Difference between revisions of "Swift F.7"

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{{Specs-Card|code=swift_f7}}
 
 
{{About
 
{{About
 
| about = British jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
 
| about = British jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
 
| usage = the other version
 
| usage = the other version
 
| link = Swift F.1
 
| link = Swift F.1
 +
}}
 +
{{Specs-Card
 +
|code=swift_f7
 +
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
 
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
 
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
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[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
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Following the failure of the [[Swift F.1]], a number of upgrades were made, including the installation of afterburn-capable engines, structural modifications, and a longer nose to accommodate cameras and a more powerful radar. The variants culminated in the '''Swift F.7''', notably the first and only Swift to be fitted with guided air-to-air missiles, namely the Fireflash. However, despite having resolved most of the issues plaguing the Swift line, the F.7 never entered service, having been made redundant by the [[Hunter F.1|Hawker Hunter]], and the 14 built aircraft were relegated to training purposes and trialling of the Fireflash.
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{{break}}
 
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]].
 
  
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The {{PAGENAME}} was the last variant in the line of Swift fighters produced by Supermarine Aviation Works. This fighter was one of Britain’s fighters to come out of the early 1950s. Post-war England saw new leadership which made the faulty assumption that for the next ten years or so, no new major conflict would happen and therefore defence spending, research and development on new aircraft was reduced to a trickle, mostly experimental prototypes made for research purposes.
+
Introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]], the Swift F.7 builds upon the characteristics of the preceding F.1 variant, in particular with a new afterburning engine allowing the Swift to accelerate even faster. The beam-riding Fireflashes can also pose a new and unusual threat, as opponents are unlikely to be expecting an air-to-air missile capable of being launched in head-on engagements. The Swift F.7 continues to excel at catching enemies by surprise, and utilising its speed and energy retention to stay out of harm's way. However, it also maintains the F.1's poor manoeuvrability, which can make obtaining shooting solutions and dodging the increasingly common IR-guided missiles difficult without proper speed management.
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The early 1950s saw a change of leadership and Winston Churchill made sweeping changes which amped up research and development churning out Swift fighters as part of that. In the haste to research, develop and produce these fighters, problems crept up in the aircraft which happened so fast, it was difficult to stop the manufacturing process long enough to make the necessary updates, especially problems found during flight trials. These updates when made produced the different Swift variants which lead to the final production of the {{PAGENAME}}. By now a majority of the problems with the aircraft had been ironed out, however, the F.7 never entered active service, instead, the fourteen built acted as training aircraft which taught pilots how to get used to shooting off air-to-air missiles, namely the Firestreak.
 
−
[[File:Swift F7 elitefe24 001.jpg|350px|thumb|left|'''{{PAGENAME}}''' showing effective camouflage for the terrain it is flying in.]]
 
−
Though never seeing combat during its short career, the {{PAGENAME}} has an opportunity to make a name for itself in War Thunder. Not as fancy or bristling with weapons like a Sabre or a MiG, the {{PAGENAME}} has its place in the sky and can dance with the best, and even shoot them down. Armed with two 30 mm ADEN cannons and two Firestreak air-to-air missiles, while maintaining between 700 and 810 kph, this fighter can get the best of even superior aircraft it may go against. Its slower speeds may allow for an overshoot of an enemy aircraft which may place it in front of the Swift’s gun sights or even for the radar beam riding Firestreak, of which the enemy pilot will have no indication it was launched unless they are diligent about watching behind them. In the right hands, the {{PAGENAME}} and its weapons have the ability to humble enemy pilots and their superior aircraft.
 
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
−
[[File:Swift F7 mcchungusbites 001.png|450px|thumb|right|The sleek '''{{PAGENAME}}''' searching for targets.]]  
+
[[File:Swift F7 mcchungusbites 001.png|450px|thumb|right|The sleek {{PAGENAME}} searching for targets.]]
 
