Supermarine Swift by Tony Buttler

The Supermarine Swift in British postwar service

This reference publication by Tony Buttler follows the fortunes of one of the first British combat aircraft with a swept wing. It is neither a kit nor an accessory for a model, but a printed title about the development and the operation of the real machine.

From a speed record to reconnaissance at low level

The Swift was meant to carry the experience gained with the straight wing of the earlier design into the era of swept surfaces and the Rolls-Royce Avon engine. As an interceptor, however, it did not prove itself: trouble with handling at altitude and with the onboard armament cut its career with the fighter squadrons to a few years. In the end it found work in the tactical low-level reconnaissance version with Royal Air Force units in Germany, where it served into the early 1960s. One of its versions also set the absolute world speed record over the North African coast.

What the account concentrates on

• The road from the postwar prototypes to a production swept wing
• The differences between the versions and the technical reasons behind them
• Service with the squadrons, including its use in the photographic reconnaissance role
• Camouflage schemes and national insignia that a plastic modeler will appreciate

Who the publication serves

The title suits anyone who builds British jets of the 1950s and wants reference on shapes, armament and finishes close at hand. It also serves collectors of aviation literature from the early Cold War and anyone interested in the history of the British aircraft industry.