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The Supermarine Swift – A Technical Guide ISBN 978-0-9930908-9-9 Valiant Wings Publishing The Swift was built by Supermarine after the British Government woke up to the fact that we no longer had a competitive jet fighter that could reach high mach numbers and go up against any potential aggressor on an equal footing. This new book from our friends at Valiant Wings describes the difficult gestation of the Swift that went from a swept-wing Attacker to a very different aircraft that broke several world speed records at the time, and became a bit of a whipping-boy over the years. It was an accomplished low-level performer, but due to the constant changing of the requirements in a fast-moving field of development, it was never able to truly shine at anything else. It did however pave the way with a few key technologies that stood the British aircraft industry in good stead for its last remaining years of existence as a home-grown group of independent entities. The book is perfect bound with a flexible card cover in the house style and the publication details on the slim spine. Inside are 80 pages in high glossy paper with colour throughout where applicable. As is often the case with older aircraft, a great many of the original and contemporary photos are in black and white, but detail in these is excellent. Written by Richard A Franks (where does he find the time & information?), it is split into an informative introduction to the type that discusses the trials and tribulations of the project from start to finish, with a technical description, painting and markings, then a kit build to finish. The layout is as follows: Sections Introduction Technical Description Detailed coverage of construction and equipment. Camouflage & Markings Colour side profiles, notes and photographs. Kit Build A quick look at Airfix's new 1:72 Swift FR Mk.5. Appendices i) Supermarine Swift kit, accessory & decal list. ii) Supermarine Swift Squadrons – a list of all the units that operated the type. iii) Bibliography. The colour profiles are executed by Richard J Caruana, and the model build was done by the author himself, and both are done to a very high standard, as we have come to expect from Valiant's many books. Conclusion Another super title from Valiant that is filled with interesting text, drawings, technical information and a lot of pictures that I haven't seen before. There are also a number of pictures of preserved and not-so preserved examples of this turned-up nosed fighter, and the book should appeal to anyone with even a passing interest in the type. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of