the fair county of Kent himself and having links to the nearby RAF Manston History Museum, he was keen to include the RAF No.500 'County of Kent' Squadron Meteor markings for obvious reasons, however, despite these being particularly distinctive and rather famous markings, he wanted to check that his research predecessors had been as robust in their work as he tries to be.
In this case, his first port of call was to inspect the Squadron Operations Record Book for RAF No.500 Squadron and whilst this didn't really provide Luke with any new information, he was intrigued by an entry made on 17th September 1953, which stated that the squadron were very pleased to welcome Mr Russell Adams of Gloster Aircraft Company, who had arrived to photograph some of the squadron activities. Whilst Luke didn't recognise the name at that point, he thought this must have been a significant occasion to warrant such an entry in the ORB and therefore thought it worthy of further investigation.
This stunning image features the Meteors of RAF No.500 Squadron, with Sqn Ldr de Villiers' distinctive aircraft WF714 nearest to the camera ship. Taken by celebrated aviation photographer Russell Adams, these images are being shown courtesy of the Jet Age Museum/Russell Adams Collection.
Another stunning image featuring the Meteor F.8s of No.500 Squadron during their Malta camp in September 1953 - Jet Age Museum/Russell Adams Collection.
This particular image inspired the creation of the artwork which will grace the box of the first release from this new 1/72nd scale Gloster Meteor F.8 kit - Jet Age Museum/Russell Adams Collection.
Airfix Meteor storyboard. This montage was used prior to the creation of the box artwork, whilst a decision was being made on the most appealing angle for the image. Inspired by the Russell Adams picture above, a slightly modified version of option D proved to be the favoured option.
It didn't take Luke long to discover that Russell Adams was something of a legendary figure within the world of aviation photography, a man who had joined the Gloster Aircraft Company as an electrical engineer in 1946, but who was later invited to establish a specialist technical photographic section for the company. He would go on to become recognised as one of the world's leading air to air photographers, not only providing technical images for the improvement of Gloster designs, but also for sharing his passion for aeroplanes and flying through the medium of photography. Amongst his many accolades, he was the first person to take photographs of jet aircraft performing aerobatic manoeuvres from another jet aircraft in the same formation and would become renowned for the quality of his images, which would feature in hundreds of publications over the years.
With this new information now in hand, Luke wondered if Mr Adams had taken photographs of No.500 Squadron Meteors during his visit, which on the date in question would have been during a summer camp on the Island of Malta, and if so, if one might feature a picture of WF714, the personal aircraft of Squadron Leader Desmond 'Dizzy' de Villiers. Further investigations revealed that the Jet Age Museum, which has its premises on the north side of Gloucestershire Airport, happen to be the proud custodians of many items owned and used by Russell Adams during the execution of his photographic duties, including a historic and truly spectacular collection of original photographs. Luke made contact with the museum and arranged to pay them a visit, where he was allowed access to Mr Adams' photographic collection - would he get lucky and find a picture of Gloster Meteor WF714 and its distinctive markings?
To his amazement and delight, he discovered that the collection included several glass plate negative images which indeed featured the Meteors of No.500 Squadron during their 1953 Summer Camp in Malta and more than this, there were a couple of incredibly clear and highly detailed photographs which showed Sqn Ldr de Villiers’s Meteor WF714 complete with its distinctive tail markings, but there was more! The images also confirmed that this aircraft also carried a representation of the de Villiers family crest painted on a dark coloured disk on the forward starboard fuselage of the fighter, the first time such details had been definitively linked to this particular aircraft.
This was obviously like gold dust for a researcher like Luke and was a discovery which acted like an aviation time capsule which he could now incorporate into the Airfix model range and their new Gloster Meteor F.8. He was allowed to take copies of the images and we are incredibly grateful to our friends at the Jet Age Museum for allowing us to share them with Workbench readers in this week's update. Just another day in the life of an Airfix researcher!
This picture clearly shows the representation of the de Villiers family crest which was carried on the starboard side front fuselage of Meteor F.8 WF714. This image also features photographer Russell Adams (nearest the engine nacelle) and Sqn Ldr Desmond 'Dizzy' de Villiers (wearing the vest) - Jet Age Museum/Russell Adams Collection.
Another historic image showing Desmond 'Dizzy' de Villiers and his distinctive Gloster Meteor WF714 - Jet Age Museum/Russell Adams Collection.
A final image from Luke's research trip, this time showing Sqn Ldr Desmond de Villiers and Meteor WL714 pulling out from the line at RAF Tà Qali, at the start of another summer camp sortie - Jet Age Museum/Russell Adams Collection.
The information Luke was lucky enough to come across was passed on to digital artist Adam Tooby, who incorporated the details into his stunning artwork, an image which will grace the box of the new 1/72nd scale Gloster Meteor F.8 kit following its release. The image shows three of No.500 Squadron's Meteors banking high above Malta's Grand Harbour during their 1953 summer camp, with Sqn Ldr Desmond de Villiers' personal Meteor WF714 pictured closest to the viewer - such an evocative image. As an added bonus, this week's image selection also includes the Meteor storyboard which was used by the team when deciding which was the most appropriate angle for Adam to base his artwork. Looking at the final incarnation, it is obvious that a slightly modified representation of option D was ultimately selected.
