on the ground). It was test flown by Daunt on 12 January 1944. This Meteor was then sent to the US in exchange for a General Electric J31 (Power Jets W.1) powered Bell XP-59A Airacomet, RG362/G. The Meteor was first flown at Muroc Army Airfield by John Grierson on 15 April. Several test flights followed, and by December it had been shipped back to the UK. Reheat development had started at the National Gas Turbine Establishment (NGTE) in 1943. When the V-1 attacks started on London in 1944 flight tests were done using a Welland engine in a Meteor I. The attacks finished before the reheat could be used in action. In service Production of the Meteor continued, with EF211 to 229 and 230 through 244 entering service No. 616 Squadron RAF in May 1944. The Wellands were rated at , with 180 hours between overhauls. The Jumo 004B, which entering service only a few weeks earlier, was rated at , but required overhaul after 10–20 hours. Flying from RAF Manston near the English Channel, 616 Squadron first saw action against the V-1 flying bombs en route to London on 27 July 1944. Production From October 1943 a total of 167 Wellands were dispatched from the Rolls-Royce facility at Barnoldswick. By this point, Adrian Lombard's straight-through design, which became the Rolls-Royce Derwent, had proved more reliable and produced more thrust, and production of the Welland ended. Specifications (Welland) See also List of aircraft engines References Notes Bibliography Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. External links The Welland at enginehistory.org Welland 1940s turbojet engines Centrifugal-flow turbojet engines