Gloster Meteor

The Gloster Meteor is a British twin-engine jet fighter built by Gloster Aircraft Company, entering Royal Air Force service in July 1944 as the only Allied jet aircraft to see operational service during the Second World War, and the first jet aircraft to enter squadron service with the Royal Air Force. Built around two centrifugal-flow turbojet engines mounted in underwing nacelles, a comparatively conservative airframe layout that allowed Gloster to get the aircraft into service relatively quickly once suitable jet engines became available, the Meteor initially flew defensive missions against German V-1 flying bombs, for which its speed advantage over piston-engined fighters proved valuable, rather than being risked in offensive missions over occupied Europe where a shoot-down risked German recovery of jet engine technology. The Meteor remained in RAF service long after the war, eventually serving in the Korean War with other air forces, and successive engine and aerodynamic improvements kept later variants competitive for some years even as more advanced swept-wing jet fighter designs emerged elsewhere.