Duke Hawkins 1/72 Gloster Meteor Limited Edition

The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter to enter operational service and the only Allied jet aircraft deployed in combat conditions during World War II. It entered RAF service in July 1944 and began its career with interceptor missions against German V-1 rockets over the British Isles. After the war, the Meteor went through a number of developmental variants - from the early F.3 and F.4 to the definitive single-seat F.8 fighter to the two-seat night versions of the NF series - and became the backbone of many Allied air forces during the first decade of the Cold War.

The Belgian Air Force adopted the Meteor as its first jet fighter in the late 1940s. The aircraft served mainly in the F.4 and F.8 variants in the day fighter role, gradually moving into training and support roles before being superseded by more modern types. The Royal Netherlands Air Force followed a similar path, introducing the Meteor into service around 1948-1949. In both countries, the Meteor was instrumental in building the capability to operate jet aircraft and meet NATO collective defence commitments without being deployed in direct combat.

This limited edition is a collaboration between Duke Hawkins and ASK and brings together in one package everything needed to build a detailed model with Belgian or Dutch insignia. The base is a 1:72 scale Airfix plastic kit, complete with a 3D printed upgrade set from ASK that extends the detail of key parts of the kit. The Passion Decals (sheet #132) offer markings for a total of 8 aircraft - 6 Belgian Air Force machines and 2 Dutch Air Force machines - to capture the different phases and units in which the Meteor served in the Benelux. The ASK masking stencil facilitates accurate paint application, and together with Master Model's Pitot tube completes the package as a complete base for the final model without having to source accessories separately. The Duke Hawkins DH-043 reference book dedicated to the Gloster Meteor then provides historical and technical background right in the package. The package does not include the paint or glue needed for assembly.