=== Flight performance ===
 
=== Flight performance ===
−
<!--''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.''-->
+
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}
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The {{PAGENAME}} is a good fighter which excels in playing the interceptor role, however like the three bears from Goldilocks’ story; this jet has a sweet spot in speed where it does well. Like many jets, this one does not do so well when slow and it becomes an easy target for others to attack. On the other hand, flying too fast causes the controls to lock up, preventing any real manoeuvring at all and, if playing in realistic or simulator battles, ripping off the wing-tips is a very real problem when moving too fast.
+
<!-- ''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.'' -->
−
+
The {{PAGENAME}} is a good fighter which excels in playing the interceptor role; however, like the three bears from Goldilocks' story, this jet has a sweet spot in speed where the controls give maximum performance. Like many jets, this one does not do so well when slow and it becomes an easy target for others to attack. On the other hand, flying too fast causes the controls to lock up, preventing plane from pulling up fast. If playing in realistic or simulator battles, breaking the sound barrier will instantly obliterate the plane, but it's extremely difficult to reach unless intentionally done. Doing "extreme overload" manoeuvre at 700+ km/h while having a weight displacement might also damage the wing and force the pilot to return to the airfield.
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The sweet spot or “just right” speed zone for the {{PAGENAME}} is between 700 kph and 810 kph. Here the jet will have sufficient speed to properly manoeuvre. Diving either to shoot down another aircraft or to get away from someone on your tail can be a challenge as doing so can result in the aircraft superseding the 810 kph threshold (easily going into the mid 900s) and end up a sitting duck unable to maneuver or if close enough to the ground turning into a lawn dart because it could not pull up due to the control surfaces locking up.
 
  
−
Speed management is key to survival - the afterburner can aid with increasing the aircraft’s speed if slow - and with the afterburner the aircraft has a really good climb rate - it can accelerate significantly even in a steep climb. However, slowing down to keep from going too fast is a major problem because this aircraft does not have an air brake and just reducing the throttle will not help very much. Two options are available to reduce speed in this aircraft and the first is to deploy landing flaps. The landing flaps have been reinforced and should not rip when used to slow the aircraft down and can be deployed and retracted as needed. Another option to help bleed off any unnecessary speed is to lift the nose of the aircraft (pull up or back on the control stick). Placing the fighter into a nose-high attitude will help with decreasing speed to a safe zone when the pilot can resume normal flight.  
+
The sweet spot or "just right" speed zone for the {{PAGENAME}} is between 700 km/h and 810 km/h. Here the jet will have enough speed to bleed and will be able to snap onto incoming plane quicker, although flying at 900+ km/h will allow it to climb harder or change directions multiple times. Maintaining a speed close to 1,000 km/h can be a viable strategy, as most aircraft on the enemy team will struggle to keep up with you, while the lockup of the controls will be within a manageable level. Diving either to shoot down another aircraft or to get away from someone on your tail can be a challenge as doing so can result in the aircraft superseding the 810 km/h threshold (easily going into the mid 900s). This aircraft does not have an air brake, instead the take-off flaps have been reinforced and should not rip when used to slow the aircraft down and can be deployed and retracted as needed.
  
−
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+
[[File:Swift F7 elitefe24 001.jpg|350px|thumb|left|The {{PAGENAME}} showing effective camouflage for the terrain it is flying in.]]
 +
The plane does not lose much speed in a straight line due to being a delta-wing (kind of like [[Javelin F.(A.W.) Mk.9]], but less extreme), just reducing the throttle will not affect it very much either. As soon as plane hits 450 km/h speed it keeps itself afloat and can glide around. When taking off from airfield, lifting off at about 320 km/h and keeping plane low at ground level until 450 km/h will ensure its stability and better climb rate later on. Stable nature of plane helps to conserve fuel after going into 900+ km/h in WEP mode, as at 100% the speed will not reduce at level flight. The aircraft also will not care as much if engine was put to 0% to evade IR missiles or for other reasons. The implication is also that even if the pilot foolishly spent all of the fuel, the plane still can glide across entire map back to airfield, if it had enough speed or height left, easily gliding 40 km from 3 km height or even more depending on remaining speed.
 +
 
