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1:72 Heller Gloster Javelin T.3 with Maintrack FAW.7 Conversion


Navy Bird

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I'm sure I have a model magazine from a few years ago which had a Javelin Feature and included building 1:72 Javelins using the Heller kit and utilising the Maintrack Conversions and they looked good overall. If I can find the magazine I can scan the article for you if it's any good to you.

Cheers,

Mark

I'd appreciate a copy of that as well.

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I would be happy to buy online but it appears Whirlybits has zero presence for online ordering. I seem to recall some saying on this forum that they had trouble contacting/getting items from them?? IIRC some saying to only buy at UK shows?? Not a confidence inspiring developmdnt for a colonial.

Regards,

Chris the cabbie

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The FROG kit has its virtues: correct back end for a Mark 8 or 9, but cockpit detail is rudimentary and the nose is too short. However the latter can be turned to your advantage as it means less shortening to produce a Mark 8, for which Modeldecal offered 41 and 85 Squadron markings. The kit has missile pylons, underwing tanks, IFR probe and Firestreak missiles. The markings were for 5 and 64 Squadrons (the latter being an F(AW) 9R). Being a product of the early '70s, available moulding technology didn't really stretch to the vortex generators. The finished model definitely had presence and weighed a ton with all the lead at the front to keep the nose down! Aaaaahh, nostalgia!!

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Thank you for the information, Steve! Pity about the vortex generators - I don't know (or want to know) about how I'd go about replicating those. I do wish Airfix would 'downsize' their 1/48th scale kit to 1/72nd scale. We really do need a new-mould kit of the Javelin. A real beast of a 'plane, but it does have a certain elephantine charm.

Best Regards,

Jason

Edited by Learstang
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On 23/07/2015 at 22:46, Sten Ekedahl said:

I built a FAW.4 many years ago using the Heller T.3 and the Maintrack resin nose and belly tanks. I didn't like the fit of the Maintrack vacformed canopy. Instead I used an Aeroclub vacormed canopy intended for the old Frog FAW.8. I was very pleased with the result.

I have the Maintrack conversion for the FAW.7 (the best looking Javeiin version in my opinion) intended for the Airfix FAW.9, in my stash. Since you can't build a correct FAW.9 from the Airfix kit without completely rebuilding the rear end, I will probably build the FAW.7 as my next Javelin.

 

That looks really nice, Stan! And thanks for the advice about the canopy, I shall go hunting for the Aeroclub version, assuming the FAW.7 canopy is the same as the FAW.8. Is it?

 

On 24/07/2015 at 03:23, sloegin57 said:

Nice price for one of those excellent conversions Bill. If that had been Hannants - that would have been £5-00 but in reality that's only £3-22 of your actual Sterling.

Couple of items. When you build it (and you will) bear in mind that the Mk.7 equipped only four front line Squadrons. Two had gun equipped aircraft (no missiles) and two had missile equipped aircraft (no guns but the ports remained.

33 and 64 Squadrons had just gun aircraft, although 64 did have four missile equipped aircraft during their work up with Mk.9's just to keep the Squadron strength up.

23 and 25 Squadrons had the missile equipped aircraft and if you do one of these you will, of course, need pylons. I am not sure why there are drop tanks in the Maintrack Mk.7 conversion, they are in mine as well, as the only Javelin to carry drop tanks were the F(AW) Mk.9R. The under fuselage tanks were known as "Bosom" tanks.

<snip>

Couple of shots to give you encouragement, as has been said - the 7 was by far the best looking Javelin :-

<snip>

 

Bit of weathering detail for you Bill

 

Thanks, Dennis, those are great photos. The price was indeed good, since it included both the conversion and the kit! Excellent advice on the operational squadrons and configurations.

 

Does anyone know of any aftermarket sheets for the FAW.7? I've looked around, and there are quite a few for the 9 (and the T.3), but I haven't found any for the 7 yet. Every time someone responds to this thread, the kit moves closer to the top of my stash, but I'll need some good stickers first. :)

 

Cheers,

Bill

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Bill, apart from the T. 3 all Javelins had the same canopy and windscreen, so if you can find an Aeroclub one it should do th trick. Scale Aircraft Modelling issued a small sheet of markings for various Javelin units many moons ago, including 23 and 33 Squadrons. 64 Squadron's markings are available on the FROG and Airfix sheets but beware if you use an Eastern European/soviet iteration of the former as they disintegrate faster than a Sapphire compressor encountering centre-line closure when introduced to water.

