The Gloster Meteor was Britain’s first operational jet aircraft – a major milestone in the history of the Royal Air Force. With its top speed of over 645 kilometres per hour (400 miles per hour), Meteors were deployed to chase down and divert V-1 rockets over Britain, and were later flown over Europe in the final months of WWII. They did not, however, ever engage the world’s first jet fighter, the Me 262. History of War issue 61 features a full Operator’s Handbook on the Meteor, including a detailed technical readout of this iconic fighter craft.
Arguably the definitive version of the Meteor was the F.8, which saw extensive service during the Korean War with the Royal Australian Air Force No.77 Squadron. It soon entered into dogfights with the new Soviet-produced MiG-15, against which it was outmatched. It did prove effective as a ground-strike aircraft for the duration of the war. This issue, History of War subscribers have the exclusive chance to win a set of two Gloster Meteor F.8 model kits, courtesy of Airfix.
One kit comes with an RAF pattern, 111 Squadron, 1954; the other is Royal Australian Air Force No. 77 Squadron pattern, as flown by Sergeant George Spaulding, 1953. Each of these kits is worth £36.99, for a total prize value of £73.98. For exclusive access to more competitions like this every issue, why not Subscribe to History of War today.
For your chance to win both these quality model kits, simply answer the question below