Xtrakits Meteor F8

In short Yes! MPM are doing the FR9 first and a PR10 is coming as well if this is anything to go by:

The description doesn't match the picture. The text says RAuxAF in silver while the pictures show a RAF plane in nightfighter black. ("Nightfighter" being a RAF euphemism for too useless to fly during the day).

And since when have you be into Meatboxes Enzo? I've yet to meet a RAF who had anything good to say about them.

(kim)

Erm... the text says that there are markings options for both silver and camouflaged aircraft. The picture is of an aircraft in tactical cam.

Meteors were a little before my time! :-) But they have a wide range of variants and markings options, which suits my preference for building variations on a theme.

A PR10, huh? I see that the clear sprue label claims that. A PR10 would require some major changes to the moulds, such as long-span wings and a Mk4 style tail. If MPM are doing that, presumably they will be producing a Mk4 as well.

There's an absolutely *gorgeous* Brazilian example in the old Profile series that sorely tempts me to make an exception to my US markings-only policy...

Doh! I misread RAuxAF for RAusAF. Couldn't understand why there were no kangaroos on the roundels!

Mine too but you must have heard the grizzy stories from old-timers about how they pulled the bodies out of the wreckage?

(kim)

Nah... even our oldest old-timers only went back as far as Hunters. There was a civvy instructor at Cosford and he had worked on Swifts when he was in the mob (he used to joke that "them new-fangled Hunters" would never catch on), but I can't remember anyone having worked on Meteors.

I suddenly feel very, very old :o)

(kim)

LOL

Last Meteor F8 left RAF service in 1982 at the TWU, Llanber had two until a couple of years ago and Martin baker still have two, so there are some around !! :-) Remove nospam to reply!!

Dunno about that, the fuselage was shorter - for a PR10 they could do resin or plastic fin and wing tip extensions.

It's intereating they mould the nose for the PR10 (without blast tubes) as a separate piece.

And it is rumoured that a nightfighter series could follow these.

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A couple of years ago, I was at a second-hand book fair (book buying is my real vice) and bought the Haynes Super Profile on the Meteor. As I turned away from the stall, a man in the crowd behind me remarked that the Meteor had ben notoriously dangerous. Unfortunately, I hadn't time to talk to him but I've read that the trainer, the T7, was particularly dangerous. It had some tricky flying characteristics and was apt to run short of fuel sooner than you'd expect. Must have done wonders for the trainee pilots' morale!

Despite its reputation, I've always liked the Meteor. A series of modern kits of the main versions would be welcome if they're not too expensive.

Gord>> >>

OK... now I'm *really* excited! :-D

The Canberra T4 also had a bad rep. It was still killing RAF aircrew in

I once heard a story about an instructor who was quizzing his student pilot as they were taxying back to the line in their T4. As their jet was pointed directly at another parked T4, the instructor asked the student "Suppose your brakes and nosewheel steering failed now. What would you do?"

The student is reputed to have said "Open the throttles and jump out. That way I write *two* of the bastards off!"

The Hannants boxing of the F8 is priced at 12 quid. Not too bad at all.

Whaa, you didn't try to corner the market on Matchbox Meteors?

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

I have one in my Deep Stash. One of these days, I'll drag it out...

Added to which no ejection seats in the T7....

There was a book on Meteor losses I'm sure.

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That was a mixed blessing because from what I was told some terrible accidents involved the ejector seats which were a very early design..

(kim)

Enzo Matrix passed some chees around with:

I had about 7-8 of them plus all the Aeroclub sets for converting them. Add to that a pair of Frog F.4s and two Airfix F.3s, one for the Mk.I canopy. When I get on one of these series' things I really go at it. ;)

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.