1:72 Supermarine Swift

[Red Arrow Jag]

I have had a request to build a Supermarine Swift in 1:72, I am now searching for a kit to buy him.

What kits are around? and If anyone has one available would they be interested in selling it?

thanks guys and girls!

[Van]

I have had a request to build a Supermarine Swift in 1:72, I am now searching for a kit to buy him.

What kits are around? and If anyone has one available would they be interested in selling it?

thanks guys and girls!

AFAIK there are 3 kits to choose: the ancient Hawk/Testors; Magna and CMR

cheers

Van

[Gmat]

Testors repopped the old Hawk Swift kit in 1995. The kit reflects its time period and is rather basic. Kind of like a late 50s Frog kit, but the shape is fine and a good basis for making a nice kit. The decals are by Scale-Master and are pretty nice. Magma released a number of different Swift kits in 1998. Resin, vacuform canopy, white metal landing gear, with no decals. The fuselage is OK, the wings and tail are nice, the wheels are also nice, the tail cone is quite nice, the seat is fair.

Best wishes and good luck.

Grant

[DamienB]

Which version have you been asked to build?

The Swift is not well served in kit form.

[Robert A]

Hi,

I'm having this same dilemma, but, I recently had a look at a friends CMR kit and it has definitely swayed me. It's the most expensive of the three, but, it's a quantum leap over the others, having also seen both of them as well.

Can't comment on building any of them but my LHS owner (who's also a good friend) has built the Hawk/Testors and Magna kits and wasn't massively impressed with either.

Bob

[AnonymousA667]

If you can find one there is also the Rareplanes vacform. Worth a look in if you don't mind doing a vac.

peebeep

[DamienB]

Doesn't the CMR kit have a nose that doesn't remotely resemble that of a real Swift?

Don't forget the awesome Merlin Models limited run injection kit.

[Paul Bradley]

I built that Hawk Swift just recently for a GB - here's a review and build report:

http://gregers.7.forumer.com/viewtopic.php...permarine+swift

[Dave Fleming]

Ahh, my favourite subject!

For an early version, you have (at the moment) two choices - the Magna kit (which is the only one I haven't got!) or backdate the Testors kit.

The Hawk/Testors kit is a bit of a mismatch, but with a little filler can be made into an F2/3 or the prototype F4 with relative ease (Later F4s had the enlarged tail fin seen on the FR5).

For an F1, wou need to remove the extended inner wing leading edge

Airkit did a detail set for this one (and an FR5 conversion ) but it's hard to find now.

As Damian says, the nos eof the CMR kit is off - I did work out where they had gone wrong (IIRC it was a hybrid of the F4/FR5 shape) but my memory fails me - I do know the upper slope in profile is too flat and the lower is too much, which means the nose tip is too high. It's also a little short.

Other 1/72 Swift kits:

Rareplanes FR5: Pretty good

Pegasus FR5 - Sold as an FR5, but with the short nose of the F4. Bears a similarity to the Hawk kit

Merlin FR5 - run away!

There is another route - one of the most remarkable pieces of modelling I ever saw was in Scale Models in about 1984 where Ken 'Flanker' Duffy turned a Hasegawa Grumman Tiger into a Swift with much milliput and plastic card!

Edited April 13, 2008 by Dave Fleming

[Paul Bradley]

I have been asked to provide an early version, preferably a 'first' production line model as this is what my buddy worked on when he was an apprentice in the RAF.

Reading reviews, I like the sound of the Hawk/ Testors version, as a basis of a conversion.

Does anyone have a Testors version they would like to sell?

thanks.

WOW, that looks great Paul! I love the blue finish, reminiscent of the Supermarine Type 300 prototype.

Cheers Mr. Jag! It was a fun build, always intended to be put on a stand and as the kit lacks a decent U/C, that's the route I'd recommend. As Dave says, for an early version, you'll need to removed the extended leading edge, but that really shouldn't be too dificult. As long as your friend isn't expecting anything too highly detailed, this is a good and inexpensive way to go. There's much to be said for some of these older kits!

[Bill Neill]

Well, a good looking model deserves its praise..well done sir!

The details given about the wings etc have been noted, cheers guys. I just need to find a Testors kit now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pretty sure I got a Hawk one in the deep stash

Still interested? I am in the US in San Jose California.

[general melchett]

Hi red arrow jag, Don't know if it's of any interest to you but I've got a Pegasus FR5 still in it's bag that you can have.Not a particularly easy build by the look of it but you're welcome ,I've got far too many models on the go at the moment ; pm me Andy...

