Gloster Javelin | England’s Unconventional Interceptor

In March 1943, GlosterGloster Aircraft Company: A pioneering British aerospace manufacturer, most famous for designing and producing the Allied forces' first operational je... More flew the Meteor, which entered RAF service in 1944 as Britain’s first jet fighter. By the late 40s, they were being called upon again, this time to develop a high-speed, rapid response interceptor.

Since the war’s end, Soviet air power had developed quickly, and with nuclear weapons now in their hands, the risk of direct conflict was considered quite real. What the British Air Ministry needed was something bold; a fast, quick-response interceptor. GlosterGloster Aircraft Company: A pioneering British aerospace manufacturer, most famous for designing and producing the Allied forces' first operational je... More would rise to the challenge.

In this new series, we will look back at Britain’s many interesting aircraft, from concepts to working demonstrators and production designs.

The Javelin is one such design; overshadowed by America’s own interesting jets from the 50s, it was nonetheless a capable interceptor, able to deny access to English airspace if need be. Replaced by the English Electric Lightning, it had a short life, and as such has largely been forgotten. Yet, it remains an example of England’s capable aviation industry during the early jet age.

HISTORY

Since the end of World War II, both the US and Russia emphasised increasingly fast bomber aircraft. During the critical last months of the war, it was predicted that the Soviets—now unrivalled in the region—would logically pursue a continued push westward, filling the power vacuum left by a decimated France and England. Likely as a result of the public deployment of nuclear weapons in Japan, temporary area denial was achieved in Western Europe, guaranteed by Strategic Air CommandThe U.S. Air Force’s primary organization for long-range nuclear deterrence during the Cold War, responsible for maintaining and, if necessary, delive... More.

By late 1946, information was beginning to shed light on extensive high-level espionage networks in America, helping to accelerate the Soviet nuclear program. That year, Moscow’s nuclear lab F-1 reached criticality. Analysts predicted the Soviet nuclear capabilities would soon be within reach. As a result, the threat was not only conventional area denial but also intercepting the direct threat posed by nuclear bombers.

The British Air Ministry had envisioned two fighters to fill this area denial and interceptor role: a day fighter and an all-weather night fighter. For all intensive purposes, the HawkerHawker (Hawker Aircraft Limited): A legendary British aerospace manufacturer that emerged from the remains of the Sopwith Aviation Company in 1920. Fo... More Hunter would fill the day fighter role by the early 1950s.

In January 1947, the UK Air Ministry issued Specification F.44/46 for a new two-seat, all-weather night fighter. It needed to intercept targets up to 40,000 ft, reach approximately 973 km/h, and climb to 45,000 ft in 10 minutes, with radar and quick climb capabilities. As if that wasn’t enough, the military also wanted it to have a flight endurance of 2 hours, withstand 4G manoeuvres at high speed, have a short take-off distance of 1500 yards, all on a tight budget.

Two companies would submit proposals; de Havillandde Havilland Aircraft Company: A seminal British aerospace manufacturer founded in 1920 by Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, recognized for its radical innov... More, which wanted a twin boom interceptor similar to the earlier Venom and Vampire, and GlosterGloster Aircraft Company: A pioneering British aerospace manufacturer, most famous for designing and producing the Allied forces' first operational je... More, which hoped for something like a larger, faster Meteor. Over time, de Havilland’s design would become the DH.110, later evolving into the Sea Vixen, while Gloster’s proposal would be an ongoing departure from anything they had done before.

Looking at concepts developed the previous year, GlosterGloster Aircraft Company: A pioneering British aerospace manufacturer, most famous for designing and producing the Allied forces' first operational je... More initially supported a twin-seat Meteor variant called Proposal 228. By late 1947, it had transformed into a delta wing design with two versions: a twin-seat night fighter and a single-seat day fighter with a V-tail, both powered by engines in the wing.

By 1949, after an update to Air Ministry standards, GlosterGloster Aircraft Company: A pioneering British aerospace manufacturer, most famous for designing and producing the Allied forces' first operational je... More presented two proposals: a heavily modified twin-seat Meteor and a single-seat delta wing fighter, apparently intended for use as both a strike aircraft and an interceptor.

GA.5 AND TEST FLIGHT

By April, the military had requested four working prototypes of both Gloster’s delta design—now called the GA.5—and de Havilland’s design.

Then in 1950, a full-scale wooden mockup of the so-called GlosterGloster Aircraft Company: A pioneering British aerospace manufacturer, most famous for designing and producing the Allied forces' first operational je... More GA.5 was completed. Large, strangely shaped, and intimidating, a group of Empire Test Pilot School students were shown the mockup in its hangar, to which one replied, “My Lord, what a great beast.”

For GlosterGloster Aircraft Company: A pioneering British aerospace manufacturer, most famous for designing and producing the Allied forces' first operational je... More, the project was considered somewhat of a distraction; the Air Ministry had changed the specifications several times, including the number of prototypes required before making a decision on procurement. At the same time, the Royal Navy was showing interest in de Havilland’s design.

