Potential Swift Squadrons

[Knightflyer]

Okay so the early marks of the Supermarine Swift were not up to much (obvious understatement time!) But does anybody know what squadrons would've got 'fighter' Swifts (or were planned to get) if the aircraft had been any good?

And yes I do know the answer on here is ''any/all squadrons!''

[Captain Canada]

441 RCAF ;-)

At least that's what I'll build....

But I'd go with your original answer, any and all !

[pyro-manic]

Any of the Hunter squadrons would be a reasonable guess...?

[Knightflyer]

Any of the Hunter squadrons would be a reasonable guess...?

I agree...I suppose as a supplementary question I wonder what the process of deciding which squadron got which plane and when - especially in peace-time - might be. I presume the Air Ministry / RAF did more than "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe" ?

[andrewj]

Any of the Hunter squadrons would be a reasonable guess...?

That's what I'd think too , if the Swift had been a success and the Hunter had failed , then any or all of the squadrons that flew Hunters would have had Swifts.

Andrew

[The Wooksta!]

I remember Mike McEvoy building a Pegasus Swift at Telford some years back and he said that 74 Sqn were to have received the Swift mk 4 had it been much cop.

[Knightflyer]

I remember Mike McEvoy building a Pegasus Swift at Telford some years back and he said that 74 Sqn were to have received the Swift mk 4 had it been much cop.

Which leads to thoughts of a silver Swift with black tail and spine (okay it's only a very small spine on the Swift!)

[lancer]

Just to add another wrinkle into the mix, but what about overseas operators?? If it was up to snuff that is.

[The Wooksta!]

Anyone who bought Spitfires or Hunters? Or Meteor/Vampire users?  Supermarine did try to sell Attackers to Egypt, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, Lebanon and Turkey.  Hmm - Attackers in desert camo? I do have an Indian Attacker that needs minimal work to finish and the Hawk Swift is so basic that I may just throw it together and add it to the Alt. Spitfire line up for completeness sake.  74 Sqn markings may well fit.

I've still got a Magna Swift F7 somewhere that just needs a coat of paint.  It was going to get Firestreaks instead of the kit's awful Fireflashes.  May go for the Silver with black spine of 111 Sqn rather than 74.

There you go - overall black (111) or blue (92) for either Black Arrows or Blue Diamonds.

[tc2324]

Can`t find anything in the Sqn records to suggest that 74 were to get Swifts.  (Lots on F-111`s and Sepecat Jaguars though  )

They were only on Hunters for 3 years, more a stop gap measure, before the type they were really ear marked for, the Lightning, came into service.

Obviously whiffery is whiffery, but the 111 and 92 Sqn may be the more `realistic` options.

[tc2324]

Can`t find anything in the Sqn records to suggest that 74 were to get Swifts.  (Lots on F-111`s and Sepecat Jaguars though  )

They were only on Hunters for 3 years, more a stop gap measure, before the type they were really ear marked for, the Lightning, came into service.

Obviously whiffery is whiffery, but the 111 and 92 Sqn may be the more `realistic` options.

Belay that last post, I stand corrected.

The Defence White Paper of 1953 lists 74 as a possible Swift operator but were glad when 56 got them instead because of the poor performance.

If that was the case and you choose 74 Sqn as your unit for your model, I would suggest you went for the standard day fighter scheme as the black tail did not appear until the very early 60`s when flying Lightnings.

[Knightflyer]

Belay that last post, I stand corrected.

The Defence White Paper of 1953 lists 74 as a possible Swift operator but were glad when 56 got them instead because of the poor performance.

If that was the case and you choose 74 Sqn as your unit for your model, I would suggest you went for the standard day fighter scheme as the black tail did not appear until the very early 60`s when flying Lightnings.

tc2324 : Does the 1953 Defence White Paper say anything regarding other potential Swift squadrons?

Re the Black Tail / Standard Day Fighter scheme my whiffing thoughts turn to a world where camouflage wasn't reintroduced and the silver with 'extravagant' squadron markings continued through from the Meteors onto Sabres, Swifts and even Hunters and then onto Lightnings. Or perhaps as the markings on the squadron leaders aircraft?

As to another potential squadron I think 63 squadron shared RAF Waterbeach with 56 Squadron, I'm musing over the creation of a Swift Wing at the airfield, would that make sense for maintenance issues? It then leads on nicely to a silver Swift with black and yellow checks and a black tail with the battleaxe insignia a la training Hawks that No. 63 flew in the 80's

[The Wooksta!]

Belay that last post, I stand corrected.

The Defence White Paper of 1953 lists 74 as a possible Swift operator but were glad when 56 got them instead because of the poor performance.

If that was the case and you choose 74 Sqn as your unit for your model, I would suggest you went for the standard day fighter scheme as the black tail did not appear until the very early 60`s when flying Lightnings.

I've already undercoated it with Halfords Aluminium which doesn't take kindly to paint over the top.  The early Swifts were in aluminium/HS Silver, who's to say that the "trouble free" (pause for peals of sarcastic laughter) Swifts remained in that scheme?

[tc2324]

Sorry for the late reply. I`m afraid I was quoting from the 74 Sqn history. I did spend a bit of time today looking for an online copy of the 1953 Defence White Paper, but it seems to be quite elusive with the earliest I did find being 1957. The National Archive may well have a copy of it, but I think you will need to pay to see it??

As Wooksta says, the Swift entered service in the overall silver, so it`s a pretty good bet that 74 would have gone the same way.

Obviously this is a whif and completely up to you, but if you do a 74 example, I would leave it in overall silver and forget about the black tail. 74 only put a black tail on their Lightnings in 1962 for the Farnbourgh Airshow as they were the RAF`s Lightning demonstration team. It just happened that they liked the look of it and kept them until told, like so many other Sqn`s to remove them in 1966.

Although the picture below is a Lightning F.1, I think it is an excellent example of the scheme that would of been used if the Swift had gone to 74.



Sorry I couldn`t be more help.

[Knightflyer]

Hi tc2324

No need for apology, the reply is in well before I'll get the chance to build this kit! 

Edging towards 63 squadron for something a little different, the squadron leaders aircraft might justify a coloured tail!