The Prone Pilot Meteor 

  

 

 

Developed from a standard Meteor 8 fuselage, the "Prone Pilot" Meteor was designed for the Royal Air Force Department of Aviation Medicine as a vehicle in which to test a pilot's ability to withstand the effects of 'G', or gravitational pull, in manoeuvres during high speed flight.

 

The pilot in the forward cabin lies on a specially designed bed, and has all the controls necessary to take-off, fly and land the aircraft, while the safety pilot in the normal cabin has a duplicate set of controls for use in emergency.

 

 

Power Plant:   2 Rolls Royce Derwent Turbine engines.
     
Dimensions:  

Span                  37 ft. 2 in.

Height                13 ft. 11 in.

Length                52 ft. 5 in.

Wing Area         350 sq. ft.

     
Registration:   WK 935 (conversion applied to one aircraft only).
   

 

 

 		  

 
   

Weight & Performance figures are not available.

 
   

The instruction to proceed with this conversion was received in April 1952 and the aircraft flew in February 1954, followed by the Final Conference in March of that year. 

 

After some development and a considerable amount of flight testing by the firm and the Institute of Aviation Medicine at R.A.E., a report was issued which concluded that the prone position was feasible if aerodynamic considerations made such a configuration necessary.

   

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