DamienB Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 Anybody got one of these and wouldn't mind taking some pics of the sprues? Given that their Hunter was a pleasantly detailed little thing in comparison to the Frog Hunter it was supposedly a copy of (which it wasn't), I'm wondering what their Jav is like... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 I did a bit of research into Javelin kits for the Cold War GB and this was about all I found on this kit: http://www.btinternet.com/~javelin/p11_mod...el_javelins.htm You may have seen it already. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamienB Posted March 8, 2008 Author Share Posted March 8, 2008 Yeah, thanks John - as you guessed, seen it already and it's not wildly helpful unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave T Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 Damien, It's the old Frog kit. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Bradley Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 Damien, I have both old Frog kits. Do you have sprue shots of yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamienB Posted March 9, 2008 Author Share Posted March 9, 2008 Dave - it isn't according to two or three other online sources? Paul - I have the Frog Javelin; it's the Plastyk one I'd like to see pics of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 (edited) Dave - it isn't according to two or three other online sources?Paul - I have the Frog Javelin; it's the Plastyk one I'd like to see pics of. Is that the one that's sold as an FAW7? I do recall it had the wider rear fuselage of the 7 Edited March 10, 2008 by Dave Fleming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Bradley Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Dave - it isn't according to two or three other online sources?Paul - I have the Frog Javelin; it's the Plastyk one I'd like to see pics of. D'oh! That'll teach me to read the post properly....... Now, as the Plastyk Hunter bears absolutely no relation to any Frog Hunter, or any other Hunter kit for that matter and is, I strongly suspect, an original mould, perhaps the Javelin is too. It would be nice to confirm. And what other kits have Plastyk done? Are they still in business? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamienB Posted March 10, 2008 Author Share Posted March 10, 2008 Is that the one that's sold as an FAW7? I do recall it had the wider rear fuselage of the 7 Yes, FAW.7 and 9. Paul - exactly - I suspect it's a new tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sniperUK Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 If it's the same standard a their Westland Lynx new mould kits ,run away, they were so bad the only thing I could salvage from them was the exhaust shrouds,TOW tubes and Chancellor TV fit to graft on to Airfix kits.Badly fitting,terrible detail and surfaces,opaque clear parts and awful unusable decals, apart from the bits mentioned mine went in the bin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 They do surface at some of the Polish online retailers from time to time, and on Polish ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Fox Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 I bought one about 9 years ago,,when I was still doing 1/72nd and trying to do every Javelin Squadron. I thought it was a modified Frog moulding with the unique Mk7 rear end. It looked wrong and putting it to plans confirmed my worst fears. Never did building, gave it away when I sold my 1/72nd kits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bushbrit Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 I bought one about 9 years ago,,when I was still doing 1/72nd and trying to do every Javelin Squadron. I thought it was a modified Frog moulding with the unique Mk7 rear end. It looked wrong and putting it to plans confirmed my worst fears. Never did building, gave it away when I sold my 1/72nd kits. I have one. Clearly based on the old frog, It had engravel lines and is very clunky. Looks like it was carved out of soap. Open wheel wells and no cockpit to speak of If I weere you stick with Heller Airfix or even the Frog Novo as it appears better moulded HTH Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamienB Posted March 10, 2008 Author Share Posted March 10, 2008 Any chance of some sprue pics Sean? If no camera handy, flatbed scanner also works...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bushbrit Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 Any chance of some sprue pics Sean?If no camera handy, flatbed scanner also works...! Will dog out of loft. Unless you are at North Somerset show in Weston SM this Sat? Cheers Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamienB Posted March 14, 2008 Author Share Posted March 14, 2008 Yes please Sean - sorry, not at the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamienB Posted May 7, 2008 Author Share Posted May 7, 2008 Well the missus has kindly bought me one of these Plastyk Javelins off eBay, and I've had a good look at it. It's clearly completely unrelated to the Heller/Airfix kit with no commonality whatsoever. As for being a copy of the Frog/Novo one, if it is then they've made a large number of changes not least of which is moulding the nose as part of the fuselage and replacing all the inaccurate raised panel lines with more accurate engraved lines. These aren't up to the highest standards - e.g. some square panels have the engraving continuing a little bit outside the corners - but in general are nicely done. I certainly wouldn't describe it as clunky or carved out of soap - this looks like it will build into a very nice Javelin indeed once some work has been done on the minimal cockpit and wheel wells. There are some sink marks on the fuselage halves but in general I'm really rather impressed with this kit. So Frog/Novo Javelin - acres of flash and some stupidly placed sprue gates, naff raised panel detail, unuseable transparency and decals, awful afterburner cans. Airfix Javelin - better cockpit and wheel wells, but naff raised panel detail, brick-like vortex generators. Plastyk Javelin - by far the best surface finish due engraved lines and more attention to detail than Frog or Airfix, worst missiles and drop tanks, rather thick looking decals and unusable transparency (it's vaguely orange!). Option of cutting off the extended rear fuselage and sticking alternative exhausts (supplied) on to represent an FAW.7. None of the three kits compare well with the plans in the Warpaint volume on the Javelin, but then as those plans don't even compare well with themselves (check out the differences in tail size on the profiles), that doesn't mean anything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Bradley Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 So what you are really saying Damien, is that Airfix should pull their fingers out and do an all-new set of Javelin moulds, with the set up such that different marks could be released in time? Thought so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek burton Posted May 17, 2008 Share Posted May 17, 2008 sounds like a good idea to me. Dek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamienB Posted May 22, 2008 Author Share Posted May 22, 2008 To add to my Javelin collection I've now got hold of the ancient Hawk kit. Produced in 1966, this one appears to be a model of the prototype in that it has a large solid fairing behind a single seat cockpit. Comparison with plans of an FAW.1 shows just about everything to be out in some way or another, though overall it looks the part - and as there were quite a few changes between prototype and FAW.1 I can't be sure this kit isn't 100% accurate! No cockpit (hilariously there is a bar of plastic on which to glue a monster of some kind, bar being engraved with 'SEAT' and monster apparently being the pilot), no wheel bays (at all - you glue the gear to the wing/fuselage underside and add gear doors!), raised rivet detail (placed for decoration rather than in any attempt to follow real panel lines) and raised decal placement markings too. Sink marks either side of the fin locating hole and a pen-nib exhaust area that looks nothing like that on production aircraft. The cranked wing leading edge of production models is there, but barely so. Anybody know of a source of plans for the prototypes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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