Meteor F4 oddballs, was Speaking Of Meteor F4s, Was There Ever An Raf Camouflaged Squadron Aircraft?

[Dave Fleming]

I know that the very early production aircraft were in Day Fighter scheme, and the record attempt aircraft, but did any reach squadron service in camo?

Had a look through my Meteor books, but cant find one.

Edited April 10, 2012 by Dave Fleming

[Dave Fleming]

Ooops - a google search found a post, by me, directing someone to a book I had already looked in, which shows exactly that!! I'm getting senile!!

As for a Meteor F4 in camouflage with codes, there is a picture of EE464 in full Day Fighter scheme colours in April 1946 wearing the codes 'ON-F' of 124 Squadron (albeit apparently serving with 56 at the time the pic was taken)

This is reproduced in the Ian Allan Post war Military Aircraft: 2 book on the Meteor, page 16.

Edited April 4, 2012 by Dave Fleming

[Andy K]

Silly Dave

[Ghostbase]

IIRC the Argentine and Danish Air Forces operated the Meteor F4 in camouflaged colors.

I think the Midland Air Museum at Baginton (Coventry) displays EE531 in green / grey colour scheme.

Michael

[Dave Fleming]

Silly Dave

Or perhaps not so silly!

Further research leads me to beleive EE464 was a late mark 3, rather than an early mark 4 - the caption in the book (and the serials listing for mks 3/4) appears to be wrong - other books have that as a mk 3. Identifying feature is that is has the small intake on top of the nacelle that 3s have and 4s don't (Only distinguishing feature between late 3s and very early 4s).

Part of the confusion is because most references say only 15 late mk 3s had the long nacelles, but I found a reference to that only being in production and that 'other aircraft were modified'.

Even if I decide to build EE464 from the Revell kit, I'll still have to add the full span wing tips

[rossm]

There are photos of trials Meteor IVs in camouflage in the Profile but I haven't yet found one in squadron service,

Ross

[Seahawk]

Has anyone had a comb through Roger Lindsay's Cold War Shield yet? (I'm away from mine.) If there's a photo of a camouflaged Mk.4 in squadron service, my money would be on Roger to have found it.

[Test Graham]

Just did, but even the Mk.IIIs are silver. It starts at 1950, so perhaps not too surprising.

[rossm]

Steven Bonds book published by Midand Counties states F4 enetred squadron service in 1948. That photo of EE464 says it was taken in 1946 ergo definitely a III and listed as such by Bond. All F4 photos I can find for squadron service in 1948 show silver aircraft so I'll stick my neck out and say it's very unlikely you'll find a camouflaged one.

[Dave Fleming]

Steven Bonds book published by Midand Counties states F4 enetred squadron service in 1948.

74 received the F4 in late 1947, as did 245 and 263 according to other sources... It's not the only error in the book, althought it still remains my favourite Meteor book by far, and one of my favourite aircraft books!

However, all were after the introduction of overall aluminium finish in 1947.

That photo of EE464 says it was taken in 1946 ergo definitely a III and listed as such by Bond. All F4 photos I can find for squadron service in 1948 show silver aircraft so I'll stick my neck out and say it's very unlikely you'll find a camouflaged one.

I think so.

EE646 is certainly a mk 3, the serial listing in the Ian Allan/Bowyer book is wrong. There are quite a few long nacelled mk 3s in Lucas' book on post war RAF Fighters 1945-50, both in camo and silver.

Although it's inetersting to note that the F4 was in production from 1946 - so what happened to all those? A lot of early production F4s went to Argentina, but not all. Then there is the question of the wingtips - various books mention the first 100 being built with full wing tips, yet most (all?) were modified before service.

Interesting topic early Meteors!

Edited April 9, 2012 by Dave Fleming

[rossm]

There's also the fuselage extension. My first reading of the profile many years ago led me to believe this went into production F4s after RA382(???-relying on memory) but now I'm not so sure.

Fighter Squadrons gives 74,245 and 263 receiving F4s from Dec 1947 - I can forgive the generalisation to 1948 in the Bond book.

Ross

[Dave Fleming]

There's also the fuselage extension. My first reading of the profile many years ago led me to believe this went into production F4s after RA382(???-relying on memory) but now I'm not so sure.

Your memory's pretty good! Most of my mMeteor books mention this as being introduced on late production mk 4s, some saying 'after being tested in RA382' some implying ALL after RA382. I think the beleif now is that RA382 was the only mk 4 with the extended nose.

http://www.meteorflight.com/A55D74/meteor....pages/meteor_f4

[rossm]

and to think I went to a lot of trouble with a Frog kit to find markings for one before RA382! The odd markings for this one seem to be supported by photos in the Profile and in Flight magazine online archive.

Apologies for a slight hijack as it's not camouflaged

Ross

[Dave Fleming]

and to think I went to a lot of trouble with a Frog kit to find markings for one before RA382! The odd markings for this one seem to be supported by photos in the Profile and in Flight magazine online archive.

Apologies for a slight hijack as it's not camouflaged

Ross

That's nice! I think I've seen similar in the Bond book. The D roundel appears on some unusual aircraft - I saw a pic of a Hudson in D roundels recently.

My thread, it's about Meteor F4s, so no hijack!! In fact, I might change the thread title!!