Henry Crun,
With regard to the spin in the Javelin, at least the Gloster variety, I well remember while at school at Fakenham in the early 1950's the solo Javelin aerobatic ace from CFE at West Raynham was doing a practice at medium level in an early mark.
He stalled and departed from controlled flight at the top of a looping manoever and settled rapidly into the flattest erect spin I ever saw until I encountered an unprovoked flat inverted spin in one of the Tiger Club's Super Tigers in, I recall, 1963.
The rotations seemed to be quite leisurely and after around four turns the pilot elected to use the alternative Martin Baker let down and left the aircraft to its own devices. The spin continued to impact only around a mile or so away so, as a keen ATC cadet, I pedalled my bike in that direction to be first on the scene.
The aircraft was in a field and essentially intact apart from the canopy and being a bit flattened on the undersurface. The T mounted tailplane was broken into a grossly annhedralled shape. No fire ensued and after a few minutes the emergency services, both civli and military arrived to assume control.
They quickly escorted me away from my interested and close viewing of, what was then, the latest fighter in RAF service. Much to my disgust at the time.
I believe the Javelin was immediately banned from aerobatics pending the inevitable investigation.
Cheers,
Trapper 69