Jason, can't help but agree there. Any kit manufacturer would probably need to consider three different front fuselages for F(AW) 1, 4, 5, 7 and 9, F(AW) 2, 6 and 8 and T 3, three different rear ends for F(AW) 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6, F(AW) 7 and F(AW) 8 and 9, three different standards of wing, Mks 1 - 6, 7 and 8 and 9, two different canopies, fighter and trainer and missiles, tanks and IFR probe in various combinations for the Mks 7, 8 and 9. Just to add to the fun I think the reheated versions had bigger engine air intakes.....

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Hi Bill,

I finally managed to track down the magazine aided by my own post in this thread.

The magazine is the November 2011 issue of Model Aircraft

It's only a short five page article and briefly covers several marks of Javelin than can be built from various kits and conversions. I'm happy to scan it for you if you want it.

Regards,

Mark


I'd appreciate a copy of that as well.

No probs. I'll let you know when I've scanned it

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  • 2 years later...

So, after reading through this thread I'm still left wondering - which is the better kit?  Which, out of the box, better represents a Javelin?  Is it the Heller kit?  Or is the Frog kit?  And if the Frog, are the Novo versions still worthwhile?

 

If it takes an aftermarket conversion kit to "upgrade" either the Heller or the Frog kitting into an accurate rendering of a Javelin, then which mod kit would do the job?

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I would sooner get the Frog boxing if you can, some of the Novo versions were terrible quality.

Not sure which is the more accurate, but to build I much preferred the Heller kit.  This kit was later revamped by Airfix to represent an FAW.9

 

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Perhaps 'as is' is a bit over-simplified. By all means tart up the cockpit with etch, replacement wheels are available, as are pitots. Masks for the canopy. etc. But if you just want A Javelin....

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Isn't the 1/72 Airfix Javelin meant to be quite decent? You can probably still find a few on ebay.

 

I made the Novo one OOB not long ago, she scrubs up ok, I think someone with more skill than me could make this into a very good kit:

 

2hy0ya.jpg

 

5k4tft.jpg

 

 

 

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I think the problem with the Airfix kit is that when they changed the Heller T.3 to a FAW.9, they didn't change the back end/exhausts, which were different between the two Javelin versions. I must say the old Frog kit does look the part.

 

Regards,

 

Jason

 

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2 hours ago, Learstang said:

I think the problem with the Airfix kit is that when they changed the Heller T.3 to a FAW.9, they didn't change the back end/exhausts, which were different between the two Javelin versions.

They definitely included the FAW.9 exhausts, upper rear fuselage reheat cooling air intakes and the probe etc.  

Airfix did issue the kit as a T.3 as well mind.

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14 minutes ago, 71chally said:

They definitely included the FAW.9 exhausts, upper rear fuselage reheat cooling air intakes and the probe etc.  

Airfix did issue the kit as a T.3 as well mind.

The problem is that they did not widen the rear fuselage on the Heller T3 moulds.  They added all the right bits but onto the narrower rear fuselage used by the 'pen nib' Javelins Marks 1,2,3,4,5 and 6.   The result is the Airfix rear is anemic and the exhuast cans too small in diameter.   Frog, on the other hand, has this area correctly sized.

 

David

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I still have the Maintrack FAW.7 conversion set, and I most likely won't be using it. If anyone is still looking for that, send me a PM and we can make a deal.

 

I think I'll build my Heller kit as a T.3, and if I ever get around to building my Airfix FAW.9, I'll look for the Frog kit as a donor for the rear fuselage.

 

Cheers,

Bill

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12 hours ago, 71chally said:

 

Airfix did issue the kit as a T.3 as well mind.

IIRC, the Airfix T.3 boxing was a short run only and is very scarce, at least around here- possibly it never made it to Germany in the first place. It’s still a gap in my Airfix collection...

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On 4/25/2018 at 4:52 PM, Navy Bird said:

I still have the Maintrack FAW.7 conversion set, and I most likely won't be using it. If anyone is still looking for that, send me a PM and we can make a deal.

 

I think I'll build my Heller kit as a T.3, and if I ever get around to building my Airfix FAW.9, I'll look for the Frog kit as a donor for the rear fuselage.

 

Cheers,

Bill

Navybird,

 

I sent you a PM about the Maintrack conversion set and hope you respond. I have a few Javelin in the stash and would love to build a FAW Mk7. As for aftermarket for the Javelin,  I found these;

 

Master makes Pitot tubes

 

Armory makes the new gear wheels

 

PP Aeroparts makes the missles (Red Top & Firestreaks)

 

Aeroclub makes new bang seats

 

Airwaves made cockpit and speedbrake etch sets

 

Model Alliance did a Javelin decal sheet

 

I have the Ian Allen book along with those softcover tomes published in the 70's and the newer Caruanna/Franks book.

 

Regards,

Chris the cabbie

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