Valiant Wings Publishing The Supermarine Swift – A Technical Guide

[Mike]

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

[March]

I know the disassembled airframe featured in the second set of photos very well, it's the F.4 that sat as a "gate guard" at Sheppards Surplus in Upper Hill, Herefordshire for many years.

As a kid my friends and I would often cycle out there. It's bittersweet knowing she's no longer there.

[Dave Fleming]

I know the disassembled airframe featured in the second set of photos very well, it's the F.4 that sat as a "gate guard" at Sheppards Surplus in Upper Hill, Herefordshire for many years.

As a kid my friends and I would often cycle out there. It's bittersweet knowing she's no longer there.

Much better she is being well looked after now

[Giorgio N]

looks like an interesting book, How much information is there on the earlier fighter variants ?

[Mike]

I'm not within reach of the book at the moment, but from memory each variant has its own section, and plenty of photos. The more capable and numerous airframes do get more space as you'd expect, but not massively so, and not to the detriment of the other less successful marks.

[fatalbert]

Excellent,gonna order one of these,the Swift is one of my favourite aircraft.Thanks for the review.

Edited March 7, 2016 by fatalbert

[Giorgio N]

Thanks Mike, good to know ! I've always been interested in building an F.1 or F.2, this book goes straight in the shopping list

[fatalbert]

I have just taken delivery of this book and I can't rate it highly enough.its an excellent reference book for the swift,and I would go as far as to say my favourite book to date.Am going to spend many hours poring over it.Now can we please have one on the javelin to the same standard. ☺

Edited March 11, 2016 by fatalbert