🇬🇧MerseyTrades©

7 NOVEMBER 1945 ✈️🇬🇧 THE BRITISH JET THAT BROKE THE 600 MPH BARRIER! Just months after the end of the Second World War, Britain was already pushing aviation into an extraordinary new era. And 81 years ago today, an RAF pilot made history over the Kent coast! On 7th November 1945, Group Captain Hugh Joseph Wilson climbed into the cockpit of a Gloster Meteor IV and prepared to attempt a world airspeed record. The location was Herne Bay, Kent. The aircraft was powered by two Rolls-Royce Derwent V turbojet engines, each producing an impressive 3,500 lb of thrust. The Meteor was already a significant aircraft in British aviation history. It had entered RAF service in 1944 and was Britain's first operational jet fighter. But now it was about to demonstrate just how far aviation technology had advanced. Wilson thundered along the measured course over the sea. And the result? 606.25 MILES PER HOUR! A new officially recognised world airspeed record and the first officially confirmed jet-aircraft record. To put that into perspective, the Spitfires that had helped defend Britain just five years earlier had top speeds of roughly 350–370 mph, depending on the version. In just a few years, aircraft performance had taken an astonishing leap forward. And this was only the beginning of the jet age. The Gloster Meteor was a remarkable example of British aviation engineering, bringing together the RAF, aircraft designers and the pioneering work of British jet-engine technology. The Meteor would continue in RAF service in various roles long after the war, including reconnaissance and training.