Page 68 - Aviation News (February 2020)

The first true Meteor NF.11 prototype, WA546, flew on May 31,
1950. Altogether four prototypes were built. Key Collection

navigators became acquainted with the “The Meteor NF.11 was the RAF’s Sergeant nav/rad (navigator radio)
aircraft. Many of the aircrew had experience primary night-fighter, considered to be Peter Verney, in common with many other
of the two-seat T.7 during their basic training. very fast for its day, and it gave us all a Meteor night-fighter aircrew, had flown in
Pilot Officer Peter Desmond arrived at gentle introduction to flying a jet fighter the Mosquito in the night-fighter role. Peter
Leeming in the summer of 1953, fresh from aircraft. It was responsive to commands was with 39 Sqn, which converted to the
RAF Colerne, Wiltshire where he had just when carrying out interceptions and speed Meteor at the end of 1952 and was based at
completed his navigator training on the changes seemed adequate enough when Kabrit in the Canal Zone, equipped with the
Bristol Brigand T.4 with 238 OCU. He recalls: closing a target. It was comfortable, but not Meteor NF.13.
“The business of 228 OCU was to take too warm at height. There was a sense of Converting from the Mosquito was a
pilots and navigators from all over the RAF, achievement at having flown it and learning very steep learning curve. The difference
although mainly direct from the training the basic skill of night-fighting with radar. in performance in terms of speed, rate
machine, and make them into recognised After a total of 73 hours, 30 minutes, we of climb and operational altitude was
crews, proficient in the Armstrong ended the course on September 30, 1954 considerable. Peter Verney remembers:
Whitworth Meteor NF.11, which meant – and I was posted to 46 Sqn at Odiham.” “The Meteor was a very pleasant aircraft to
using the same radar – being able to do at Plt Off Pete Hills went directly to 228 fly in and one felt safe and secure, in fact I
360kts at 25,000ft what we had been doing OCU after his initial flying course: “I did have heard it referred to as a ‘gentleman’s
in the Brigand at 220kts at 5,000ft.” my jet conversion onto Meteors straight aeroplane’. As a nav/rad it was nice ride,
Intercepting a target aircraft at night after [the] Wings course, and then went fairly stable. The Mks 11, 12 and 13 had
could be scary, as Desmond explained. “The to OCU on NF.11s, so when I say I found it a tendency to ‘snake’, which was not
target had lights out but the fighter kept an excellent aircraft to fly my assessment wonderful for gunnery. The Mk 14 had an
his lights on and it was the job of the target must be coloured by my lack of anything excellent hood [cockpit canopy], while
navigator to call for action if the situation else to compare it with. But, having said the others had the heavy framing that
looked like getting out of hand. The crews that, it was suited for its job at that time could obscure the view, also, because the
of today would be aghast at the thought. because it was stable and easy to fly on hood narrowed, one’s head easily hit the
“For ‘crewing up’ they still used the old instruments, and apart from the well- side when attempting to see downwards.
wartime system of putting everyone in known [control] problem when at low When we got bonedomes [hard helmets]
the same room for a couple of hours and speed in asymmetric flight, it had no vices. this was very noticeable until one got used
expecting them to emerge as potential It would have been a major step up in to it.” Compared with the Mosquito, “the
constituted crews. That is how I met Pilot performance for those who converted big drawback was the loss of side-by-side
Officer Jack Fuller, who was to be ‘my’ pilot from the night-fighter Mosquito.” seating” Verney concludes.
for the next four years.” On completion Pete considered that one of the biggest
of their training in August 1953, Peter drawbacks for the NF.11 was the AI Mk 10 NIGHT INTERCEPTION
Desmond and Jack Fuller went direct from radar. Its biggest limitation was the lack To adequately fulfil their primary mission of
Leeming to 87 Sqn at RAF Wahn, West of range – it needed a good navigator to nocturnal air defence, the Meteor night-
Germany to fly the Meteor NF.11. get the most out of it. “To the best of my fighting squadrons were regularly tasked
Plt Off Ted Wright joined 228 OCU in recollection an average contact range with night-time scramble exercises. Pete
July 1954. He recalls: “The initial flying for was around 5-8 miles against a Meteor- Hills describes one such drill at Tangmere:
navigators consisted of seven exercises with sized target, and about 10 miles against “On a typical night exercise we would be on
a staff pilot. These were crucial. They had to Canberra-sized one. If the radar was a the ORP [Operational Readiness Platform] at
be passed; otherwise it was off the course. bit off tune or otherwise not performing the end of the runway and plugged into the
“I flew my first trip in a Meteor 11 on July at its best that contact range might be telescramble
14, 1954. I was familiar with the basic layout only 3-5 miles.” Pete Hills went on to fly
of the Meteor and its small cockpit, having the NF.11 with 29 Sqn at Tangmere,
worked on the Meteor 7 at Middleton St West Sussex and 125 Sqn at
George throughout 1951. The view through Stradishall, Suffolk.
the canopy was quite limited, but with so
much to do there wasn’t really time to look
outside. The staff pilots demanded a high
workload: fuel checks every five
minutes and keen attention
to the AI.

The first production NF.11s were delivered to 29
Sqn at RAF Tangmere, West Sussex in July 1951,
replacing their Mosquito NF.36s. Key Collection

66 AVIATION NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

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