We would like to sincerely thank our friends at the Jet Age Museum for their help with this project and for allowing us to share these incredibly historic images with Workbench readers. Luke would like us to extend his particular thanks to the Jet Age Museum's Tim Kershaw, who kindly spent many hours searching through the Russell Adams archives in advance of Luke's visit - thanks Tim. These images are, of course, being shown with the express permission of the Jet Age Museum and the Russell Adams Collection.
The previously published details behind this fascinating lead scheme are :
Initially formed as a Special Reserve Squadron in 1931, No.500 (County of Kent) Squadron would go on to become part of the Auxiliary Air Force in 1936, seeing service from bases at Manston and Detling. Following the end of the Second World War, the unit disbanded only to reform the following year, again as an Auxiliary Air Force unit, but this time within Fighter Command. Reforming on 10th May 1946 at RAF West Malling in a night fighting role, the unit were initially equipped with Mosquitos, but following a ministry decision to convert all RAuxAF squadrons to day fighter roles, they converted once more, this time to the Gloster Meteor jet.
Beginning their Meteor association with the F.3 variant, they would later convert to the F.4 and finally the F.8, which was a significant upgrade in performance and capability terms. Although the squadron called West Malling its home station, the unit would regularly embark on overseas training deployments, with RAF Tà Qali on the Island of Malta being a particularly popular destination. This particular scheme possesses quite an association with Malta and these training summer camps at Tà Qali.
This particular Meteor was delivered to the RAF in early September 1952 and onwards to No.500 Squadron at West Malling that same month, where it would become the personal aircraft of Squadron Leader Desmond 'Dizzy' de Villiers. The colours which make up the tail and roundel pennants are thought to be a representation of the unit's links to the county of Kent, with the blue representing the English Channel, white being a representation of the White Cliffs of Dover and the green being the green fields of Kent. This aircraft would actually have a short service career of just two years and was one of the many RAF Meteors to be destroyed in accidents. During a summer camp in Malta, the aircraft undershot the runway at Tà Qali, badly damaging the undercarriage, to a point where it was considered uneconomical to repair, however, that was not to be the end of Meteor WF714, even though it would be the serial number which lived on and not the aircraft itself - don't worry, everything will become clear.
Having just completed the restoration of a Spitfire, the team at Medway Aircraft Preservation Society were looking to embark on another project in the early 1980s and settled on Gloster Meteor F.8 WK914, which had been languishing at Manston airfield having previously been used as a fire school training airframe. The aircraft itself had been built in 1952 and would go on to have an eighteen year career with the Royal Air Force, before being retired to No.5 MU at Kemble in 1970 and later onwards to the Fire Training School at Manston.
More built model exclusives showing the new 1/72nd scale Gloster Meteor F.8 kit finished in its lead RAF No.500 Squadron markings, the ones which inspired the creation of this kit's stunning box artwork.
After lengthy negotiations with both the RAF and Manston, the Meteor was released for preservation, however, there was a significant caveat - the restored aircraft must be painted to represent a Meteor in the personal markings of No.500 (County of Kent) Squadron's Commanding Officer between 1952 and 1954, Sqn Ldr Desmond de Villiers, an aircraft which sported a particularly distinctive scheme. The work progressed nicely under the guidance of the MAPS team and on 2nd October 1983, the aircraft was unveiled to the delight of Meteor aficionados everywhere. The original intention was for her to remain at the site as a gate guardian, a posting which would therefore see her left outdoors for the next few years, however, she would soon be at the centre of another ambitious project, this time with the intention of returning her to airworthy condition.
Transported to Duxford and into the care of the Old Flying Machine Company, this ambitious plan would never actually come to fruition and over the next few years, Meteor F.8 WK914 (even though she was now wearing the markings of WF714) would go on to spend time at Sandown Airport on the Isle of Wight, with Hawker Hunter Aviation at Scampton and with a new owner at Hooton Park in Cheshire. The new owner was a former RAuxAF pilot with No.600 Squadron and had himself spent many a happy summer camp at Tà Qali on the Island of Malta, so he decided to donate his aircraft to the Malta Aviation Museum, where she can be seen to this day. Still wearing the No.500 (County of Kent) Squadron markings of Desmond de Villiers' WF714, the aircraft is now a much loved exhibit on an Island which was well used to the sight of Gloster Meteors operating in the blue skies above the George Cross Island.
Bearing in mind the box artwork produced to support this new tooling release and the story behind Luke's discovery of the Russell Adams images, surely this has to be the scheme option most people will choose when building the latest new tooling addition to the Airfix range.
The one to look out for, the full box presentation for the new and soon to be released 1/72nd scale Gloster Meteor F.8 kit.
That’s another edition of Workbench done and dusted, however, we will be back as usual with more project updates for you next week. As always, we are interested to hear your views on all things Airfix and particularly in relation to our Workbench blog, so if you ever feel like dropping us a quick line, please use our workbench@airfix.com contact e-mail address.
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