Swift F.1

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Rank 6 USA
F-5C Pack
This page is about the British jet fighter Swift F.1. For the other version, see Swift F.7.
swift_f1.png
GarageImage Swift F.1.jpg
360://https://wiki.warthunder.com/images/4/47/Cockpit_swift_f1.jpg
Swift F.1
AB RB SB
8.3 8.3 8.3
Research:105 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:300 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

Following the end of WWII, a new British government decided to focus their efforts into rebuilding the nation, under the assumption that another major conflict would not occur for at least a decade. During this time, Air Ministry Specifications were primarily issued for research designs, rather than any military requirements. As a result, at the dawn of the Cold War in the late 1940s, the RAF quickly realised that it was lagging behind in aerial capabilities, and pressed for the development of new fighter aircraft with the latest features, such as swept wings. Two designs that garnered particular interest were the Hawker Hunter and Supermarine Swift. The Swift was developed from an experimental prototype based on the Supermarine Attacker, which had been fitted with swept wings and tail. It was rushed through testing and production, with an initial order of 100 aircraft to act as insurance in case of failure in the Hunter project. However, technical challenges delayed both projects despite the high priority; the Swift F.1 eventually entered service in February 1954, with the F.2 variant appearing in the same month. Due to the hasty development process and panicked introduction, the Swift F.1 experienced a spate of accidents, resulting in the grounding of the type by August. By the end of 1954, all fighter variants of the Swift had been replaced by the new and far more capable Hawker Hunter.

Introduced in Update 1.91 "Night Vision", the Swift F.1 serves as a great primer for the Hunters later in the tree, featuring much the same characteristics and flaws as its larger cousins. With decent acceleration, top speed, and energy retention, the Swift operates well in zooming around the battlefield, picking off stray or distracted enemies, and quickly evacuating from danger. It also boasts the same powerful 30 mm ADEN cannons, allowing any opponent to be destroyed in a single pass. The Swift does lack in manoeuvrability, particularly at high speeds; however, this can be mitigated by using its extremely strong takeoff flaps as makeshift airbrakes. However, manoeuvring will cause the Swift to quickly lose its all-important energy, so dogfights should be heavily avoided.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed
at 3 048 m985 km/h
Turn time25 s
Max altitude12 192 m
EngineRolls-Royce Avon Mk.105
TypeJet
Cooling systemAir
Take-off weight10 t
Characteristics Max Speed
(km/h at 3,048 m)
Max altitude
(metres)
Turn time
(seconds)
Rate of climb
(metres/second)
Take-off run
(metres)
AB RB AB RB AB RB
Stock 982 980 12192 26.6 27.2 19.3 16.7 850
Upgraded 989 985 23.5 25.0 37.7 28.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps Take-off flaps Landing flaps Air brakes Arrestor gear Drogue chute
X X X X
Limits
Wings (km/h) Gear (km/h) Flaps (km/h) Max Static G
Combat Take-off Landing + -
1,186 435 - 1,035 465 ~9 ~5
Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons Rudder Elevators Radiator
< 850 < 600 < 600 -

Engine performance

Engine Aircraft mass
Engine name Number Basic mass Wing loading (full fuel)
Rolls-Royce Avon Mk.105 1 6,019 kg 271 kg/m2
Engine characteristics Mass with fuel (no weapons load) Max Takeoff
Weight
Weight (each) Type 7m fuel 20m fuel 23m fuel
1,000 kg Axial-flow turbojet 6,525 kg 7,452 kg 7,705 kg 9,530 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%)
Condition 100% WEP 7m fuel 20m fuel 23m fuel MTOW
Stationary 3,107 kgf - 0.48 0.42 0.40 0.33
Optimal 3,197 kgf
(1,186 km/h)
- 0.49 0.43 0.41 0.34

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person
Speed of destruction
Structural0 km/h
Gear435 km/h
  • 50 mm thick bulletproof glass in cockpit windshield.
  • 12.7 mm steel plate behind pilot.
  • Most of the critical components positioned inside the fuselage (Pilot, engine and fuel tanks)

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB3 057 → 4 478 Sl icon.png
RB8 566 → 12 549 Sl icon.png
SB10 488 → 15 364 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications91 300 Rp icon.png
147 200 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 100 Ge icon.png
Crew training86 000 Sl icon.png
Experts300 000 Sl icon.png
Aces1 700 Ge icon.png
Research Aces720 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
120 / 370 / 600 % Sl icon.png
196 / 196 / 196 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Flight performance Survivability Weaponry
Mods aerodinamic fuse.png
Fuselage repair
Research:
6 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 800 Sl icon.png
330 Ge icon.png
Mods jet compressor.png
Compressor
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods booster.png
New boosters
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods aerodinamic wing.png
Wings repair
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 200 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods jet engine.png
Engine
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 200 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods g suit.png
G-suit
Research:
9 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
16 000 Sl icon.png
530 Ge icon.png
Mods armor frame.png
Airframe
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods jet engine extinguisher.png
EFS
Research:
9 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
16 000 Sl icon.png
530 Ge icon.png
Mods armor cover.png
Cover
Research:
9 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
16 000 Sl icon.png
530 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
aden_belt_pack
Research:
6 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 800 Sl icon.png
330 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 1.png
Mods pilon bomb.png
500 LB
Research:
6 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 800 Sl icon.png
330 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods pilon bomb.png
1000 LB
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow right 0.png
Mods pilon bomb.png
1000 LB
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods weapon.png
aden_new_gun
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 200 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods pilon rocket.png
60 lb S.A.P. Mark I
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 200 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 12 x 30 mm ADEN cannon
Ammunition400 rounds
Fire rate1 200 shots/min
Main article: ADEN (30 mm)

