Gloster Meteor F.8

Plastic model kit to build a Gloster Meteor F.8

• Scale 1:32
• Dimensions (built): Length 422 mm / Wingspan 354 mm
• 393 parts
• 2 x detailed engines (can be displayed inside or outside the jet)
• 3 marking options
  • 41 Sqn RAF
  • 77 Sqn RAAF
  • TTF BAF
• Unbuilt, unpainted
• Paint and glue not included

The Gloster Meteor F.8 was the most capable production version of the first British jet fighter and dominated the early 1950s in the Royal Air Force. Developed from the Meteor F.4, the F.8 received a lengthened fuselage, a redesigned tail assembly, and more powerful Rolls-Royce Derwent 8 engines, each producing around 3,600 lbf of thrust. This enabled it to achieve top speeds of approximately 940 km/h and a service ceiling of around 13,000 meters. The armament included four 20 mm Hispano cannons; bombs or rockets could also be carried under the wings. Particularly advanced for its time were the pressurized cabin and the Martin-Baker ejection seat.

The Meteor F.8 represented an important transition between the straight-wing jets of World War II and later swept-wing fighters like the Hawker Hunter. From 1949, it formed the backbone of RAF Fighter Command and was exported to numerous countries, including Australia, Belgium, Israel, and Brazil. During the Korean War, the Royal Australian Air Force flew Meteor F.8s against Soviet MiG-15 fighters; however, this revealed that the Meteor was already at a disadvantage compared to more modern swept-wing jets. Nevertheless, it was considered a robust and reliable aircraft and remained in service in some roles well into the 1960s.