Gloster Meteor F.8

Gloster · UK · first flew 1948 · fighter

The F.8 is the definitive single-seat Meteor fighter, combining a lengthened fuselage for better stability, a revised tail for improved handling, a bubble canopy, and an ejection seat — the mark against which all earlier Meteors look visibly shorter and cruder.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × turbojet, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Extended fuselage (by 76 cm) gives a noticeably longer nose and tail moment compared to F.3 and F.4
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Extended fuselage (by 76 cm) gives a noticeably longer nose and tail moment compared to F.3 and F.4
Revised tail unit with a larger, squared-off fin and rudder replacing the earlier rounded fin profile
Teardrop bubble canopy with a clear-view one-piece blown hood and Martin-Baker Mk.1E ejection seat visible through the hood

Against F.3/F.4: the longer fuselage is the dominant cue — the F.8 looks 'stretched' beside them, with more distance between the wing trailing edge and the tail. The F.4 had a frameless sliding canopy and rounded fin; the F.8 has a bubble hood and angular squared fin. Against NF.11: the F.8 is a single-seater with a short, rounded nose; NF.11 has a long AI radar nose and two-seat cockpit. Against T.7: the T.7 carries a long, heavily framed tandem greenhouse canopy and lacks cannon ports and ejection seats.

Specifications

The Gloster Meteor F.8 has a length of 13.59 m (45 ft).
It has a wingspan of 11.32 m (37 ft).
Its maximum speed is 962 km/h (598 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in October 1948, the F.8 became the most numerous Meteor variant with 1,183 built. It equipped the bulk of RAF Fighter Command through the early 1950s and saw combat with the RAAF in Korea (No. 77 Squadron). Exports went to Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, Israel, Syria, Brazil, Ecuador, and the Netherlands.

Variants

Meteor FR.9 (fighter-reconnaissance, oblique camera nose), PR.10 (photo-reconnaissance), U.15/U.16 (unmanned target drones converted from F.8 airframes).

Where you'll see it

RAF Fighter Command squadrons 1950–1955, RAAF No. 77 Sqn Korea 1951–53. Preserved F.8s at RAF Museum Cosford, Midland Air Museum, and Tangmere. Several airworthy examples operated by the Meteor Flight and private owners.

Related aircraft

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