The Swift F.1 is armed with:

  • 2 x 30 mm ADEN cannons, nose-mounted (200 rpg = 400 total)

Suspended armament

List of setups (4)
Setup 12 x G.P. 500 lb Mk.IV bomb
Setup 22 x 1000 lb G.P. Mk.I bomb
Setup 32 x 1000 lb M.C. Mk.I bomb
Setup 48 x RP-3 rockets
8 x RP-3 rockets

The Swift F.1 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

  • Without load
  • 2 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)
  • 2 x 1,000 lb G.P. Mk.I bombs (2,000 lb total)
  • 2 x 1,000 lb M.C. Mk.I bombs (2,000 lb total)
  • 16 x RP-3 rockets

Usage in battles

The Swift is a British subsonic jet fighter. The aircraft is considered by some users to be a "Mini Hunter" as the Swift shares a lot of strengths and weaknesses with the beast.

This jet's strengths consist of good acceleration, climb rate and top speed, which if used properly can make it a brutal 'Boom and Zoom' aircraft, as even a short burst from the dual ADEN 30 mm revolver cannons will shred anything unfortunate enough to be in the way. The jet also has good energy retention, allowing it to make a 'swift' getaway if the pilot doesn't manage to kill their target, as even in a gentle climb it does not bleed speed as fast as other jets of its tier.

The main weakness of the jet is that it is not very manoeuvrable, meaning that if caught in a sticky situation, the Swift is unlikely to be able to out-dogfight its opponent unless the pilot is very experienced. Try to escape a dogfight before it begins, but if you are forced to engage, avoid throwing the jet into any sort of tight horizontal manoeuvres as there are very few aircraft the Swift will out-turn and you will end up losing any energy you may have had, becoming a sitting duck for whoever decides to claim the kill. Instead, when manoeuvring take advantage of oblique and vertical planes as you will have much more control over your energy, as well as making it easier to search for an escape route. If you manage to escape a dogfight, extend out using the Swift's acceleration and get some distance, then you can decide whether to re-engage. Also, be careful in dives. The Swift is a fast plane and as such, in a full-on boom dive from the heavens, you are likely to be going at around 1,100 km/h (700 mph) IAS, which is great for taking out unaware enemies who haven't seen you. At this point, however, the Swift is at its least manoeuvrable, at this speed turning and pulling up takes a very long time, and many new Swift pilots will find themselves embedded in the nearest hillside after a dive, take the time to learn the limits of the plane and know when to pull up. The Swift also has no designed air brake, instead the jet is equipped with the strongest takeoff flaps in the game, which still manage to hold together at the top speed of the plane, they do a great job of ditching unwanted speed, even in a steep dive, so use them if you feel you are coming in too fast.

Another minor weakness of the Swift is the fact that the two ADENs fire very quickly, expending all 400 rounds in about 10 seconds, so in an extended battle you may find yourself clean out of bullets, at which point you'll either escape and rearm, or become a sitting duck for the nearest fully loaded transonic fighter who sees you.

To summarise, use the Swift as a 'Boom and Zoomer', avoid horizontal dogfights, watch your speed in dives, and make sure to keep an eye on your ammo count, do all this and you'll be sure to quickly get many kills under your belt.

Radars

The Swift F.1 is equipped with an ARI.5857 rangefinding radar, located in the nose of the aircraft. It will automatically detect other planes within the scanning area and display the range to the closest target. It is linked with a gyro gunsight and can help with aiming at close range.

ARI.5857 - Band I rangefinding radar
Mode Max tracking
range
Azimuth limit Elevation limit
TRK 0.8 km ±9° ±9°

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Great acceleration, climb rate and high top speed
  • Decent energy retention, but not the best at it (especially against MiG-15/17)
  • Fast firing 30 mm ADEN cannons
  • MC 1,000 lb bombs and RP-3 rockets available for light CAS roles
  • Very responsive airframe both on roll and instant turning
  • Take-off flaps have a high rip speed and can work as airbrakes when needed

Cons:

  • Low manoeuvrability compared to other fighters in its battle rating; better at boom and zoom than dogfights
  • Compression and wing rip risk at high speed (>925 km/h IAS)
  • Very poor flight performance when stock
  • Has no air brakes for landing; must use take-off flaps to reduce speed

History

In the years following the end of WW2, Great Britain focused their efforts on rebuilding their nation from the devastation caused by the war as the British government didn't consider a new war possible in the following ten years. Under these circumstances, developing new military technology wasn't considered a priority in most cases.

