Javelins
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Javelins
Hi People.
Just wondered if anyone knows if there are any Javs still flying.
I worked on them back in the late 50's early 60's as a Air Wireless Mech, both at West Raynham, and later at the Guided Weapons Trials Squadron up at Valley.
By the same token, anyone here from No.1 GWTS circa 1960?
Just wondered if anyone knows if there are any Javs still flying.
I worked on them back in the late 50's early 60's as a Air Wireless Mech, both at West Raynham, and later at the Guided Weapons Trials Squadron up at Valley.
By the same token, anyone here from No.1 GWTS circa 1960?
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As wub said, not a single airworthy example exists. The last one to fly, if I recall rightly, was the one now at Duxford and that was in the late 1970s. Rumour has it that when Mike Beachy Head bought the ex-Stanmore Park gate guard he thought he was getting something that could be restored to fly. Of course it wasn't any such thing and now does similar gate guard duties at his Thunder City facility at Cape Town airport.
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Bizarrely enough "XH707"/XH768, ex-Southend Air Museum, now lives on the Italian Riviera at Rimini, looking decidely best her best.
Air Klassic in Germany bought the Jav when SAM closed down, not sure how long it's been in Italy.
http://www.museoaviazione.com/museoa...GlosterJF9.htm
Air Klassic in Germany bought the Jav when SAM closed down, not sure how long it's been in Italy.
http://www.museoaviazione.com/museoa...GlosterJF9.htm
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I could be wrong but I believe the last Javelins to fly were with the Far East Air Force, Tengah, Singapore. One story has it that the squadron disbandment involved a fly-past of Javs following which the CO did a final beat up. Landed 5 minutes later believing that he had made RAF history. However, ………… one aircraft had been in maintenance at RAF Seletar, 10 minutes away. Flight Lieutenant White-Knuckles and his mate had decided some time before that they were the ones to make RAF history and, just as the champagne corks popped, over the fence they came. Worth a bollocking I'd have thought.
I lived on RAF Seletar from 75 to 85. There were three or four Jav carcasses off the northern end of the runway. My two sons grew up using them as hi-tech toys.
I lived on RAF Seletar from 75 to 85. There were three or four Jav carcasses off the northern end of the runway. My two sons grew up using them as hi-tech toys.
A chap I once knew had done his ETPS course when they still had the last airworthy Javelin at Boscombe. One day he sallied forth in the venerable beast to do some TP'ing work somewhere over Wales.......
After a while there was a polite cough from the back seat and the navigator announced that An Error Had Been Made. It seems that rather a significant cock-up had been made in the fuel calcs and they were somewhat short.... So chum sets off back in a straight line towards BD and contacts Somewhere Mil requesting a sharpish recovery.
"Turn left 30 for ident" offered the Air Trafficker.
"Madam", replied our hero "I am flying the World's last Javelin. If I turn at all, the World will very soon have one less.......!!"
Apparently they scraped into Lyneham or somewhere with the gauges bouncing off not-a-lot!
After a while there was a polite cough from the back seat and the navigator announced that An Error Had Been Made. It seems that rather a significant cock-up had been made in the fuel calcs and they were somewhat short.... So chum sets off back in a straight line towards BD and contacts Somewhere Mil requesting a sharpish recovery.
"Turn left 30 for ident" offered the Air Trafficker.
"Madam", replied our hero "I am flying the World's last Javelin. If I turn at all, the World will very soon have one less.......!!"
Apparently they scraped into Lyneham or somewhere with the gauges bouncing off not-a-lot!
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Only the Brits could design an aircraft that wouldn't go supersonic with afterburners, it even slowed down if you plugged the burners in!! The last mark (FAW9??) had burners to increase high altitude performance. However, if you put the burners in at low level the nozzles opened but the fuel pumps couldn't deliver the required fuel so you lost thrust.
I think the last one flying was at Boscombe and painted red and white.
I think the last one flying was at Boscombe and painted red and white.
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I was told that they came out of the factory at Brockworth in bare metal and with a thimble full of fuel and were then flown the very short hop to Moreton Vallence for final assembly, painting etc.
The runway at Brockworth is rapidly becoming a business park put is still just visible...my best guess would be that it's about 800 yards long. Must have been a short but interesting flight. Can anybody confirm this??
The runway at Brockworth is rapidly becoming a business park put is still just visible...my best guess would be that it's about 800 yards long. Must have been a short but interesting flight. Can anybody confirm this??
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Nice piccy Mr_G.
Looking at the size of the pilots head and sort of scaling the rest of his body in, makes you realise what an absolutely ginormous beastie the Javelin was.
Looking at the size of the pilots head and sort of scaling the rest of his body in, makes you realise what an absolutely ginormous beastie the Javelin was.
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The runway at Brockworth is rapidly becoming a business park put is still just visible...my best guess would be that it's about 800 yards long. Must have been a short but interesting flight. Can anybody confirm this??
The excellent book 'The Quick and the Dead' by former Gloster chief test pilot Bill Waterton confirms that he flew new Javs from the very short runway at the Brockworth factory to Moreton Valence (now part of the M5).
SSD
The excellent book 'The Quick and the Dead' by former Gloster chief test pilot Bill Waterton confirms that he flew new Javs from the very short runway at the Brockworth factory to Moreton Valence (now part of the M5).
SSD
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Following on from the superb RAE Farnborough thread (a true 5-star read, many thanks to all contributors!), it struck me that this discussion could be due a revival.
I wonder if the any of the participants from the discussion mentioned above have a Javelin photo or two from the era they might dig out?
For such a groundbreaking machine I find it odd that to date, the Javelin has received few column inches on pprune.
Articles I’ve read claim the Javelin lacked popularity with the public, why might this have been? I can imagine opinion amongst ex-Javelin operators to be mixed as reliability does not seem to have been a strongpoint.
Cheers!
I wonder if the any of the participants from the discussion mentioned above have a Javelin photo or two from the era they might dig out?
For such a groundbreaking machine I find it odd that to date, the Javelin has received few column inches on pprune.
Articles I’ve read claim the Javelin lacked popularity with the public, why might this have been? I can imagine opinion amongst ex-Javelin operators to be mixed as reliability does not seem to have been a strongpoint.
Cheers!
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there used to be a javelin just inside the gates at 16MU RAF STAFFORD. it was there when i left in 81 but dont think it was there when i returned in 85. does anyone know where it is now?
there was also a wasp and a bloodhound on guard
there was also a wasp and a bloodhound on guard
Ich bin ein Prooner.
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I don't know how to put in a link, but if you go to the Military Aircrew thread, go to the search facility at the bottom, and put in"Javelins", it should bring up "Vulcan and Bucc. threads excellent. Anyone for the Javelin?", a thread I started a while ago, with some interesting replies.
