The Museum’s Meteor F8 left for Yorkshire on 12 May. The aircraft (WA829) is a hybrid of at least two Meteors. WA829 was delivered to No 245 Squadron at RAF Horsham St Faith in late 1950 as one of 16 aircraft fitted with flight refuelling probes to conduct operational refuelling trials.
This role continued until No 245 Squadron’s Meteors were phased out in 1957. During the post service restoration it in known that WA984, an F8 originally on No 19 Squadron’s establishment, was cannibalised to provide spares and major components used in WA829’s post service restoration.
Following an engineering safety survey last year, major corrosion was found in the WA829’s airframe and the Museum decided that in order to preserve the aircraft it should be transferred to another accredited museum with the facilities to return it to a safe display condition. The aircraft has been transferred to the ownership of the Yorkshire Air Museum.
Photo: Hugh Trevor
