Gloster Javelin

[paulb]

Thanks Ozzy  ;)

Cheers Paul

[paulb]

I quite agree Pete  ;)

Having said that, I find the history of the Javelin quite interesting. Recently it has featured in a couple of magazines.

Cheers Paul

[paulb]

I like the Sea Vixen also Pete

Great to see one flying again

Cheers Paul

[kemplen]

[paulb]

Hi Kemplen

Where's it from?

Well this one is based at Geilenkirchen.............

(Just joking  ;) )

Its by K Ito. I originally downloaded it from Here, avsim, flightsim?  Sorry, I cant remember which one.

Cheers Paul

[Hagar]

Going back to the subject of the Sea Vixen. It was actually its predecessor the 2nd prototype DH.110 (WG240) that had the terrible accident at the 1952 Farnborough display. http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~russells/nzrafaa/sbac.html

The Sea Vixen would have been rejected outright by the RAF due to inter-service rivalry with the RN who had already shown interest in the type. There are many other examples of this, one being the excellent Blackburn Buccaneer. Going by what a friend who worked on them during his service in the RAF tells me the Gloster Javelin was dogged with numerous teething troubles throughout its life & was not a particularly good aircraft.

[paulb]

Hi Hagar

Yes, interesting really re the Javelin. As you say, there were a lot of problems with them. But the fact that it remained on RAF strength for 12 years shows that it was good enough to do the job required.  ;)

Cheers Paul

[Hagar]

Hi Paul. I tend to be a tad more cynical. I think it's more likely it had to fit the bill whether it could do the job properly or not. This would not be unusual & in fact more common (in Britain anyway) than most people realise or are officially told.

[paulb]

Hi Hagar

I am not going to be cynical (for a change  ;) ).

To quote from an article in the latest edition of 'Aeroplane'........."Flying the Flatiron"...............

"As a fighter aircraft it was much maligned, more often than not by those who hadn't flown it......We had ample opportunity to mix it with the Hunters. Given equal pilot skill, the Javelin could more than hold its own.....In combat, the ability to slow down quickly was invaluable, nearly always forcing a fly-through, so placing the Javelin in a good kill position."

I could go on........but then I am probably biased  ;)

Cheers Paul

[Hagar]

LOL Paul. What with PeteTLUK with his Sea Vixen & now you with the Javelin I feel like piggy-in-the-middle. I'll make a final parting shot & rest my case. I don't know how old you are but I can remember all this happening. The best part about the Javelin as far as I'm concerned was the eerie wailing sound of the Sapphire engines. I've never heard anything like it before or since.

While possible export customers settled down to watch the progress of the programme before expressing any real interest (and soon losing any they had), by mid-1956 over 20 FAW.Mk.1s were engaged in trials work - the type of development batch arrangement later formalised for production of later types such as the Lightning. Despite the designation of FAW.1, none of these aircraft were ready for real service - while 46 and later 87 Squadrons played with their new toys, they were covered by many limitations on the flight envelope and they were not missile armed.

In November 1956 the FAW.7, the first mark to actually carry the four missiles specified in the original requirement, first flew. Basically an FAW.5 but with uprated Sapphire Sa.7 engines and powered rudder and extended rear fuselage. By this time so many different marks of the Javelin were in the air it was a wonder anybody had any idea what was happening. A larger number of each mark were being used in various trials on such basic items as the weapons and engine fits, leading one to believe the Air Ministry had handed the RAF over to Gloster as one big Guinea Pig. The FAW.8, an FAW.7 with reheat, appeared so quickly that a full 80 FAW.7s never even saw service, being delivered straight into storage at RAF Kemble, and later converted to FAW.9s.
It was not until June 1960 that an RAF Javelin - an FAW.7 - finally fired a Firestreak missile, successfully downing a Meteor drone. The reheat-capable FAW.8 was limited to using reheat only at a minimum altitude; below that point engaging the reheat actually caused a loss of thrust (to the point where take-off could not be safely accomplished with reheat engaged).

http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/javelin/history.html

[paulb]

Hi Hagar

All I can say is just wait until you get me going on the Lightning.................

Cheers Paul

[Hagar]

Hi Paul. The Lightning also had its faults but I always liked it. Of the three types mentioned in this thread it was the most successful. IMHO

[paulb]

Hi Hagar

OK, but you are not going to get me started on the Lightning....................just yet  ;)

Cheers Paul

[Hagar]

OK. Ready when you are. I saw them all from the P1 prototype to the latest production models displayed at various Farnborough shows. The most striking memory of those days is of the day we arrived extra early for one of the shows. They were testing a Lightning (not sure of the mark) chained to the ground with both engines on full reheat + a Spectre rocket motor in between them. It was actually painful & wonderful when it eventually stopped & silence reigned once more. My ears are still ringing.