80346 Heller/Humbrol Gloster Javelin T.3

[Ray S]

Heller all, this will be my entry for this fine Group Build, the Heller/Humbrol Gloster Javelin T.3. I remember building one of these when it first came out, and I still have the scars. I could not get the horizontally-split fuselage have to fit without a step, and the separate wing outers had a similar problem. It may well have been me, but now after about 40 years I suppose I will find out whether it was or not, or even maybe if my modelling skills have improved (or not).

 

First up, the obligatory box/contents shots:

 

 

I bought this a couple of years ago from our local Club show, a bargain at £8 I reckon. The contents:

 

 

All that glorious silver-grey styrene complete with flow lines, ahh, brings back memories. I doubt if I will remove raised panel lines (except near joint lines). There was a transparency too, which I forgot to photograph. The instructions were an improvement on another Heller kit I attempted early last year:

 

 

The paint scheme was pretty standard for most Javelins, and I've never seen much variation on T.3s especially
 

 

I would like to try and do the 60Sqn aircraft from RAF Tengah, Singapore. They departed Singapore about the time I arrived there. The transfers (decals/stickers/markings) are possible useable:
 

 

I am just not sure about the tail stripes, I have read that they could have been silver and black, rather than white and black as in the supplied sheet. Need some research. As an alternative, I do have:

 

 

This was issued in 1982 by Scale Aircraft Modelling in one of their magazines. Sadly, I no longer have that magazine. These transfers were very kindly given to me by a fellow Club member last year, @theplasticsurgeon Tim, thank you so much for these, they were really appreciated. 

 

I have a number of books related to the Javelin, the latest was a Christmas gift from my good lady wife:

 

 

In the back is a full listing of all of the Javelins built, by serial number and mark, so I should hopefully get some alternative inspiration from there too.

 

I am secretly hoping that this is going to result in a new Javelin announcement from another manufacturer in the next 15 minutes, but I cannot keep waiting for my own personal holy grail.

 

I am looking forward to building this, I am going to see if one of our fellow BM members does spare wheels for this as these have three ejector pin marks on the outside of both sides of the wheels. I know he does have stuff for the Airfix FAW.9

 

All the best with your builds, this is going to be one great GB

 

Ray

[2996 Victor]

Welcome to the GB, Ray - an excellent choice - our first example of the mighty Javelin!

 

Cheers,
Mark

[PLC1966]

I have the airfix boxing of this coming to the head of the queue in the next few months.  Hopefully it is not as bad as your early experience suggest.  Good Luck.

[Wez]

Although when it was issued originally I was disappointed it wasn't a fighter version, I did come to see the wisdom of the choice of the trainer, after all every Sqn operated them so in theory there was a host of colour schemes.  I'm very pleased to see this in the GB.

 

Good luck with your build.

[Jinxman]

20 hours ago, Ray S said:

I am secretly hoping that this is going to result in a new Javelin announcement from another manufacturer in the next 15 minutes, but I cannot keep waiting for my own personal holy grail.

Normally 15 minutes after you posted it in RFI I think, 😀

[PeterB]

22 hours ago, Ray S said:

Heller all, this will be my entry for this fine Group Build, the Heller/Humbrol Gloster Javelin T.3. I remember building one of these when it first came out, and I still have the scars. I could not get the horizontally-split fuselage have to fit without a step, and the separate wing outers had a similar problem. It may well have been me, but now after about 40 years I suppose I will find out whether it was or not, or even maybe if my modelling skills have improved (or not).

 

First up, the obligatory box/contents shots:

 

 

I bought this a couple of years ago from our local Club show, a bargain at £8 I reckon. The contents:

 

 

All that glorious silver-grey styrene complete with flow lines, ahh, brings back memories. I doubt if I will remove raised panel lines (except near joint lines). There was a transparency too, which I forgot to photograph. The instructions were an improvement on another Heller kit I attempted early last year:

 

 

The paint scheme was pretty standard for most Javelins, and I've never seen much variation on T.3s especially
 

 

I would like to try and do the 60Sqn aircraft from RAF Tengah, Singapore. They departed Singapore about the time I arrived there. The transfers (decals/stickers/markings) are possible useable:
 

 

I am just not sure about the tail stripes, I have read that they could have been silver and black, rather than white and black as in the supplied sheet. Need some research. As an alternative, I do have:

 

 

This was issued in 1982 by Scale Aircraft Modelling in one of their magazines. Sadly, I no longer have that magazine. These transfers were very kindly given to me by a fellow Club member last year, @theplasticsurgeon Tim, thank you so much for these, they were really appreciated. 

 

I have a number of books related to the Javelin, the latest was a Christmas gift from my good lady wife:

 

 

In the back is a full listing of all of the Javelins built, by serial number and mark, so I should hopefully get some alternative inspiration from there too.

 

I am secretly hoping that this is going to result in a new Javelin announcement from another manufacturer in the next 15 minutes, but I cannot keep waiting for my own personal holy grail.

 

I am looking forward to building this, I am going to see if one of our fellow BM members does spare wheels for this as these have three ejector pin marks on the outside of both sides of the wheels. I know he does have stuff for the Airfix FAW.9

 

All the best with your builds, this is going to be one great GB

 

Ray

 

 

Hi Ray,

 

I believe I still have the Scale Aircraft Modelling issue in question as I remember donating the decals to another modeller on the forum. I cross kitted this kit with the old Frog one to build an earlier fighter model based on a conversion article from the same magazine I think.

