Meteor 3.8%

The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. Designed by George Carter, it first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The Gloster Meteor was not an aerodynamically advanced aircraft but the Gloster design team succeeded in producing an effective jet fighter that served the RAF and other air forces for decades. Meteors saw action with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in the Korean War and remained in service with numerous air forces until the 1970s.

On September 7 a Royal Air Force Gloster Meteor established a new world absolute air speed record of 615.65 mph (990.79 km/h) flown by Group Captain E.M. Donaldson off the coast of West Sussex, England.

Although many Gloster Meteors survive in museums and collections, only five remain airworthy, four in the United Kingdom and an F8 fighter (VH-MBX, Military S/N: VZ467) which was exported to Australia in 2001. The Temora Aviation Museum flies VH-MBX, currently in the colours of RAAF 77 Squadron as flown by Sgt. George Hale in Korea. A sixth airframe WA591 is under restoration to airworthiness by the UK based Meteor Flight at Yatesbury.

Celebrating the world airspeed record of 616 MPH by GP Captin Donaldson of the RAF High speed flight in his Meteor in 1946, Meteor is a chestnut coloured session bitter with combination of malts giving a depth of character often absent in a beer of this strength smooth in the mouth, yet with a hop character derived from fine English hops that gives a pleasant refreshing and slightly dry finish.