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| The first flight of the
Swift (Supermarine Type 510) was in December 1948, it was the first
British jet aircraft with swept wings and
tailplane. Trails were carried for used on aircraft
carriers and as such, the Swift became the first swept-wing jet to land
and take-off from an aircraft carrier (the US would carry this out a
number of years later). Sad to say, the Royal Navy lost interest in
the Swift The first type Swift to enter RAF service was the fighter version, the F.1 and this was in February of 1954 with 56 Squadron, there were a number of problems with this first version and the F.1's were replaced with F.2 very quickly. The F.3 never entered service with the RAF. The F.4 enter service with the RAF, however, again there were problems, one being, when flying at high altitude, the reheat would not work. Only 9 F.4 were built. Production then was switched to a fighter reconnaissance version, the FR.5. This version was designed to replace the outdated Meteor FR.9's. The FR.5 was basically a F.4 with a larger nose to house 3 F.95 cameras, one camera being mounted facing forward, the other 2 mounted for taking oblique imagery facing out on each side of the nose, just forward on the air intakes. It retained the two 30mm cannons from the fighter version and also a 220 gallon "belly" fuel tank was fitted as standard. The FR.5 underwent trails at Boscombe Down in July 1953. The first production version flew in 1955 and in January 1956, 2 Squadron RAF, stationed in Germany, began to receive their FR.5's. In late 1957, the FR Swift's were slowly replaced with Hunter FR.10's. Carrying out fighter reconnaissance along side 2 Squadron was 79 Squadron, they were disbanded in the first months of 1961 and all equipment was merged with 4 Squadron. It was during this period the Swifts were replaced with Hunter FR.10's. However, a number of Swift FR.5's did operated with 4 Squadron during this re-equipping period. With some the aircraft carrying markings for both squadrons. 94 FR.5s saw service with the RAF, it was the last true Swift variant to enter service, although, fourteen F.7s were produced, but they were only used as 'test' aircraft. There were plans to produce a totally photographic reconnaissance version, the PR.6. However, it was a short-lived program due to ever-present reheat problems. By the early 1960's, the Swift had been replaced by the Hunter FR.10. |
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An unknown Swift FR.5 |
 A Swift FR.5 of 2 Squadron |
