In the fall of 1954, Meteor F8 WK935 joined the Institute of Aviation Medicine after being chosen for modification
The ‘prone position’ Meteor, which is depicted in the images in this post, is a heavily modified Meteor F8 fighter that was used to test the benefits of flying while lying down. The challenges of using the aircraft’s controls actually outweighed the benefits.
The adoption of a prone-position cockpit in upcoming combat aircraft designs was attractive in the early 1950s for two reasons. First off, such a layout made it possible to decrease the frontal area of the airframe, which decreased drag. Second, because jet combat aircraft must maneuver at ever-faster speeds, crews can withstand greater “g” forces if they are not sitting upright.
In order to take advantage of these benefits, the Bristol Aeroplane Company included a prone pilot position in its Bristol Type 178 rocket-powered fighter concept. The RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine needed a jet aircraft that could be flown by a pilot lying on his stomach to test the viability of a prone pilot cockpit. In the fall of 1954, Meteor F8 WK935 joined the Institute of Aviation Medicine after being chosen for modification.
The prone position concept was shown to be feasible after around 55 hours of flight testing, but only under the most extreme circumstances for aerodynamic reasons. The front cockpit was never used for solo flight of the aircraft. The prone posture was abandoned as a result of the creation of specialized aviation clothing, which provided a more straightforward answer to the issue of reducing “g” forces.
‘Its mission was to see if there were any benefits to the prone pilot position. It proved, conclusively, the opposite,’ David Powell, an aviation expert, explains on Quora.
‘Aside from being more difficult to fly due to the unconventional layout, the prone pilot also had limited rear vision – which in mock combat scenarios proved to be a major drawback. Also, it was unclear how the pilot could eject from such a position. The final nail in the coffin was the fact that pressurized g-suits were becoming better and better and they were a far simpler and effective solution.
‘My Grandfather Robin Peter Reginald Powell was a test pilot at the end of WWII and flew early Meteor prototypes, though not the prone version which was a one-off modification to the last production Meteor airframe.’
At the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford in the UK, where the Gloster Meteor F8 Prone Pilot is preserved and still survives.
Photo by Crown Copyright and Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK via Wikipedia