Gloster Javelin Double Display - 1956

[@docnelson2008]

During the early 1960s I was a young meteorologist stationed at RAF Middleton St George; Javelin FAW 9 and T3 aeroplanes operated from there. I cannot remember ever seeing the Javelins flown like in this Farnborough display!

[@stevenvater8720]

They flew very well much better than I'd expected, very impressive

[@ainsleystones4600]

Oooh! Love Javelins! What a lovely sound too!

[@glenjoshuawattsjoshua520]

The Gloster Javelin really is a beautiful aeroplane, it's a real shame that we don't have one preserved in flying condition so the younger generations like myself can appreciate and enjoy our flying heritage.

[@matthewcuratolo3719]

Glorious! It’s hard to believe that was almost 70 years ago!

[@trigger399]

And hard to believe this aircraft was designed in 1947!

[@SM-dt1pr]

​@@trigger399easy to believe, since it was obsolete before it even flew in squadron service.

[@mikepxg6406]

Blue note sound from engines. Amazing.......

[@AnthonyAnthony-o4v]

Great looking planes.

[@EDee20NINE]

Amazing quality footage.

[@TenCJones]

Fantastic!

[@shirleydrury5565]

Great upload 😊Thanks so much😊regards👍👍👍

[@mikelynn4754]

Please keep them coming. Very low pass there!

[@coldwarjet]

You wouldn't get this at an airshow now!

[@davidparker9467]

Wonderful footage of an aircraft I never saw flying but am fascinated by. Descriptions always talk about the distinctive sound of the Sapphire engines. Hence the nicknames like ‘harmonious dragmaster’. First time actually hearing it 👍

[@trigger399]

The "harmonious" part included the sound of the engines and the airflow over the gun ports on the wings.

[@davidpeters6536]

All the reports on the gen 2 Javelin still say they were overweight but not so under powered. The delta wing was a brave choice for what it was expected to do.

[@trigger399]

The T3 is the trainer prototype WT841 - not truly representing the production aircraft as it had an FAW4 wing instead of the FAW5 wing with additional fuel.

[@trigger399]

Quite amazing to find new Javelin footage. As a Javelin nerd, the description of the aircraft as a Mk7 is incorrect, too early for a Mk7. This was probably XA778, a Mk2, to test the more powerful Sapphires that would power the Mk7.

[@coldwarjet]

Ah, would it not be the Mk7 prototype? I'm actually going off the commentator.

[@coldwarjet]

Looks like you're right. From Thunder & Lightnings "In November 1956 the FAW.7, the first mark to actually carry the four missiles specified in the original requirement, first flew. This was 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." Which begs the question, what exactly is this? The commentator (who was the editor of a leading aviation magazine at the time) refers to the "more powerful Sapphire engines" and again calls it the mark 7. Perhaps he was referring to the Sa.7 engines and got confused? Perhaps this was a testbed? i can update the description, but sadly not the video as I'd have to pull it down and start again. Apols - I try to be as accurate as possible.

[@trigger399]

@@coldwarjet There was no FAW7 prototype, but this aircraft and an FAW1 were used to test the Sapphire 7 engines. The first FAW7 flew in November 1956. I am so impressed with this footage especially as it shows the Javelin was not the big lumbering beast that many think it was.

[@trigger399]

@@coldwarjet A minor detail, not important to anyone but me, the ultimate Javelin nerd. I have every Javelin book ever produced and many are far less accurate than you, as are many commentators. Even the Thunder & Lightnings page you referred to was grateful for a bundle of corrections from me.

[@coldwarjet]

Inaccuracies always frustrate me too. I guess it goes with the territory! Thanks again, I'll update the description.

[@Eric-kn4yn]

Looks like a crude tornado both retired now.

[@grahamariss2111]

Javelin like so many aircraft of the 50s was a "dead end" design with serious flaws that limited both its speed and agility, ironically the RAF selected it over the considerable superior DH110 / Sea Vixen because the RAF thought it offered greater development potential although a cynic might think the RAF was not going to help the Navy by investing in a design they coukd use.

[@julianneale6128]

I agree.

[@trigger399]

Hardly limited in speed as it was as fast as a Hunter and that was the enough for a bomber destroyer. The Javelin was chosen before the Navy chose the Sea Vixen as following the Farnborough accident it needed a re-design. Javelins in service regularly exceeded the speed of sound in a dive (included in the Pilot's notes)

[@grahamariss2111]

@@trigger399 Which pilot notes and section are you referring to? My records show a strict limit of Mach 0.93 in RAF service, given the suspicions throughout its operational life of the integrity of various parts of the aircrafts structure and later proven by the fatique issues which saw its withdrawal from service, I would be very surprised if pilots were busting the limits in dives. A prototype did go Supersonic over London in 1954 but that is the only record I can find of a supersonic Javelin,, claimed that it was by accident but suspected done because of critical press by both Gloucester's former chief test pilot and members of the RAF that the government were pooring money into an aircraft that was strictly subsonic. It was not purchased just as a bomber interceptor, even in that task it showed itself to be ineffective against the Victor and Vulcan B2 unlike the Sea Vixen that showed in the Red Top trials that it could even intercept Lightnings simulating Mach 1.5 bombers. It was intended also to be the RAF's long range air superiority and recon fighter for Germany intended to go into Soviet airspace and suppress Soviet fighters so that Canberra and Valiants could attack key Soviet targets like airfields. However it became very clear that it was going to be totally ineffective in this role.

[@daylyt100]

@@trigger399 Ran out of tail authority at high IAS at low level.

[@trigger399]

@@daylyt100 Are you referring to the DH110?

[@givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935]

The Javelin would have looked hot in 1946, it looked like a jet Hurricane.

[@Bikelife9883]

Sad to see past glories. When Britain had an aircraft industry second to none.