 +
Speed management is key to survival - the afterburner can aid with increasing the aircraft's speed if slow - and with the afterburner the aircraft has a really good climb rate - it can accelerate significantly even in a steep climb. Due to the fact that engine can sustain afterburner for a good 15 minutes, one can just fly with afterburner on all the time. Unfortunately, afterburner doubles plane heat signature, so if any enemy plane with IR missiles is on the tail, it should not be used.
 +
 
 +
Aircraft can start landing when at 400 km/h. To bleed excess speed, the plane can do some pulls and rolls simultaneously at 0% engine, much like with early propeller planes, but due to the plane's shape it will take longer. After reaching proper speed, landing flaps can deployed to force the plane to finally stop gliding. The wheels of the Swift are very flimsy, so touchdown should only happen at 300 km/h or below, or the wheels will just crush under the plane's weight. In air RB, Swift can intentionally break the wheels to stop faster on plane belly, but there is always a risk of accidentally destroying the plane.
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
 
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
 
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
 
! colspan="2" | Max Speed<br>(km/h at 3,048 m)
 
! colspan="2" | Max Speed<br>(km/h at 3,048 m)
Line 39: Line 42:
 
|-
 
|-
 
! Stock
 
! Stock
−
| 980 || 977 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 26.5 || 27.0 || 15.5 || 11.0 || rowspan="2" | 850
+
| 980 || 977 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 26.5 || 26.9 || 14.8 || 10.1 || rowspan="2" | 850
 
|-
 
|-
 
! Upgraded
 
! Upgraded
−
| ??? || 985 || ??? ||25.0|| ??? || 28.0
+
| 993 || 985 || 24.1 || 25.0 || 42.6 || 28.0
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
==== Details ====
 
==== Details ====
−
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 
|-
 
|-
 
! colspan="6" | Features
 
! colspan="6" | Features
Line 57: Line 60:
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 
|-
 
|-
 
! colspan="7" | Limits
 
! colspan="7" | Limits
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! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
 
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
 
|-
 
|-
−
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 1,060 || 465 || ~9 || ~5
+
| 1,167 <!-- {{Specs|destruction|body}} --> || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 1,035 || 465 || ~9 || ~5
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
Line 89: Line 92:
 
|-
 
|-
 
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
 
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
−
! colspan="2" | Empty mass || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
+
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
 
|-
 
|-
 
| colspan="2" | Rolls-Royce Avon Mk.116 || 1
 
| colspan="2" | Rolls-Royce Avon Mk.116 || 1
−
| colspan="2" | 6,540 kg || colspan="2" | 273 kg/m<sup>2</sup>
+
| colspan="2" | 6,639 kg || colspan="2" | 276 kg/m<sup>2</sup>
 
|-
 
|-
 
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
 
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
−
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff<br />Weight
+
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff<br>Weight
 
|-
 
|-
 
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
 
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
−
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 28m fuel
+
! 7m fuel || 20m fuel || 26m fuel
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 1,000 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
 
| 1,000 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
−
| 7,096 kg || 7,916 kg || 8,463 kg || 9,530 kg
+
| 7,213 kg || 8,089 kg || 8,553 kg || 9,530 kg
 
|-
 
|-
−
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
+
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
 
