The Supermarine Scimitar was a British, carrier-borne strike fighter, which was in service with the Royal Navy during the Cold War. It was the largest, heaviest, and most powerful single-seat jet fighter to serve with the Fleet Air Arm and it was complementary to the two-seat de Havilland Sea Vixen fighter aircraft. Aside from the Royal Navy's land airbase, the Scimitar operated from the HMS Ark Royal, HMS Hermes, and HMS Centaur aircraft carrier. Although it was a large aircraft, it was very maneuverable, capable of flying at 1,190 km per hour. Another advantage it had over similar naval plane of the time was its long range capacity, as it could fly 2,291 km (1,424 miles) without refueling.
The prototype of the Supermarine Scimitar, the N113 (Type 544), was taken aloft for the first time on January 19, 1956. It was flown by test pilot Mike Lithgow, taking off from Boscombe Down airbase, England. It was followed by two more prototypes. The carrier flight deck trials were flown with the first prototype, the N113, in April 1956, from HMS Ark Royal, with further deck trials carried out in January 1957, using the third prototype, the WW134. The N113 prototype would pass all the flight tests and it would be introduced into service with the Royal Navy on July 27, 1957, as the Scimitar F1, which was the first production variant. A total of 76 Scimitars were produced by Supermarine/Vickers-Armstrong at South Marston.
Technical Description
The Supermarine Scimitar was a single-seat, twin-engine jet monoplane, which was of all-metal construction. The fuselage was semi-monocoque. It was fitted with broad swept wing mounted on middle of fuselage. To withstand the high loads on the structure, high tensile steel was used for the main wing spars and for areas of major stress in the wing and tail. Titanium was employed in lower stress areas where heat resistance was required. Its wing outer panels could be folded up for carrier stowage convenience. The aircraft was fitted with flaps on wing trailing edge and on belly of fuselage for better flight control and handling. It was powered by two Rolls-Royce Avon 202 turbojet engines, each delivering 11,250 pounds of thrust. The engines air intakes were located on the sides of fuselage.
Specifications
Type: carrier-based strike fighter aircraft
Length: 16.84 m (55 feet, 3 inches)
Wing Span: 11.33 m (37 feet, 32 inches)
Wing Area: 45.1 m2 (485 square feet)
Height: 5.28 m (17 feet, 4 inches)
Power Plant: two 11,250-lb, Rolls-Royce Avon 202 turbojet engines
Maximum Speed: 1,190 km/h (740 mph)
Range: 2,291 km (1,424 miles)
Service Ceiling: 14,000 m (46,000 feet)
Rate of Climb: 34.30 m/s
Crew: one
Armament: four 30-mm ADEN cannons; four 454-kg (1,000-lb) bombs; or four AGM-12 Bullpup air-to-ground missiles; AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
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| Above, the Scimitar F1 variant being towed on a land air base. |
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| The Scimitar on a land tarmac, with its wings folded up. |
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| The British naval combat aircraft during take-off. Notice the flaps on wing trailing edge and on fuselage belly. |
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| The Scimitar belly during a pass over. |
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| Above, the Scimitar on carrier flight deck, with wings folded up. |