[rossm]

Ahh, my favourite subject!

For an early version, you have (at the moment) two choices - the Magna kit (which is the only one I haven't got!) or backdate the Testors kit.

The Hawk/Testors kit is a bit of a mismatch, but with a little filler can be made into an F2/3 or the prototype F4 with relative ease (Later F4s had the enlarged tail fin seen on the FR5).

For an F1, wou need to remove the extended inner wing leading edge

Airkit did a detail set for this one (and an FR5 conversion ) but it's hard to find now.

As Damian says, the nos eof the CMR kit is off - I did work out where they had gone wrong (IIRC it was a hybrid of the F4/FR5 shape) but my memory fails me - I do know the upper slope in profile is too flat and the lower is too much, which means the nose tip is too high. It's also a little short.

Other 1/72 Swift kits:

Rareplanes FR5: Pretty good

Pegasus FR5 - Sold as an FR5, but with the short nose of the F4. Bears a similarity to the Hawk kit

Merlin FR5 - run away!

There is another route - one of the most remarkable pieces of modelling I ever saw was in Scale Models in about 1984 where Ken 'Flanker' Duffy turned a Hasegawa Grumman Tiger into a Swift with much milliput and plastic card!

Revisiting this post after getting a Rareplanes kit (to add to my half built Pegasus and unstarted CMR, thankfully bought when they were much cheaper) and unable to prevent myself adding my thoughts.

Don't have Testors or Merlin kits so can't comment.

Pegasus - a challenging build for sure - how in tarnation do you attach the wings with a complex curve meeting an angled flat being my best description of the problem ? The nose is short even to the plans in the kit. Aeroclub seat a must. Canopy diabolical - wafer thin one side and miles thick the other.

Agree CMR nose is wrong when laid over plans but, at least on my sample, it gets much better if you hold both nose and tail firmly flat to the plans. There seems to be a warp (probably due to the large cutout for the wing) which tips the nose up unless it is pushed flat. Camera port seems a bit close to the intake. Another problem is - which plans ? It will almost match the Pegasus plans when pushed down but is short to the ones in the recent Warpaint and long to the ones in the Hasegawa Grumman Tiger article ('twas June 1984). Need to find some dimensions and a ruler methinks.

Rareplanes - I haven't cut it out yet but seems to roughly match the CMR kit when pushed together. Raised panel line are a matter of taste and it really needs an Aeroclub seat and undercarriage set. The canopy does not have the flat windscreen of the FR.5 and mine has 'yellowed' - but then so have the CMR ones and they are still in their sealed bag !

I had hoped that Rareplanes would be the answer but I think I'm going to go with the CMR and hope the nose can be forced into alignment during the build - it looks possible at the moment.

Just one question for anyone getting this far - do you know anywhere I can get the letter G in white with the appropriate slopes for both sides of the fin tip ?

[Colin S-K]

Revisiting this post after getting a Rareplanes kit (to add to my half built Pegasus and unstarted CMR, thankfully bought when they were much cheaper) and unable to prevent myself adding my thoughts.

Don't have Testors or Merlin kits so can't comment.

Pegasus - a challenging build for sure - how in tarnation do you attach the wings with a complex curve meeting an angled flat being my best description of the problem ? The nose is short even to the plans in the kit. Aeroclub seat a must. Canopy diabolical - wafer thin one side and miles thick the other.

Agree CMR nose is wrong when laid over plans but, at least on my sample, it gets much better if you hold both nose and tail firmly flat to the plans. There seems to be a warp (probably due to the large cutout for the wing) which tips the nose up unless it is pushed flat. Camera port seems a bit close to the intake. Another problem is - which plans ? It will almost match the Pegasus plans when pushed down but is short to the ones in the recent Warpaint and long to the ones in the Hasegawa Grumman Tiger article ('twas June 1984). Need to find some dimensions and a ruler methinks.

Rareplanes - I haven't cut it out yet but seems to roughly match the CMR kit when pushed together. Raised panel line are a matter of taste and it really needs an Aeroclub seat and undercarriage set. The canopy does not have the flat windscreen of the FR.5 and mine has 'yellowed' - but then so have the CMR ones and they are still in their sealed bag !

I had hoped that Rareplanes would be the answer but I think I'm going to go with the CMR and hope the nose can be forced into alignment during the build - it looks possible at the moment.

Just one question for anyone getting this far - do you know anywhere I can get the letter G in white with the appropriate slopes for both sides of the fin tip ?

I could have a look for you.....

[email protected]

Colin