**** DONE: 1/48 Gloster Meteor F.3 - Jet/Recon/Transport GB

[Vic Balshaw]

May as well get the ball rolling!

Username: Vic Balshaw
First name: Vic
Category: Judge – Non competing
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Tamiya Kit 61083

Extras: Eduard FE 213 etched detail plus an old one I found sculling around the hanger. Eduard EX 173 Mask set. Naturally some scratch building with piecemeal decals to make up the serial number and code for a 56 Squadron aircraft.

Once again I'm putting together yet another aircraft for my 56 Squadron flight line doing Serial Number EE391, Squadron Code ON-T.
The Gloster Meteor was the first British Jet Fighter and was produced in time to see operational service in WWII. First flown on 5 March 1943, it was not until 27 July 1944 that it first flew operationally with 616 Squadron RAF.

56 Squadron did not actually operate the Meteor F.3 until around April 1946, however the aircraft I'm depicting, serial number 'EE391', squadron code 'ON-T', was in service with 124 Squadron. The squadron moved to RAF Molesworth in August 1945 when they converted to the Gloster Meteor, on the 5 October 1945 they moved to RAF Bentwaters where they formally took up operational activities before being moved yet again to RAF Fairwood Common on 18 February 1946. 124 Squadron returned to RAF Bentwaters on 20 March 1946 only to be disbanded on 1 April 1946.

On the same day, 1 April 1946, 56 Squadron were disbanded at Fassberg, Germany where they were flying Hawker Tempest Mk.V and reformed at RAF Bentwaters from the nucleus of 124 Squadron's Gloster Meteors. The usual wartime squadron code of 56 Squadron was 'US' but on taking the Meteor F.3 on inventory, they retained the old 124 Squadron code of 'ON' and this code remained with the squadron well into 1947 when they once again reverted to their original wartime code of 'US'.

Consequently by building a 124 Squadron Gloster Meteor F.3 with the squadron code of 'ON-T', is also filling a hole in my 56 Squadron flight line who retained the aircraft as 'ON-T' for well over a year. When the squadron reverted to their original code of 'US', the code 'ON-T' became 'US-T'.

 

[rochie]

will be joining you in doing a Meatbox Vic but will be doing a 616sqdn F.1

 

[meatloaf109]

Nifty! No wires on this one.

 

[Crimea_River]

Good stuff Vic. Will get myself organized very soon.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Your right Paul, no wires………………….thank god.

Am needing a bit of help though with the undercarriage, I'm looking for some detail with hydraulics and such on the main wheels. You know how I like to add a bit of detail if I can. So please guys, if anybody has anything in that line, I'd really appreciate seeing it.

 

[N4521U]

Vic, does this web page help at all?

IPMS.AT - Walkaround - Gloster Meteor

 

[Wurger]

 

[Wayne Little]

Meteor is a nice looking bird, great choice Vic!

 

[ccheese]

Good choice, Vic. You can always do it gear up ! But, you'd have to hang it up instead displaying it.

Forget I said that ! You're way is always the best way.

Charles

 

[Airframes]

Good one Vic. I'll dig out some cockpit shots I took at the Midland Air Museum especially for model builds.

 

[Rogi]

Very awesome Looking forward to this one

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks Guys and great little site that one Bill, has a few good helpful shots.

Thanks also Terry, but it's just the main undercart wheels that I was wanting more detail for. I have a walk around but for reasons known only onto them, no wheel shots!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Made a start on this one yesterday and got the whole thing together today. Now for the detail work like the cockpit and engines. Note the size of the weight provided with the kit, the stand up one is from an old discarded kit. I know from experience that this is only just heavy enough and a bit of extra lead shot under the cockpit tube will not go astray.

Spruced up the wheel bays today with a bit of etched detail, this is the stuff I found sculling around the hanger.

 

[Rogi]

Wow, thats a lot of weight

 

[rochie]

good stuff Vic, will try to remember to add a bit more weight to mine then !

 

[Crimea_River]

Helluva start. You're almost done!

 

[Airframes]

Here's a few of the main gear, nose gear and nose wheel well. Couldn't get under to get shots of the full main gear legs and wells I'm afraid - back wouldn't bend enough!
Note that there's an 'empty' multi-pin electrical socket at the upper right side in the nose well - I'd guess there would normally be a lead running from this, but where too, I don't know!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks guys and good stuff Terry. What's that little thing hanging down in pic's 1 2, an ejector chute!

 

[ccheese]

Moving right along, Vic. This one will be ready for paint in no time.

Charles

 

[Airframes]

As far as I know Vic, yes, it's an empty shell case ejector chute. I've checked the other shots, of the Meteor F8 cockpit section, and there's a similar arrangement, although with twin chutes of s different size and shape.
BTW, included in the cockpit shots are some areas which probably won't be in the 'walkaround' you have, which show the canopy edges, behind the set, the top of the instrument coaming and gun sight and the area under the windscreen, and a near vertical shot down onto the port side cockpit consoles.