Supermarine Swift

[jaw]

I have just received a copy of the Ad Hoc publication - Swift from the Cockpit. If any BMers have looked at this series they will know the genre - lots of info about the aircarft in question, pictures and anecdotes about the aircraft in operational service. After having a quick flip through the book I was so taken that I rushed out into my modelling shed and found the Falcon vacform of the FR5 and started cutting the bits out (never mind all the other semi finished models!) then I thought to myself that I must be daft to act so precipitously. However, I must say that despite the kit's age(I must have had it for 10 years or more) it is in extremely good nick (apart from the decals) and the kit is beautifully detailed.

What I wanted to know is whether any fellow BMers have done this kit of the Swift and whether they have any advice to impart on any issues they came across during construction.

Thanks,

JOhn

[Mike]

Hi John,

I have the same kit and the same issue with the decals. One thing you should do is ignore the instructions to build a nose wheel bay. The actual bay is non-existent, instead it just consists of the outer shell of the nose with various bits & bobs hanging off it. I'm away from my picture stash at the moment, but I think the gear leg just attaches to a bulkhead behind the bay aperture.

Make sure you post some progress pics and it might spur me on to continue with mine, which stalled after I'd built and fitted the fictitious bay, then found out there wasn't one

[phat trev]

I love the Swift and I wish I had a 1/48 version

As one of my builds I have a half made xtrakit of a whif twin seat training Swift which I should really get on and complete.

I hope you post some pics on here!!!

[Dave Batt]

I built it a few years ago and nearly fell out of my tree when it picked up a trophy at Paignton last year. Very, very nice kit and to be honest I didn't find any memorable problems - and I'm no vac-form expert. I think it appeared in SAM. I didn't touch the kit decals, they were all spares, generic and scratch masks.

HTH

Edited June 2, 2011 by Dave Batt

[Vulcanicity]

Not built a Swift, and I'm not sure you'll need them with your new book, but I took a cockpit walkaround of the procedures trainer at Newark the other day, and you're welcome to the shots if you need them.

Good luck!!!

[jaw]

Thanks for all the replies whch are most gratefully received. If I knew how to put pix on the forum I might do, but to be honest this build may well take a year or more (and probably more!).

John

[AnonymousAA72]

Falcon vac-forms were as good as any! I have built the Swift, Attacker and Sea Hawk, (there may be very old photo's on ARC) and the quality really is second to none. Acuurate - superb surface detail - remember they are vac-forms, so will be as good as the builder - to an extent. Let down (a bit) by very basic white metal seats and poor decals. I think the canopy may have yellowed a bit by now as well?

EDIT: found this very old photo - it must be over ten years old by now - that was posted on ARC....decals were from the spares box.

Edited June 2, 2011 by Bill Clark

[Silver Fox]

I can only echo what has been said, Falcon vacforms are top notch as good as any thing ever produced. I used the 2 Squadron Markings on mine as the 79 Squadron ones had the red arrows of the the squadron bars printed in black. I believe I replaced every thing else.

The other thing to watch is the metal undercarriage legs are prone to bending and need straightening evry so often. Theh metal is so malleable that 15 years later they still bend back and have never cracked or broken( I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not).

I built their Attacker and their Sea Hawk and enjoyed them more than the newer, injected Classic Airframes kits.