Supermarine Swift
British single-seat jet-propelled fighter aircraft / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Supermarine Swift is a British single-seat jet fighter aircraft that was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was developed and manufactured by Supermarine during the 1940s and 1950s. The Swift featured many of the new jet age innovations, such as a swept wing. On 26 September 1953, a Swift F.4 piloted by Commander Mike Lithgow broke the world absolute speed record, reaching a speed of 737.7 mph (1,187 km/h).
Swift | |
---|---|
Swift F Mk.2 WK242 / "P" of No. 56 Sqn. | |
Role | Fighter, interceptor |
National origin | United Kingdom |
Manufacturer | Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd. |
First flight | 29 December 1948 (Type 510) |
Introduction | 1954 |
Retired | 1967 |
Status | Retired |
Primary user | Royal Air Force |
Number built | 197 |
Developed from | Supermarine Attacker |
Developed into | Supermarine 545 |
After a protracted development period, the Swift entered service as an interceptor aircraft with the RAF in 1954. However, due to a spate of accidents incurred by the type, the Swift was grounded for a time, and had a relatively brief service life. The problems with the Swift led to a public scandal surrounding the development and performance of the aircraft, harming the reputations of the British government, the RAF, and the British aircraft industry.
Ultimately, the less problematic Hawker Hunter assumed much of the role intended for the Swift and only half as many Swifts were manufactured as had once been intended. A later photo reconnaissance variant of the Swift had resolved some of the teething problems, but that proved to be too late for it to regain favour. An advanced derivative of the Swift that was to be capable of transonic speeds, the Supermarine 545, was also under development during the early 1950s. However, it was cancelled in 1955, principally due to the poor performance of the Swift.