As noted on page 5, Heller kits were also made. After the Jaguar IM India, the next model would be the....

[8]  Jaguar "M" Naval

A nice Jaguar is the navalized version Jaguar "M". A single prototype was made and first flew in November 1969. It had an extendable nose strut with double wheels and two large single main gear wheels. The main gear legs were also stronger and the door configuration differed. It also had a thicker stronger arrestor hook and carrier launch catapult hooks fitted in front of the main gear bays. A retractable in flight refuelling probe was also to be installed and the vertical tail was smaller as on other jaguar prototypes. But the later style airbrakes were there with four perforation rows. 

The aircraft was testing aboard French aircraft carrier "Clemenceau" during mid 1970 and after that for a couple of years with a (test) camera fairing below the nose. The two DEFA canons were not fitted during testing but the gun port fairings are there. During testing, doors were often not fitted and also different testing pods and antennas were seen. Markings varied during that period. In the end, the "M.05"  remained the only aircraft as France end 1975 selected a modernized Dassualt Super Etendard for their aircraft carriers and the naval Jaguar cancelled. (M.05 is preserved at the Musee de Tradition de l' Aeronautique at Rochefort). 

Back to the model. 
I had a nice drawing to help with the model conversion.

I scaled the drawing up to 1/72 with a printer-scanner and here it compares with the basic Heller Jaguar kit fuselage. Not bad at all! The smaller vertical tail is obvious. 

For my Heller kit it was decided to make a "parked" Jaguar M with engines "off". So the airbrake wells were opened up. Also, often the large main gear bay doors were seen open, so these were also opened up. Use a TIGER razorsaw to do some inscribing and removal work to open up. 

The Jaguar "M" prototype had also a different set of gear doors. These were made from scrap with plastic card using the drawing and looking at photos. The bays were boxed in with card. Some stretched sprue details were added to suggest hydraulics. Also, the "M" had an asymmetric nose gear bay. This was opened up. 
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As noted, this Jaguar "M" model will be made as "parked on the ground". So the wing part "slats" were sawed in at their edges and bended drooped down. I kept the flaps "up" as also seen on many "parked" Jaguars. 
 
 

A considerable amount of putty is needed with some sanding on this Heller kit. I again tried to save the raised panellines.... 

Below, the opened up bays are seen as well as the opened up air brake wells. 

......and after some filling... Note the asymmetric nose wheel bay of the M "naval". 

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Now this Heller converted model got a first base coat of light grey as usually. This reveals any forgotten gaps and irregularities.

The opened up airbrakes were to be made from scrap (they are not in the Heller kit). These were made from thin aluminium plate for a BBQ dish using a Hasegawa kit airbrake part as pattern. The perforations in the air brakes are easily made with an X-acto knife. Cut out and bend on the knife.

I made a whole bunch of airbrakes for a bunch of other Jaguar kits as well as for example the Hasegawa kits that have none of these perforations opened up. 
Please note that the number and rows of perforation holes varied between prototypes and production aircraft. The "M" had the later style "four rows" as also seen on production aircraft. 
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Inside the colour is "zinc chromate primer". 

The "M" had a (test?) camera fairing below the nose. This was made from a nose piece of a spare fuel tank. 

After corrections, the "M" model got first a gloss white lower colour. Than masking was done and the French blue airbrushed for which I picked the Gunze Sangyo H25 acrylic "intermediate blue" after looking at photos. Do not forget to airbrush the smaller parts not yet set in place like the undercarriage doors. 

The "M" naval had 2 single wheels on the main and a double nose wheels. The new wheels needed were found in the spares box. The main wheel diameter is the same but seems a bit thicker. Sorry, I could not remember what old kit the spare box wheels came from... are they from an old Hobbycraft kit? 
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Also, the undercarriage "M" legs were made thicker with white glue and rod fixed on the kit parts. Also a few hydraulics tubes were set in place made from thin metal wire. Fitting the main gear legs needed some adjustments for a correct look, see notes above...
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The markings for the single Jaguar "M" came from various sources. The Aero Navale roundels with the "anchors" came from Modeldecal set 62 . Code "M.05" was sourced from the spare decals box. 

The canopy was set open, so the single kit piece canopy cut with again my favourite TIGER razor saw. 

Two tiny rear view mirrors for the pilot were installed made from aluminium foil.

The Martin Baker mk.9 seat was made using the kit part and it got some straps and harnesses made from tape and blue decal strip. 

As on most Jaguars, the final smaller antennas were set in place, made from thin card. The anti-collision lights on the wingtips were painted red and blue and a drop of Micro Kristal Kleer added when dried. And again, the larger red anti-collision lights on the spine and lower aft fuselage were made from clear red plastic found in the spares box. A red test fairing was set on the lower fuselage and the catapult "hooks". 

As usual, the model got a final varnish clear coat using the usual technique with Johnson Future with the airbrush. This gives a nice gloss sheen as used on naval aircraft. That completed this single prototype that never was manufactured for operational use. 

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SEPECAT   Jaguar M "Naval" prototype 

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