British WWII's fighters

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Gloster G.41 Meteor

The first allied jet fighter. Its combat use in WWII was limited to intercepting V-1's. The Meteor was of conventional layout, with engines in mid-wing nacelles, and it was capable of accepting many types of engine. The flexible design allowed a long development history after the war, and the Meteor introduced jet engines to many airforces. A two-seat night fighter with a long radar nose was developed by Armstrong Whitworth and entered service in 1950. The last were retired from service in 1961.

General characteristics Meteor F Mk. I
Primary function	Fighter
Power plant	Two Rolls-Royce Welland turbojets
Thrust	768 kg		7.53 kN
Wingspan	43 ft		13.10 m
Length	41.2 ft		12.57 m
Height	13 ft		3.96 m
Wingarea	374 sq ft		34.74 sq m
Weight	empty	39,751 lb	3,693 kg
	max.	37,382 lb	6,260 kg
Speed	410 mph		660 km/h
Initial climb rate	2,156 ft/min		657 m/min
Ceiling	44,000 ft		13,410 m
Range	1,000 mi		1,610 km
Armament	4x 20 mm cannon
Crew	One
First flight	prototype 5.3.1943
Date deployed	July 1944
Number built	around 3,875 (all versions incl. postwar)

Jirka Wagner