Heller 1/72 Javelin FAW6 conversion **FINISHED**

[DavidWomby]

Thanks, James. That's helpful - I never thought of the 'sausage' technique.

I'll have to try to get a fresh stock of Milliput too. Mine's getting very dry and hard to mix well.

David

[JamesPerrin]

I'll have to try to get a fresh stock of Milliput too. Mine's getting very dry and hard to mix well.

Unfortunately it doesn't last forever, though in the last 25 years I've only ever actually finished one pack. When you get some fresh it's a revelation and you'll wish you'd chucked the old stuff sooner.

[aerofan]

Your progress is looking good. So then the Heller Javelin T.3 will never be reissued?

[JamesPerrin]

Your progress is looking good. So then the Heller Javelin T.3 will never be reissued?

I don't know when this artwork boxing came out but I first built the kit in the mid/late 80's when Heller-Humbrol released in the "built model on the front" box, I suspect that was the last time it was available.

[JamesPerrin]

I've added a little more putty around the nose and I'm now happy I've captured the look of the US radar equipped Javelin.

[TomW]

Looking like a good job on the nose there James It'll sure look different lined up next to FAW.9 for comparison.

Regards

Tom

[Old_Tonto]

That is a fine looking beak James.

[JamesPerrin]

Slowly, slowly buildy kitty.

Bench time has been mainly spent filling and sanding after attaching the exhaust, wing tips and tail fin.



I've also added the fuel tanks donated by OT.

[Eric Mc]

I bet that thing casts a big shadow across your desk when you hold it under the light. It's a real best of a thing.

[Ratch]

Super work James

[JamesPerrin]

Steadied by a pint of Acorn Gold I was prepared to have a crack at scribing the angled radome panel lines. I had studied all the plans that I have (more about them in a later post) will all showed different angles for the hinge line. Those on Richard R Carauna's plans being the most extreme. I went back to the images that I had and made some back of the envelope calculation.



I got an angle (when seen in plan view) of ~12.5 degs whereas Carauna's plans showed 17 degs. As you can see though when I added by angle to his plans the difference is quite minimal in reality. At least I was happy I was in the ballpark.



The received wisdom about scribing on curved surfaces is to use Dymo label tape. What they don't tell you is that as most curved surfaces on aircraft are also compound curves the only way you are going to get Dymo tape to lay down is too cut into very thin ( 1-2mm) strips.

I first scribed the baseline around that touches the front of the windscreen and then made marks either side of the fuselage that matched lines I had drawn on the plans. As was at the limits of what the Dymo tape could do and stay in contact with the surface. I added a second tape as it's easier to see that they are parallel.



Scribing was done with my trust sewing needle. Being very careful especially where the line crossed from plastic to the softer milliput. The result looks as good as I could have hoped for, just needing a light sanding to tidy things up.





I've also scribed the rest of the vertical lines on the intakes and rear fuselage. Those right next to the intake lips were of too tight a curve for Dymo tape and so I use a razor saw and followed the original raised line by hand.

[DavidWomby]

Nice result. I'd have chickened out and just painted the radome on (I don't rescribe ANYTHING unless I really have to as I always botch it).

Looking really good now. What's left to do?

David

[Old_Tonto]

Great work James. Glad to see you using those tanks.

[JamesPerrin]

Great work James. Glad to see you using those tanks.

Couldn't have done without them mate!

A few small details that need to be done before we start putting paint on. Wing tip lights (at least I think they are) are in the edges of the wing rather than the corners. On the corners there are some tiny pips which may or may not be more lights. Once I close the cockpit up that should (?) be it for the airframe and I can get a coat of primer on and see what mess I made of the re-scribing and filling.



In other news I've filled the many ejector pin marks on the inside of the undercarriage doors. These in the main are nicely done. The nose wheel doors are very chunky though and the PE provides welcome replacements. The small main well doors are also provided as PE though the kits doors are perfectly usable.



Note, the very wide seats belts the PE provides. Though I don't need them they would have been nice addition to the spares box.

[JamesPerrin]

After visiting Cosford and have a quick peer at their Javelin, it looks like the pips should carry the coloured lights and the wing edge should maybe just white.

Anyhow, attention turns to the undercarriage. A distinct feature of the nose wheel is that the spoke are hollow and you can look straight through the wheel. The moulded mud guard brace was removed first and then it was out with the pin-vice and a 0.5mm bit to drilled out the segments. Three holes in each which ends up look quite gothic until levelling the edges with the point of a sharp knife.



A new wire brace was added along with PE scissor links (which only just have the edge over the nice kit detail) and the leg brace which has the lightening holes in. PE scissor links were also used on the main legs.



For some unknown reason that despite the main wheels been moulded in two halves there are thee ejector pins mark on each tire half! It must have been a Friday afternoon job