Editing Gloster Meteor (section)

===Origins===
{{see also|Frank Whittle}}
The development of the [[turbojet]]-powered Gloster Meteor was a collaboration between the [[Gloster Aircraft Company]] and Frank Whittle's firm, Power Jets Ltd. Whittle formed Power Jets Ltd in March 1936 to develop his ideas of jet propulsion, Whittle himself serving as the company's chief engineer.<ref>Pavelec 2007, pp. 45–46.</ref> For several years, attracting financial backers and aviation firms prepared to take on Whittle's radical ideas was difficult. In 1931, [[Armstrong-Siddeley]] had evaluated and rejected Whittle's proposal, finding it to be technically sound but at the limits of engineering capability.<ref>Pavelec 2007, pp. 43–44.</ref> Securing funding was a persistently worrying issue throughout the early development of the engine.<ref>Golley and Gunston 2010, pp. 92–94.</ref> The first Whittle prototype jet engine, the [[Power Jets WU]], began running trials in early 1937; shortly afterwards, both Sir [[Henry Tizard]], chairman of the [[Aeronautical Research Committee]], and the [[Air Ministry]] gave the project their support.<ref>Pavelec 2007, pp. 48–50.</ref>

On 28 April 1939, Whittle made a visit to the premises of the Gloster Aircraft Company, where he met several key figures, such as [[George Carter (engineer)|George Carter]], Gloster's chief designer.<ref>Golley and Gunston 2010, p. 139.</ref> Carter took a keen interest in Whittle's project, particularly when he saw the operational [[Power Jets W.1]] engine, and quickly used it as the basis for several rough proposals of various aircraft designs. Independently, Whittle had also been producing proposals for a high-altitude jet-powered bomber, although following the start of the [[World War II|Second World War]] and the [[Battle for France]], a greater national emphasis arose on fighter aircraft.<ref>Golley and Gunston 2010, pp. 156, 165.</ref> Power Jets and Gloster quickly formed a mutual understanding around mid-1939.<ref>Golley and Gunston 2010, p. 127.</ref>

[[File:Jet-Age-Museum-E28.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Gloster E.28/39]]. The yellow undersides were standard for RAF training and [[prototype]] aircraft of the period.]]
In spite of ongoing infighting between Power Jets and several of its [[Project stakeholder|stakeholders]], the Air Ministry contracted Gloster in late 1939 to manufacture a [[prototype]] aircraft powered by one of Whittle's new turbojet engines.<ref>Pavelec 2007, pp. 168–169.</ref> The single-engined [[proof-of-concept]] [[Gloster E28/39]], the first British jet-powered aircraft, conducted its maiden flight on 15 May 1941, flown by Gloster's chief test pilot, Flight Lieutenant [[Gerry Sayer|Philip "Gerry" Sayer]].<ref name="Mason p.339"/><ref>Boyne 2002, p. 261.</ref> The success of the E.28/39 proved the viability of jet propulsion, and Gloster pressed ahead with designs for a production fighter aircraft.<ref>Boyne 2002, pp. 261–262.</ref> Due to the limited thrust available from early jet engines, it was decided that subsequent production aircraft would be powered by a pair of turbojet engines.<ref>Spick 2002, pp. 169–170.</ref>

In 1940, for a "military load" of {{convert|1500|lb|kg|abbr=on}}, the [[Royal Aircraft Establishment]] (RAE) had advised that work on an aircraft of {{convert|8500|lb|kg|abbr=on}} all-up weight, with a total static thrust of {{convert|3200|lbf|kN|abbr=on}} should be started, with an {{convert|11000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} design for the expected, more powerful, [[Power Jets W.2|W.2]] and [[Metropolitan-Vickers F.2|axial engine designs]]. George Carter's calculations based on the RAE work and his own investigations were that a {{convert|8700|to|9000|lb|adj=on|abbr=off}} aircraft with two or four 20&nbsp;mm cannons and six 0.303 machine guns would have a top speed of {{cvt|400–431|mph|kn km/h}} at sea level and {{cvt|450–470|mph|kn km/h}} at {{convert|30000|ft}}. In January 1941 Gloster were told by [[Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook|Lord Beaverbrook]] that the twin jet fighter was of "unique importance", and that the company was to stop work on a [[Gloster F.9/37#F.18/40 and F.29/40|night-fighter development of their F.9/37]] to Specification F.18/40.<ref>Buttler 2004, p. 193.</ref>