Gloster Meteor U21/U21A drones

[Magpie22]

I take task with the comment that all RAAF Meteors were fitted with wide intakes on return to Oz

There are numerous photo's of aircraft with the small one fitted right up til the end of their service.

Steve,

I said "all aircraft that went into service", not "all aircraft". I realise I should have been more careful in the way I phrased it. When No. 77 Sqn returned to Australia, their aircraft were processed through No. 2 Aircraft Depot. An instruction was issued giving the standard to which all aircraft were to be prepared. This included the incorporation of mods 1175 and 1516 to those aircraft that had not already received them.

I should have stated that "all aircraft that were issued to No. 77 Sqn in late 1954 were fitted with the larger intakes and clear vision hoods". Some of those aircraft that were not issued back to No. 77 Sqn may not have incorporated the mods. It is also possible that the small intakes went back on some aircraft late in their careers. Certainly as you pointed out there are quite a few photos showing Meteors with No. 75 Sqn, the CAF, and at Woomera with the smaller intakes.

My apologies if I led anyone to the wrong conclusion with my less than clear statement.

A couple of shots to add interest to the intake debate. Both are U.21 aircraft.

WE902, (top shot), converted to U.21 by Flight Refuelling and shipped to Australia in 1961. Small intakes.

WE960, (lower shot), converted to U.16 by Flight Refuelling in 1960 and shipped to Australia. Converted to U.21 by Fairey in Australia. Large intakes.

As has been said before, check photos before building a model.

Magpie 22

[Admiral Puff]

Thanks again, Peter. '902 is one of the aircraft on the decal sheet with the Red Roo conversion - seems as good a victim as any! I might take you up later on your photo offer - I may do a follow-up article for APMA on using the (old) Red Roo conversion with the Airfix kit.

Andd thanks, Rob - those shots of the instrument panel of WK800 are most useful. I will make a point of visiting her when I'm next in the UK.

[Admiral Puff]

Just stumbled over this:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q8cGjyOZbQ

Looks like a fair mix of intakes among the squadron.

The clip brings back a few memories for me - I was about 10 when that round-Australia trip happened, and when four of the aircraft flew over my home town (Leeton in south-western NSW) it was the first time I'd ever seen a jet aircraft. Sleighs (Golden Fleece) was a biggish (by Australian standards) company that had the contract for supplying jet fuel and other products to the services, and kept it for a long time. They were eventually taken over by Caltex, and the name disappeared. I wonder what happened to those Albion semis?

[NAVY870]

The only place a Golden Fleece ram belongs on is a 724 Squadron Ram Jet.

[tango98]

Not wishing to start a kerfuffle of wide v narrow breathers, would anyone happen to know a source for any images of WK784 before she was converted to U.16 configuration in early 1961?

I have thus far found one image of her while on the strength of 604 Sqn circa the time of HM the Q's Coronation Review but would be interested to see any others that may be around.

In the image I have she has (apparently) wide breathers but has the earlier canopy with the metal covered rear section.

 

Cheers

Dave

[sloegin57]

1 hour ago, tango98 said:

Not wishing to start a kerfuffle of wide v narrow breathers, would anyone happen to know a source for any images of WK784 before she was converted to U.16 configuration in early 1961?

I have thus far found one image of her while on the strength of 604 Sqn circa the time of HM the Q's Coronation Review but would be interested to see any others that may be around.

In the image I have she has (apparently) wide breathers but has the earlier canopy with the metal covered rear section.

 

Cheers

Dave

These are the only two that I have Dave :-

 

Note the scimitar on the nose wheel door and the lack of fin flash

 

Kirkbride 1959

 

Despite having intake coves on in both shots - to my eye, they both look like wide breathers - Others may disagree !!

 

HTH

 

Dennis

[tango98]

16 hours ago, sloegin57 said:

Despite having intake coves on in both shots - to my eye, they both look like wide breathers - Others may disagree !!

Thanks for the imagery Dennis and I tend to agree with you that both look to be wide breathers.

As an aside, I was looking at some imagery from the Coronation Review and was surprised to see a mix of wide and narrow breathers amongst the T.7s taking part when I was always of the opinion that they were all narrow breathers!

 

Cheers

 

Dave