! colspan="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
 
! colspan="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
 
|-
 
|-
 
! Condition || 100% || WEP
 
! Condition || 100% || WEP
−
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 28m fuel || MTOW
+
! 7m fuel || 20m fuel || 26m fuel || MTOW
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''Stationary'' || 3,126 kgf || 4,501 kgf
 
| ''Stationary'' || 3,126 kgf || 4,501 kgf
−
| 0.63 || 0.57 || 0.53 || 0.47
+
| 0.62 || 0.56 || 0.53 || 0.47
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''Optimal'' || 3,126 kgf<br />(0 km/h) || 4,501 kgf<br />(0 km/h)
+
| ''Optimal'' || 3,158 kgf<br>(1,167 km/h) || 4,548 kgf<br>(1,167 km/h)
−
| 0.63 || 0.57 || 0.53 || 0.47
+
| 0.63 || 0.56 || 0.53 || 0.48
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
−
<!--''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.''-->
+
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}
 +
<!-- ''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.'' -->
  
 
;Armour
 
;Armour
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* 50 mm bulletproof glass in canopy windscreen
 
* 50 mm bulletproof glass in canopy windscreen
  
−
The simple armour setup on this fighter affords protection to the pilot, via the front windscreen having 50 mm bulletproof glass to help protect against head-on attacks. Behind the pilot's seat is a 12.7 mm steel plate which is in place to provide protection for the pilot if their aircraft is shot from behind. The fuel tanks and the engine should take most of the brunt of an attack from behind, but in the event, something gets through the steel plate is meant to be the last line of protection.  
+
The simple armour setup on this fighter affords protection to the pilot, via the front windscreen having 50 mm bulletproof glass to help protect against head-on attacks. Behind the pilot's seat is a 12.7 mm steel plate which is in place to provide protection for the pilot if their aircraft is shot from behind. The fuel tanks and the engine should take most of the brunt of an attack from behind, but in the event, something gets through the steel plate is meant to be the last line of protection.
 +
 
 +
If the aircraft takes some damage to the wing's root, it will lose control and fall. Most of other damage can be sustained without immediately crashing, the plane will often not even notice if half of its tail is gone.
 +
 
 +
=== Modifications and economy ===
 +
{{Specs-Economy}}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 +
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
 
[[File:Swift F7 elitefe24 002.jpg |450px|thumb|right|]]
 
[[File:Swift F7 elitefe24 002.jpg |450px|thumb|right|]]
 
=== Offensive armament ===
 
=== Offensive armament ===
 +
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}
 
<!-- ''Describe the offensive armament of the aircraft, if any. Describe how effective the cannons and machine guns are in a battle, and also what belts or drums are better to use. If there is no offensive weaponry, delete this subsection.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the offensive armament of the aircraft, if any. Describe how effective the cannons and machine guns are in a battle, and also what belts or drums are better to use. If there is no offensive weaponry, delete this subsection.'' -->
 
{{main|ADEN (30 mm)}}
 
{{main|ADEN (30 mm)}}
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The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:
 
The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:
  
−
* 2 x 30 mm ADEN cannons, nose-mounted at right side (135 + 185 = 320 total)
+
* 2 x 30 mm ADEN cannons, belly-mounted at right side (135 + 185 = 320 total)
 +
 
 +
This aircraft has been outfitted with two 30 mm ADEN autocannons. Though they are mounted on the fuselage resulting in not having to configure for convergence the pilot will need to account for both autocannons being mounted on the right side of the aircraft fuselage near the right air intake. Pilots which are used to having balanced machine guns or autocannons (equal amounts on both left and right side) will need to slightly adjust their aim to ensure the bullets don't miss just to the side of where they would normally aim. The ADEN cannons when they do hit their mark usually result in a critical hit or a destroyed aircraft with wings flying in one direction and tail sections going in another.
 +
 
 +
As with Swift F1, the plane is allowed to have pure HE-I belt (air targets belt), making any critical hit that much worse for the enemy.
  
