The Supermarine Swift was a British fighter aircraft which was in service with the Royal Air Force during the Cold War. Developed from the Attacker, it was the first swept-wing jet aircraft to see service with the RAF. What led to the development of this swept-wing combat plane was the result of the German research at the end of World War II. It was realized that by sweeping back the wing and tail surfaces of a jet-powered aircraft, drag was sharply reduced during flight, which allowed higher speeds using more powerful engines. This was the reason why both the Soviets and the Americans had just developed the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 and the North American F-86 Sabre respectively, which saw combat action in the Korean War.
The first prototype of the Supermarine Swift, the VV106 (Type 510), made its maiden flight on December 28, 1948. It was flown by the Supermarine test pilot Mike Lithgow from Boscombe Down airbase, twenty one months after the development contract had been placed. During the first flight test, it became clear that the high-speed characteristics of the new layout were exceptional. The second prototype of the Swift, the VV119 (Type 528), was first flown by Mike Lithgow on March 27, 1950. Although both prototypes were powered by the same jet engine, a Rolls-Royce Nene 2, the fuel capacity was increased to 600 gallons on the second prototype as provision for afterburning was added; also the nose was extended to fit a landing gear nose wheel. The VV119 would finally enter service with the RAF on April 11, 1954, as the Swift F1 variant. An F2, F3, F4, FR5 (reconnaissance), and F7 versions would also be mass-produced, totaling 197 aircraft.
Technical Description
The Supermarine Swift was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane. Both fuselage and wing were of all-metal construction. It had cantilever low wing, whose leading edge had a 40-degree sweep, with a 2-degree dihedral angle. The wing trailing edge was fitted with large-span ailerons and narrow flaps. The tail assembly horizontal stabilizer was also swept at the same 40-degree angle. The cockpit featured steel-framed canopy and the fuselage retractable landing gear. The F1 and F2 versions of the aircraft were powered by one Rolls-Royce RA.7 Avon 105 axial-flow turbojet engine, which delivered 7,500 pounds of thrust.
Specifications (F1/F2)
Type: fighter/interceptor aircraft
Length: 12.64 m (41 feet, 5 inches)
Wing Span: 9.86 m (32 feet, 4 inches)
Wing Area: 29.79 m2 (320.7 square feet)
Height: 3.81 m (12 feet, 6 inches)
Power Plant: one 7,500-lb, Rolls-Royce RA.7 Avon 105 turbojet engine.
Maximum Speed: 1,141 km/h (709 mph) at sea level.
Range: 1,175 km (730 miles)
Rate of Climb: 3,749 m/min.
Service Ceiling: 13,838 m (45,400 feet)
Crew: one
Armament: four 30-mm ADEN cannons (on F2 version); four points for rockets and bombs.
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| Above, the prototype VV119, on which the F1 production aircraft was based. |
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| Six Swift fighters from No 56 Squadron in flight over the English countryside. |
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| The FR5 photo-reconnaissance variant of the aircraft. |
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| The VV106, the first prototype of the Swift makes a high-speed flypast. |