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Gloster Sapphire Meteor WA820
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Gloster Sapphire Meteor WA820
Gloster Sapphire Meteor F.8 WA820 at the 1950 SBAC Farnborough Air Show. In the background can be seen Gloster Meteor F.4 VZ389 and Avro Lincoln B.2 RA657 of Flight refuelling Ltd. which performed flight refuelling demonstrations during the airshow. WA820 was delivered on 17 March 1950 after conversion to Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire 2 power and established four time-to-height records flown by R. B.Prickett from Moreton Valence on 31 August 1951: time to 12, 000 mwas 3 minutes 9.5 seconds. WA820 was then relegated to an instructional role, at RAF Halton as 7141M, on 01 April 1954. Finally she was broken up at Halton on 14 February 1957. Date: 1950
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Media ID 20027952
© The Peter Butt Aviation Collection / Mary Evans Picture Library
1950 1951 1954 1957 Airshow Armstrong Avro Broken Conversion Delivered Demonstrations Established Farnborough Finally Flown Gloster Halton Instructional Lincoln Meteor Minutes Moreton Performed Power Records Refuelling Relegated Role Sapphire Sbac Seconds Siddeley Valence
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In this striking photograph from the 1950 SBAC Farnborough Air Show, the Gloster Sapphire Meteor F.8 WA820 takes center stage. Delivered on March 17, 1950, after conversion to Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire 2 power, WA820 made aviation history by establishing four time-to-height records. R.B. Prickett flew these records from Moreton Valence on August 31, 1951, with a time to reach 12,000 meters of just 3 minutes 9.5 seconds. In the background of the image, two other iconic aircraft can be seen. The Gloster Meteor F.4 VZ389 and the Avro Lincoln B.2 RA657 of Flight Refuelling Ltd. are performing flight refuelling demonstrations during the airshow. The Meteor F.4, with its distinctive wingtip fuel tanks, was a contemporary of the Sapphire Meteor and an important development in the evolution of jet technology. The Avro Lincoln, a versatile four-engine heavy bomber, was an essential component of the Royal Air Force's strategic capabilities during the Cold War. After setting the records, WA820 was relegated to an instructional role at RAF Halton, where it was known as 7141M, on April 1, 1954. The Sapphire Meteor continued to serve the RAF in this capacity until it was broken up at Halton on February 14, 1957. The photograph captures a moment in time when these groundbreaking aircraft were at the forefront of aviation innovation, showcasing their capabilities to the world at the Farnborough Air Show.
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