Hugh Harkins:Meteor Vs MiG-15, Air Combat Over Korea, 1951-53

[bearoutwest]

Yes, thanks Ed. Here's a similarly interesting website but from the Soviet perspective. Overclaiming was rife, with more Meteors claimed than were ever serving in the RAAF in total. But probably similar sense of overclaiming in the USAF Sabre squadrons during the really big air battles.

https://australiarussia.com/MeteorsENFIN.htm

I have a number of books and articles on 77 Squadron's Meteors in Korea, and am slowly piecing together a collection of pilot recollections and overview descriptions of the Meteor air-to-air encounters.

Harkins' insight on the operational requirements vs industry-development/costs on the Meteor I and III in WW2, and the reasons why a long-nacelle Meteor III with uprated engines wasn't rushed into service with a possible early-ish 1945 timescale, was an interesting viewpoint. (Basically he noted that it may have been technically feasible - given the right political backing; but economically unnecessary as the Allies were close to winning the European war with what they had.) I would have been interested to read if he had similar discussion on reasons for retaining the Meteor F.8 rather than the potential replacements pre-Hunter development (i.e. swept-wing Meteor, Hawker P.1052, etc).

...geoff