Nonetheless, by 1951, the first working prototype was completed; designated as WD804, it first flew on November 26 of that year. Test pilot Bill Waterton experienced severe vibrations during the test flight. As later recorded, oil escaping through two exhaust vents literally painted the incident on the side of the plane, illustrating interference in airflow around the rudder caused by the engine.

Upon landing, Waterton, when asked by the crew how the flight had gone, said, “She goes up, she goes down”, and later commented that the aircraft had flown predictably, with no peculiarities.

Dozens more test flights would occur, mostly uneventful, culminating in a strange series of failures on the 99th flight, including the elevators falling off. Waterton nonetheless flew the aircraft safely home with the undercarriage collapsed, escaping unharmed. To the surprise of those involved, despite this sudden and quite serious incident, the Ministry of Supply showed increasing interest in the design. It was believed that the proposal offered more room for future upgrades than the de Havillandde Havilland Aircraft Company: A seminal British aerospace manufacturer founded in 1920 by Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, recognized for its radical innov... More design did.

In the months that followed, filled with high hopes, the GlosterGloster Aircraft Company: A pioneering British aerospace manufacturer, most famous for designing and producing the Allied forces' first operational je... More team assembled another working prototype for airshow display. This one – designated XD808 – included a small spin recovery chute, housed in a bubble above the tail. Quickly pushing the airframe past the 10 flying hours needed to qualify for entry, 808 flew at Farnborough on August 21, 1952. As expected, the large, unusual design caught the attention of the crowd. During one pass, Waterton rolled the plane, to which Air Vice Marshal Richard Atcherley commented, “My God, it’s like watching the bloody Albert Memorial roll over!”

PRODUCTION BEGINS

A third and fourth working demonstrator were completed, while the second was lost in a tragic crash involving one of Gloster’s test pilots, Peter Lawrence. During this time, American pilots visited and flew the aircraft, praising GlosterGloster Aircraft Company: A pioneering British aerospace manufacturer, most famous for designing and producing the Allied forces' first operational je... More for such a well-rounded design. Other pilots also tested the platform. The only consistent criticism from pilots was the fuel capacity—only about 700 gallons could be stored.

In the press, however, it was a different story. Throughout its development, journalists had constantly critiqued the design before a production aircraft was ever complete. This came to a head after Waterton’s successor – Dicky Martin – read an article complaining that the Javelin lacked supersonic capabilities. Soon thereafter, a sonic boom was heard over London. The story was that the test pilot had had trouble with his oxygen mask supply. Leaning forward to adjust the instruments, he had “inadvertently entered a shallow dive” that “accidently exceeded the speed of sound.” Thus, the criticism of subsonic flight was put to an end.

Regardless, on a broader scale, the Javelin project proceeded fairly quickly. To support Gloster’s ongoing production of the Meteor, the government had subcontracted others—such as HawkerHawker (Hawker Aircraft Limited): A legendary British aerospace manufacturer that emerged from the remains of the Sopwith Aviation Company in 1920. Fo... More Siddeley—to manufacture additional components on the side. In some ways, it had become a kind of collaborative effort. With further assistance from the US Air Force under the Mutual Defense Aid Program, the first production aircraft was assembled—designated XA544—and took its maiden flight on 22 July 1954. A total of 427 Javelins, across all variants, were built.

SPECS

As it appeared, the Mark 1 – or FAW 1 – was powered by two Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire Sa. 6 engines, each producing 8000 lbf of thrust. Internally, it used the British Aircraft Interceptor Mark 17 radar. Quite archaic, it could supposedly detect a target the size of a Javelin up to 20 nautical miles away, but it had significant reliability issues.  This would be quickly followed by FAW 2, which replaced the AI 17 with the American AN/APQ-43.

Over the next two years, the Javelin was rapidly improved through several more capable versions. The FAW 4 had better stall control and an all-moving tailplane, while the FAW 5 incorporated these features plus the addition of missile hardpoints.

The definitive model – or rather the model that most closely meets the initial goals of the 1949 proposal – was the FAW 7. Newer Sa.7 engines increased thrust from 8000 to 11000 lbf each, while improved systems integration allowed four de Havillandde Havilland Aircraft Company: A seminal British aerospace manufacturer founded in 1920 by Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, recognized for its radical innov... More Firestreak missiles to be stored.

Further upgrades would follow, with the FAW 8 featuring an afterburnerAfterburner (Reheat): An additional combustion component utilized in many supersonic military jet engines to provide a significant, temporary increase... More integration, raising thrust to 12300 lbf, while other refinements improved overall performance. Finally, the FAW 9 would emerge, built on the standard set by the 8, again with several refinements and upgrades, such as a refuelling probe and new hardpoints for underwing tanks.

Overall, in its FAW 9 configuration, the Javelin had a maximum speed of Mach 0.93 at altitude. Its service ceiling was 52800 feet, with a climb rate of 5400 feet per minute, and a range of 829 nautical miles, or about 1500 kilometres.

