How Meteors Hit the Ground 2: Detailed Accident Data Included

by Geoffrey Higges

Overview

This is the 2nd edition of "How Meteors Hit the Ground". The only difference from the first book is that tables are added giving detailed information of each of 795 write-offs of Meteors that occurred after WWII between 1945 and 1957. This book uses the author's 6 years experience flying the Gloster Meteor jet fighter to analyse the reasons for the many accidents that occurred with this aircraft. For example, on average during the year 1952, 3 Meteors were written off every week, and a Meteor pilot killed every 4 days. In 1945, Number 616 Squadron of the British Royal Air Force was equipped with the Gloster Meteor fighter which was the first and only jet aircraft to be used by the Allies in World War II. In 1951 the author became a fighter pilot with 616 Squadron flying the latest version of the Meteor, and during his 6 years flying this aircraft, the author also qualified and gained experience as a Flight Test Engineer. So he is well qualified to comment on the qualities of this historic aircraft, and discuss the various characteristics which contributed to so many accidents during its lifetime.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781499275612
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	04/26/2014
Series:	How Meteors Hit the Ground , #2
Pages:	136
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.29(d)

About the Author

Geoffrey Higges trained as a fighter pilot with the British Royal Air Force in 1949 to 1951. He served for 3 years with No. 616 Fighter Squadron in South Yorkshire for 3 years flying Gloster Meteors, then 3 years with No. 501 Squadron in Bristol on De Havilland Vampires and Gloster Meteors.
During his time in Yorkshire Geoffrey gained a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Leeds University, while during his 3 years at Bristol he served as a Flight Test Engineer with the Bristol Aero Engine Company where he was responsible for the flight testing of the Olympus engine in the Avro Vulcan, and for the Orpheus engine in several European light fighters.
Geoffrey then spent 6 years as an Airline Pilot with Trans Australia Airlines flying DC3s, and Swissair flying DC6Bs. For the next 27 years he lectured in Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Australia, culminating as Head of the department.
It was not until the official Air Ministry statistics for the Royal Air Force in the 1940s and 1950s were released 50 years later that it was revealed that there were so many accidents to many service aircraft during that period, and it is the record pertaining to the Gloster Meteor particularly that is discussed by Geoffrey in the light of his personal experience with this aircraft.