 

Pete

[Ray S]

On 1/14/2025 at 3:48 PM, Ray S said:

I am secretly hoping that this is going to result in a new Javelin announcement from another manufacturer in the next 15 minutes,

 

That didn't work out very well, did it? Wishful thinking and all that.

 

On 1/15/2025 at 12:34 PM, Jinxman said:

Normally 15 minutes after you posted it in RFI I think, 😀

 

You are possibly right @Jinxman, I will take one for team Javelin with this. I will thank me later...

 

On 1/14/2025 at 4:02 PM, 2996 Victor said:

Welcome to the GB, Ray - an excellent choice - our first example of the mighty Javelin!

 

Cheers,
Mark

 

Thanks Mark, hopefully it will not be the last

 

On 1/14/2025 at 4:25 PM, PLC1966 said:

I have the airfix boxing of this coming to the head of the queue in the next few months.  Hopefully it is not as bad as your early experience suggest.  Good Luck.

 

I hope you enjoy it when you do get around to it. I have cut the fuselage halves off the runners, and this one seems to line up okay so either I had a bad one in the 80s or maybe I can line it up better in my 60's. I have certainly seen some very good builds of the Heller and Airfix Javelins, so it is possible to get a result

 

On 1/14/2025 at 6:11 PM, Wez said:

Although when it was issued originally I was disappointed it wasn't a fighter version, I did come to see the wisdom of the choice of the trainer, after all every Sqn operated them so in theory there was a host of colour schemes.  I'm very pleased to see this in the GB.

 

Good luck with your build.

 

Thanks Wez. Trainers do often not get a look in, so this one does have it's place, albeit getting rarer and rarer now

 

On 1/15/2025 at 2:08 PM, PeterB said:

 

 

Hi Ray,

 

I believe I still have the Scale Aircraft Modelling issue in question as I remember donating the decals to another modeller on the forum. I cross kitted this kit with the old Frog one to build an earlier fighter model based on a conversion article from the same magazine I think.

 

Pete

 

Cheers Pete, hopefully you had a good result from the pair combined.

 

Having just finished reading 'Gloster Javelin: An Operational History', I have learnt two things. Michael Napier states that 60 Sqn had black and silver stripes on the tail (black and white in the kit), and also that 60 Sqn retired their Javelins in Singapore in 1968, I arrived there in July 1967 so there was definitely some overlap in our being there.

 

I have decided to take this a little further than I was initially expecting. I have ordered some 3D-printed parts from @TeeELL so I will be trying to add some finesse to the kit. Although he had made the parts for the Airfix FAW.9 (ex-Heller T.3), some of the parts are applicable to the T.3 which was a relief. I had told him I would order some parts quite a long time ago but things got in the way, and I was super happy to fulfill my promise. The Javelin (along with the EE Lightning) has always been a favourite of mine ever since 1962 for the Javelin, I remember seeing them in flight when I was out with my late father mushrooming early one misty, dewy morning when we were living at Bircham Newton 1961/63. It is only aircraft with a distinct personal meaning that get the super-duper aftermarket treatment from me. I'll show you the parts when they arrive.

 

That's it for now, really looking forward to starting this one,

 

Ray

[Jur]

I'm not normally into jet planes, but this is for sure an elegant machine. Good luck with the build!

[TeeELL]

Ray,

  I can confirm that the final parts of your order have just finished their curing and will be packed and posted tomorrow (Friday).

[Ray S]

On 1/16/2025 at 6:36 PM, Jur said:

I'm not normally into jet planes, but this is for sure an elegant machine. Good luck with the build!

 

Thank you @Jur

 

On 1/16/2025 at 10:46 PM, TeeELL said:

Ray,

  I can confirm that the final parts of your order have just finished their curing and will be packed and posted tomorrow (Friday).

 

Thank you @TeeELL, they arrived safe and sound this morning, what exceptionally rapid service.

 

This is what arrived from Tony:

 

 

 

 

 

The seats are really for the FAW.9, but I am not too worried about that as they will be in a closed cockpit. The detail on these parts is absolutely incredible, and I hope I can do them justice. Time will tell.

 

I think I mentioned that I was a fan of the Javelin, these are the reference books that I have accumulated:

 

 

In the Warpaint book there are a few incredibly colourful options - the red/white one of course, but another with camo and dayglo and another with dayglo along with black/yellow stripes underneath. Sadly not T.3's but I do have a Novo Javelin which probably needs something amazing to take the eye of the quality of the kit.

 

All the best,

 

Ray

[TeeELL]

If I recall, the drawings in the Warpaint book don’t differentiate between the AI-19 (long nose) and AI-22 equipped aircraft.  Not that it is relevant to your T3 build.

[TeeELL]

Try attaching the outer wing sections 34/35 to part 1 and ensuring the top surfaces align do the same with 32/33 and part 14 before you stuck the parts 1 and 14 together.  A flat surface helps to ensure the parts go together level.  I’ve tried 3 times to get the outer wings to match on FAW9 versions of this kit.  Take a look at my build

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235140876-third-time-lucky-a-definitive-javelin-airfix-172/#comment-4974873

 

[Ray S]

@TeeELL, thanks for that link. I had been considering joining the wingtips beforehand, but I hadn't thought about using a metal bar to assist. I have plenty of baseplates from 1/700 ships which will help.

Also good to hear you are at the Jet Age museum, I go there quite regularly. The Javelin is my favourite exhibit.

 

Ray 

[TeeELL]

Ray,

  you need to attach the wing tips to the upper/lower fuselage but there is a difference in section between the two so that is why.