Gloster Javelin FAW.5 XA699 Photographed at the Midland Air Museum, Baginton, Coventry in January 2006.
XA699 was constructed in 1957 at the Sir Armstrong Whitworth plant at Baginton in Coventry (very close to where it now stands preserved).
It entered service with the Royal Air Force after its acceptance flight on the 21st May 1957 and was allocated to No. 151 Squadron based at Leuchars, Fife, in Scotland.
This squadron made several appearances at airshows at that time, with a four-ship formation; in addition to its normal duties which included daylight high-altitude interception exercises. The squadron was disbanded in September 1961. On 30 November 1961, XA699 was flown out to Germany to strengthen No. 5 Squadron based at Laarbruch, and is shown here in No. 5 Sqn markings.
On the 24th May 1962, with 798 flying hours logged, XA699 was flown back to Britain. It arrived at 27MU (No. 27 Maintenance Unit) at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire where both engines were replaced and a major service carried out. Its final flight was on the 13th November 1962, after which it was dismantled for transportation and moved initially to RAF Locking and then to RAF Cosford for use as an instructional airframe with a new maintenance serial number of 7809M.
It is now the only surviving FAW.5 Javelin.
Picture added on 21 March 2008
