Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.11 - British Users, part three

We forgot to include a technical description of the airplane. We're sorry.

As the De Havilland Mosquito NF variant was becoming obsolete, the Meteor was used as an interim replacement. Initially Gloster had proposed a design based on the trainer variant of the Meteor with the pilot in the front and the navigator in the rear.

The design was accepted by the Air Ministry but it was quickly transferred to Armstrong Whitworth which had been manufacturing, under license the Meteor.

Armstrong Whitworth performed both the detailed design process and production of the type, and the first prototype of the NF.11 flew on 31st May 1950. Although based on the Meteor T.7, it used the fuselage and tail of the F.8 and the longer wings of the F.3. The nose was extended to fit the AI Mk.X radar (which was a license-built Westinghouse SCR-720) air intercept radar. Because of that, the 20mm British Hispano Mk.V cannons had to be moved to the wings, outboard of the engines. A ventral fuel tank and wing mounted fuel tanks completed the design.

It was powered by two wing-mounted Rolls-Royce Derwent 8 turbojet engines delivering each of them 16,01Kn thrust.

The squadrons covered today are:

• No.151 Squadron: In 1946 this squadron was disbanded but was activated again on 15th September 1951 in the night fighter role at RAF Leuchars, in Scotland. Initially they were equipped with the De Havilland Vampire NF.10, but in March 1953 they were re-equipped with the Meteor NF.11. The Meteors were in active service with this squadron until September 1955 when they were replaced with the De Havilland Venom NF.3.
• No.228 Squadron (OCU): The Meteor served in this OCU squadron in 1953
• No.256 Squadron: This squadron was assigned to Germany and was re-equipped with the Meteor NF.11 as part of the No.125 Wing belonging to the 2nd Tactical Air Force. It was activated in RAF Ahlhorn in 1953 and, when that airfield was handed back to German authorities in 1958, it was re-located to RAF Geilenkirchen. The Meteors served until 1960, when they were replaced by the Gloster Javelin and the Squadron was re-numbered as No.11 Squadron.

Also, although we haven't drawn them, the Meteor also served with the next squadrons:

• No.85 Squadron: After World War II, this squadron remained active in the night fighter role, serving with Meteors during the 1950s until they were replaced by the Gloster Javelin.
• No.264 Squadron: In 1951 this squadron, was rellocated to RAF Linton-on-Ouse where they replaced the Mosquitoes NF.30 and NF.35 with the newly built Meteors NF.11.  They were in active service until 1954 when they were replaced with the Meteor NF.14. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloster_Meteor

2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._151_Squadron_RAF

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operational_conversion_unit

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._256_Squadron_RAF

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._85_Squadron_RAF

7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._264_Squadron_RAF
8. Hall Park Books - Warpaint Series 22- Gloster Meteor