03/31/2006. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "Armstrong Whitworth was selected to modify Meteor F.Mk.8 WK935 to the 'prone position' Meteor. To compensate for the longer nose a Meteor NF.Mk.12 tail unit with additional fin area was fitted. First flight in this configuration was made by Armstrong Whitworth's Chief Test Pilot Eric Franklin at Baginton, Coventry, on February 10, 1954. It was used to evaluate the advantages of coping with the effects of gravity while flying lying down as intended in the Bristol rocket-powered interceptor. In practice the difficulties of operating the controls of the aircraft outweighed the advantages. Before the program was terminated 99 flights had been made by pilots from the Royal Aircraft Establishment and the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine at Farnborough, Hampshire, UK.

(Bob Cowell Collection)

Presently it is preserved at the RAF Museum, Cosford."