As a result, Great Britain found itself lagging behind in military aviation at the start of the 1950s by the outbreak of the Korean War. This prompted the RAF to hastily look for a new fighter aircraft to put into service, even if it meant taking into consideration an interim design.

One of the designs that sparked the RAF's interest was a new swept-wing aircraft developed by the Supermarine company - the Type 510. Being in essence just a modified Supermarine Attacker, development of this design continued, eventually maturing into the Type 541.

Soon, the Type 541 received the highest development priority and was hastily rushed through testing and into production as the Supermarine Swift. In fact, production was so rushed that it began before necessary design changes could even be applied from the results of the test flights conducted with the Type 541 prototypes.

Nonetheless, the Supermarine Swift F.1 entered service with the RAF in February 1954, followed shortly afterwards by the F.2 variant. However, many of the aircraft's teething problems weren't resolved as a result of being rushed into production. This resulted in a number of accidents happening early on involving the Swift, leading to the aircraft being grounded for a time.

Newer modifications were developed, which addressed most of the known issues. However, it was a case of too little too late for the Swift, as it quickly became replaced by the Hawker Hunter. In the end, just under 200 Supermarine Swifts were produced out of the close to 500 planned aircraft. The Swift was phased out of active service relatively quickly after its introduction, with the last fighter models being withdrawn by the RAF in the mid to late 1950s.

- From Devblog

Media

Skins
Images
  • Swift F1 WTWallpaper 001.jpg
  • Swift F1 WTWallpaper 002.jpg
  • Swift F1 WTWallpaper 003.jpg
  • Swift F1 WTWallpaper 004.jpg
  • Swift F1 WTWallpaper 005.jpg
  • Swift F1 WTWallpaper 006.jpg
  • Swift F1 WTWallpaper 007.jpg
  • Swift F1 WTWallpaper 008.jpg

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

External links


Supermarine
Spitfires 
Merlin engine  Spitfire Mk Ia · Spitfire Mk IIa · Spitfire Mk.IIa Venture I · Spitfire Mk IIb
  Spitfire Mk Vb · Spitfire Mk Vb/trop · Spitfire Mk Vc · Spitfire Mk Vc/trop
  Spitfire F Mk IX · Spitfire F Mk IXc · Spitfire F Mk XVI
  Spitfire LF Mk IX · Plagis' Spitfire LF Mk IXc
Griffon engine  Spitfire F Mk XIVc · Spitfire F Mk XIVe · Prendergast's Spitfire FR Mk XIVe · Spitfire F Mk XVIIIe · Spitfire F Mk 22 · Spitfire F Mk 24
Export  ▄Spitfire Mk Vb/trop · ▃Spitfire LF Mk IXc · ▂Spitfire Mk IXc · Spitfire Mk IXc · Spitfire Mk.IX (CW) · Spitfire LF Mk.IXe Weizman's
Seafires  Seafire LF Mk.III · Seafire F Mk XVII · Seafire FR 47
Export  ▄Seafire LF Mk.III
Jet fighters  Attacker FB 1 · Attacker FB.2 · Scimitar F Mk.1 · Swift F.1 · Swift F.7
Hydroplanes  Walrus Mk.I

Britain jet aircraft
Blackburn  Buccaneer S.1 · Buccaneer S.2 · Buccaneer S.2B
British Aerospace  Harrier GR.7 · Sea Harrier FRS.1 (e) · Sea Harrier FRS.1
British Aircraft Corporation  Strikemaster Mk.88
English Electric  Canberra B Mk 2 · Canberra B (I) Mk 6 · Lightning F.6 · Lightning F.53
Gloster  Meteor F Mk 3 · Sea Meteor F Mk 3 · Meteor F Mk 4 G.41F · Meteor F Mk 4 G.41G · Meteor F Mk 8 G.41K · Meteor F Mk.8 Reaper
  Javelin F.(A.W.) Mk.9
de Havilland  Vampire F.B.5 · Venom FB.4 · Sea Venom FAW 20 · Sea Vixen F.A.W. Mk.2
Hawker  Sea Hawk FGA.6 · Hunter F.1 · Hunter F.6 · Hunter FGA.9 · Harrier GR.1 · Harrier GR.3
Panavia  Tornado GR.1 · Tornado F.3
SEPECAT  Jaguar GR.1 · Jaguar GR.1A · Jaguar IS
Supermarine  Attacker FB 1 · Attacker FB.2 · Scimitar F Mk.1 · Swift F.1 · Swift F.7
Foreign  Phantom FG.1 (USA) · Phantom FGR.2 (USA) · F-4J(UK) Phantom II (USA)
  JAS39C (Sweden)