SERVICE LIFE

The RAF’s first truly all-weather interceptor, the Javelin initially found success despite media criticism. Although mainly tasked with guarding British airspace, the aircraft were also deployed overseas. Notably, 64 Squadron was sent to the Far East Air Force during the Indonesian Confrontation, while other squadrons operated from Hong Kong, Germany, and Cyprus, predominantly in defensive counter-air roles. In one instance, they were even deployed to Zambia in 1966 as part of a controversial move to apply military pressure on Rhodesia and prevent Rhodesian aircraft from operating over the Zambian border.

Although there were never any export sales, the aircraft was technically a success in a limited sense. While critics focused on speed and fuel consumption, during its first few years of service, the Javelin offered something quite rare for its time: a heavy payload, including standoff air-to-air weapons. While such weaponry would become more common by the 1960s, for a jet from the early 50s, the combination of search radar and four air-to-air missiles made Gloster’s design perhaps more deadly than it is often given credit for. As some commentators have hypothesised, if a real war had broken out, the Javelin might have performed very well, able to track and destroy targets at night and in low visibility. Indeed, pilot testimonies are often positive, with one – who had served in Cyprus – noting the aircraft’s ability to not only carry four missiles and cannons but also to dramatically outperform the HawkerHawker (Hawker Aircraft Limited): A legendary British aerospace manufacturer that emerged from the remains of the Sopwith Aviation Company in 1920. Fo... More Hunters they had been deployed with.

Throughout the 50s, GlosterGloster Aircraft Company: A pioneering British aerospace manufacturer, most famous for designing and producing the Allied forces' first operational je... More personnel recall the growing interest among boys, who would often write to the company asking for photos of the planes, and they would reply to as many as they could.

It showed that the Javelin had some public appeal, especially among younger people who wanted to become pilots. However, as intelligence revealed new Soviet designs, the aircraft’s future came under scrutiny.

In 1955, US analysts had come to the alarming but misplaced conclusion that the M-4 Molot – the Soviets’ first four-engine jet bomber – was capable of reaching American soil and delivering nuclear weapons. What’s more, the CIA had estimated that 800 could be ready by 1960. While many estimates pertaining to the bomber turned out to be false, the M-4 was still quite fast – fast enough that the Javelin could only just outrun it. Thus, while it wasn’t a dealbreaker and the Javelin could still climb and intercept if alerted beforehand, fears began to set in—if the Javelin was already cutting it close, what did that mean once supersonic Soviet aircraft arrived?

Then, in 1957, the first major obstacle to the program—and indeed to British aviation in general—was encountered. In the now-infamous 1957 Defence White Paper by Duncan Sandy, British military spending was drastically reduced, national service was abolished, and most notably, the domestic aviation industry in England was effectively crippled. Bombers and fighters were—without any real foresight—considered largely obsolete, a very odd stance that neither the US nor Russia shared.

The Javelin’s role would sharply decrease with the arrival of the English ElectricEnglish Electric (English Electric Aviation Ltd): A major British industrial conglomerate that, despite its primary background in heavy electrical eng... More Lightning. While high hopes were pinned on upgrade programs, they simply never came to fruition. For instance, designers aimed to develop a thin-wing version for supersonic flight, along with variants for high-altitude reconnaissance and air-to-ground missions. Whatever the reason, these plans never materialised. If the Javelin was to be confined to an interceptor role, it was quickly outclassed by newer eastern and western aircraft, while back home, the Lightning outperformed it in speed and climb. Therefore, the end of the Javelin was inevitable.

Abroad, some aircraft still operated, with the last finally returning from service in Singapore in 1968, having scored its only victory—a maneuver kill against an Indonesian C-130.

The final flight was on 24th January 1975, landing at RAF Duxford to join the Imperial War Museum. The particular airframe – XH897 – had been used as a testbed and measurement tool, flying alongside newer aircraft to check instrument calibration—a role it spent the last years of its life fulfilling.

Its retirement signified more than just the end of the Javelin itself. With an aviation industry in rapid decline, many British manufacturers had been forced into mergers or gone out of business altogether. Among them was GlosterGloster Aircraft Company: A pioneering British aerospace manufacturer, most famous for designing and producing the Allied forces' first operational je... More, which after a 1963 merger, would vanish, with the Javelin being their final aircraft produced.

Although it is largely forgotten, the Javelin was not a dud. After all, if there had been a war, Javelin pilots would have been the first to face enemy aircraft. Gloster’s choice to go with a larger, heavily armed interceptor with standoff weapons was unique for its time. In fact, you could draw a connection between the Javelin and the F-4 Phantom on the basis of design philosophy. Around 10 Javelins still exist at museums—an exemplary British Cold War design and the final project for the team at GlosterGloster Aircraft Company: A pioneering British aerospace manufacturer, most famous for designing and producing the Allied forces' first operational je... More.