Why it took so long to come to mind I don't (or prefer not to) know, but de Havilland's Hornet still seems the handsomest aeroplane practically ever, while the Vampire 5 still touches the heartstrings - and don't anybody call it a "Kiddicar", specially brutes who thought the Meteor 4 was good-looking. But the Meteor 8 was pretty smooth, I'll admit, and a lot of fun to do a refresher course on at Manby in the early 60s. (Bright early mornings, Autumn cornfield after harvest, sound of pheasants ... over to the flight line, and away we go ... It was good, good, good to be back in a cockpit after a heavy ground tour behind the Wall ...)
