Jump to content

Heller/Airfix Gloster Javelin T3 questions?


phat trev

Recommended Posts

As mentioned earlier I have both Airfix and Frog Javelins, and if anything the Frog kit is slightly broader and generally fatter in the fuselage (very noticeable across the air intakes, and a similar length. The Frog kit has almost equally nice surface detail (more accurately placed panel lines in one or two places), although the vortex generators are much nicer on the Airfix, and the Frog Kit lacks any kind of interior/wheel well detail at all. The main wheel wells aren't even boxed in. I can't comment on weapons/undercarriage/ejector seats as they're all missing from my fragmentary Frog Kit!

What's your opinion on which of them is more correct of the two ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What's your opinion on which of them is more correct of the two ?

At least the fuselage after the wing trailing edge and the exhausts are much more correct on the Frog kit than on the Airfix. The latter one is way to small in this area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

this would be an interesting artical to find thanks for the info.

Peter Lockhart actually cross kitted the Frog FAW9 and the Heller T3. He used the forward section of the Frog kit grafted onto the rear of the Heller kit. I think he may have retained the T3 nose cone?

I reckon that the Heller/Airfix T3 could be converted into an FAW4 or 5 quite reasonably easily - (very) basically remove the forward section up to and behind the cockpit remove a section and then glue it back . You'd need to crash mould or find a suitable canopy section though and remove some plastic aft of the cockpit - and indeed lower it a bit - but I reckon its do-able..... :huh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What's your opinion on which of them is more correct of the two ?

My feeling is that the Airfix/Heller is closer to the mark, mainly around the intakes which are considerably fatter and more bulbous on the Frog kit. However, my plans are perhaps not entirely accurate, so it's difficult to be sure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have peters article from SAM 4/4 but no means of copying it, or scanning it unless someone locally has the facility.sorry chris

in the article peter makes reference to plans in Aviation News 2/20 and an article in SAM 1/10

Edited by chris57
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The advantage of the T.3 of course is that every squadron used them and so your choices of markings is wider but on the other hand you could still only make a T.3.

If you grafted the front end of the FAW.9 onto the rest of a T.3 you could make a FAW.1/4/5 and if you altered the nose profile you could do a FAW.2/6 (American radar - shorter nose), OR, if you used the pen-nib jet-pipe fairing from the T.3, removed the centre row of vortex generators from the wings you've pretty much got a 1/4/6 (and if you alter the nose...).

What the current kit isn't quite is a FAW.9 - it's a bit shallow at the back end but until somebody gets around to producing a new state of the art 1/72nd Javelin its the best horse in town.

Now come on Airfix - you know you want to do a decent 1/72nd Javelin, after the 1/72nd Lightnings, Vampires, Venoms, Canberra B.2/6, Hunter T.7, Phantom FG.1/FGR.2, but before you give us the Sea Vixen, JP3/4 and loooooooooooooong before you think about the Swift!

Wez

Ha ha. Totally agree. Very decent of Airfix produce all those lovely aircraft in state of the art 1/72! Though I'm grateful that Heller produced a Javelin at all I have to say the T3 seems an odd choice. Even odder was that when Airfix altered the tooling they didn't keep the pen nib tailpipes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ha ha. Totally agree. Very decent of Airfix produce all those lovely aircraft in state of the art 1/72! Though I'm grateful that Heller produced a Javelin at all I have to say the T3 seems an odd choice. Even odder was that when Airfix altered the tooling they didn't keep the pen nib tailpipes.

I think it was a cost thing, in those days Humbrol had no money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...