The Gloster Meteor was the allied only jet-fighter plane that saw action in the second world war, and was just in time to beat the German Me 262 to be the world first operational jet fighter.

After the experience with the experimental type E.28/39 (Brittan's first jet aircraft) Gloster was the logical choice to develop a jet fighter for the RAF.

Thanks to this choice specific fighter-builders like Hawker and Supermarine could continue to concentrate on building piston engine fighters and bombers.

The G.41 design came to form relatively quick. The first of eight prototypes began taxiing trails in July 1942 with Rover W.2B engines (4,5 kN) but it took until March 1943 before the fifth prototype became the first flying Meteor with on that moment de Havilland H.1 engines (6,75 kN).

Tests with different other engines slowed down the development of a production version, but 20 Meteors F.MkI came into use in July 1944 with Rolls Royce W.2B/23C Welland 1 turbojets of 7,65 kN each.

The Meteor stayed in service with the RAF until late into the 1950's, the following numbers and versions were build in the course of these years:

   280 x F.Mk III:   Rolls Royce W.2B/37 Derwent I (9 kN).

   657 x F.Mk 4:   Rolls Royce W.2B/37 Derwent I (9 kN) or Rolls Royce W.2B/37 Derwent 8 (16,2 kN).

1.183 x F.Mk 8:    Rolls Royce W.2B/37 Derwent I (9 kN) or Rolls Royce W.2B/37 Derwent 8 (16,2 kN).

   126 x FR.Mk 9 reconnaissance fighter.

NF.Mk 11 up to 14:    With radar equipped night fighters.

    58 x PR.Mk 10:    Photo reconnaissance plane.

  712 x T.Mk 7:    Two seat trainers.

Meteors who became "fazed out" normally were used as target towing planes or remote controlled targets for training purposes.