Airfix 1:72 Gloster Javelin FAW 9/9R

[RedhillPhil]

On 3/3/2022 at 10:02 PM, Navy Bird said:

 

Thanks. I really wish someone would do a new tooling for the Javelin in 1:72 scale. I've given up hope that Airfix will scale down their superb 1:48 kit, but maybe someone like Arma could do it.

 

Here is my Airfix/Heller T.3 for those who missed it a few years ago:

 

 

Cheers,

Bill

Cor, that takes me back to my boyhood in Leuchars. Pa was stationed there.

[TeeELL]

Well, it is all well and good posting images of computer designs, but the ‘proof of the pudding’……

 

My printed parts are in the top row and bottom right.  Also in the picture is an example of the Airfix reheat nozzle and, bottom left, the High Planes conversion.  My nozzles fit very nicely and sit at the correct inward angle.  I now need to trim the rear end of my Airfix Javelin to ensure the profiles match and I think I need to enlarge, very slightly, the 27 ‘holes’ at the rear!  Tweaking the computer program is a relatively easy task.

in 

[TeeELL]

Having referred to the dimensions in an earlier post, I have revised my CAD drawings appropriately.  The biggest challenge was getting the angle of the jet pipes right!  I will not print the new parts until Ive checked that the profile of my part matches that of the kit.

[TeeELL]

Since my last post I have had print fails of rear fuselage but then re drawn and OK, I have also sorted out the jet pipes/reheat nozzles.  Having trimmed the back end off one of my AIrfix Javelins I need to do a little ‘tweaking’ of the drawing to achieve a better fit to the model profile.

the top side is reasonable at the join but underneath needs work.

 

A comparison with the original and replacement rear ends

 

[TeeELL]

Those images show that the lower surface join isn’t quite right but I need to file the kit fuselage back to the ‘line’ in order to take some measurements before I rework the CAD drawing.

In the meantime, with a T3, FAW6 and FAW9 to build I thought it an idea to create better ‘airbrakes’ rather than try and re-scribe 17 x 12 ‘fingers’!  As ever, gathering accurate dimensions, before starting, took the longest time.  The CAD drawing was relatively straight forward and I ended up with:

 

 

of the above, the top picture shows the separate entities and the lower shows those entities together.  From this drawing I can create ‘open’, ‘drooping’ or closed airbrakes.

[sloegin57]

As you appear to be "going to town" on the Javelin,  thought that I would add this detail shot I took on Malta of the tail end of XH888 whilst it was en route UK for overhaul .  

 

Couple of points -

1) Note the trailing edge of the ailerons, they were blunt whilst the fixed mainplane t/e was sharp.

2) As well as being angled inboard, the jet pipes were also angled slightly downward.

3) Note the "quilted" effect of the rudder skin.  This formed after only a few hours in the air. 

 

 

HTH

Dennis

 

[TeeELL]

Dennis,

  what a great photo.  I will have to work out how to adjust the angle of the jet pipes to give that downward attitude.  The trailing edge of the aileron and ‘fixed’ section of wing are great detail although thinning the airfix wing could be more trouble than it is worth.  As far as panel lines go - removal will probably be my plan, I am certainly not going to do the re-scribing that is so fashionable or the ‘pre-shading’, pin washing and other ‘modellers’ techniques.

as a matter of interest, did you take any more Javelin photos, that this is a 29(F) Sqn aircraft is of particular interest to me.

[Navy Bird]

On 11/08/2022 at 13:55, TeeELL said:

.. did you take any more Javelin photos, that this is a 29(F) Sqn aircraft is of particular interest to me.

 

Maybe these can be of some help - I took these 97 photos of XH897 in the museum:

 

XH897 Flickr Album

 

Included are several for the rear fuselage and exhausts, plus some for the air brakes.

 

Cheers,

Bill

[Antti_K]

Excellent photo Dennis! Thanks for sharing it.

 

Again we can see a couple of stencils that are missing from the Airfix 1/48 scale kit. It looks like the stencil placement guide for the real thing was written over a couple of times.

 

Guys: note also, that the ailerons pointed up when control lock was applied. The tip of the aileron is "faceted". A feature that is missing from the Airfix kit and not that easy to create by sanding.

 

Cheers,

Antti

[TeeELL]

Antti_K,

  thanks for the reminder about the ailerons, I knew but had forgotten.  What I am struggling with is identifying the pivot point of the ‘all moving’ section of the tailplane so I can pose it ‘at rest’ along with the deflected elevator section.

[sloegin57]

1 hour ago, TeeELL said:

Antti_K,

  thanks for the reminder about the ailerons, I knew but had forgotten.  What I am struggling with is identifying the pivot point of the ‘all moving’ section of the tailplane so I can pose it ‘at rest’ along with the deflected elevator section.

This shot at Cosford in '81 shows the cutout in the upper fin fairing where the tailplane pivot was housed  :-

HTH

Dennis

 

Cutaway illustrating the tailplane pivot and hinge :-

 

 

 

Edit - Cutaway added:-

Dennis

 

 

[TeeELL]

You guys are the best, thank you.

[Antti_K]

Another great photo Dennis, thank you for sharing it.

 

I detailed this area for my 1/48 scale Airfix Javelins using only a couple of poor photos as a resource. It seems that I got it right though. But now I have a proper photo for my next Javelin.

 

Cheers,

Antti

[TeeELL]

I popped over to ‘The Jet Age Museum’, Staverton yesterday and met with our very own ‘the plastic surgeon’.  The pair of us trawled around the FAW9 as I took photos and he held the tape measure.  I was also able to view the very sad looking FAW4 but it is in such a poor condition that close inspection was impossible; a shame because, whereas the ‘9 has welded box section parts holding the main undercarriage legs the ‘4 still has its original parts.

As a result of the visit I need to correct some of my printed parts but can now set-too and design the main undercarriage legs.  I am considering popping up to ‘The Midland Air Museum’ and taking a look around their Javelin.

What came as quite a surprise was the angle changes around the rear fuselage of the FAW9, I has created the most significant on one of my prints, but discarded it!  Looking at the real thing, I am going to replace it (there is an approx 3deg angle taper increase from around the base of the rudder to the tail of the fuselage.

[TeeELL]

I’ll post this as my final hijack piece of this thread.  After a great many tweaks, prints and checks against my Airfix Javelin, I have a fuselage plug that I am confident is as good a fit as it can be.  All the other parts I have produced, U/C, flaps, airbrakes etc are also at their final stage.  Parts have been shipped to USA, NZ, Switzerland and UK.

I am now looking to produce an improved cockpit and will endeavour to create variations to suite differing marks - but that is subject to finding sufficient/any reference material, otherwise it will have to be generic.

As an aside, I am looking at replacement rear plugs for the FAW7 and pen-nib exhausts, that is a slow burner though as the cold weather doesn’t lend itself to me spending time in the garage casting resin.  The High Planes Conversion ‘correction set’ nozzles are suitable for Frog etc models.