−
This aircraft has been outfitted with two 30 mm ADEN autocannons. Though they are mounted on the fuselage resulting in not having to configure for convergence the pilot will need to account for both autocannons being mounted on the right side of the aircraft fuselage near the right air intake. Pilots which are used to having balanced machine guns or autocannons (equal amounts on both left and right side) will need to slightly adjust their aim to ensure the bullets don’t miss just to the side of where they would normally aim. The ADEN cannons when they do hit their mark usually result in a critical hit or a destroyed aircraft with wings flying in one direction and tail sections going in another.  
+
When the gun has no set distance and the plane is flying straight, the moving scope in cockpit is demonstrating where the shells will go at about 700 m mark. To hit a plane that is further than that it is necessary to aim that above them. Do remember that this is not a true aim assist and is merely a suggestion.
  
−
=== Suspended armaments ===
+
=== Suspended armament ===
−
<!--Describe the aircraft's suspended armament: additional cannons under the wings, bombs, rockets and torpedoes. This section is especially important for bombers and attackers. If there is no suspended weaponry remove this subsection.-->
+
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}
 +
<!-- ''Describe the aircraft's suspended armament: additional cannons under the wings, bombs, rockets and torpedoes. This section is especially important for bombers and attackers. If there is no suspended weaponry remove this subsection.'' -->
 
{{main|Fireflash}}
 
{{main|Fireflash}}
  
 
The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
 
The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
  
−
2 x Fireflash air-to-air missiles
+
* Without load
 +
* 2 x Fireflash missiles
 +
 
 +
The Fireflash missile was the first air-to-air guided missile put into service with the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force. Built by Fairey Aviation, the same company who built the [[Swordfish Mk I|Swordfish]], this missile utilised radar beam riding guidance to get the missile onto a target. Though not as simple to use as other missiles found in-game, it can be a surprise to enemy fighters: they are usually not expecting head-on attacks and it will result in them having to go back and watching replays in disbelief to see what took them out.
 +
 
 +
The odd-looking missile consists of a central dart attached to two boosters. The boosters spin-stabilize the missile in flight and propel the missile to speeds upwards of Mach 2. 1.5 seconds after launch, with fuel spent, the boosters separate and the missile would coast the rest of the way to the target, still receiving guidance from the controlling aircraft. Only one can be guided at any time, launching both at once can result in instant self-destruct sequence, potentially obliterating Swift F7 itself.
 +
 
 +
When launched without lock or if the radar is offline, the missile will follow the static middle dot of the scope in cockpit. It is possible to offset the aim away from the dot (default hotkeys ALT+WASD), much like with MCLOS missiles of opponents, but doing this too much is counterproductive, since the scope itself does not move when doing so, providing no visual feedback. When obtaining radar lock, missile will attempt to follow the locked target to the best of its ability and there is no need to fly literally directly at the enemy anymore (though deviating too much might break the lock, so caution is advised). If the lock was still maintained when the missile passes enemy aircraft, it will self-destruct, blowing off half of the enemy plane in process even if they dodge a direct hit. The missile will also detonate if passing extremely close to any aircraft (including allies).
 +
 
 +
The Fireflash is a finicky missile which requires practice and patience, as it has maximum overload of 2G and is basically unable to do a sharp turn or pull. When the missile exceeds its turn limit (does anything more than minimal corrections), it starts to bleed speed at an extreme rate and will not be able to chase the opponent properly. At 2 km height this missile can chase a target at about 2.1 km away and it can go for about 14 seconds (flying 10-12 km in process) before it no longer has the kinetic energy to continue and just explodes. Reasonable minimum range is 0.8-1.4 km when head-on, 0.5 km when fired from behind.
  
−
The Fireflash missile was the first air-to-air guided missile put into service with the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force. Built by Fairey Aviation, the same company who built the [[Swordfish Mk I|Swordfish]], this missile utilised radar beam riding guidance to get the missile onto a target. The odd-looking missile consists of a central dart attached to two boosters. The boosters spin-stabilize the missile in flight and propel the missile to speeds upwards of Mach 2. 1.5 seconds after launch, with fuel spent, the boosters separate and the missile would coast the rest of the way to the target, still receiving guidance from the controlling aircraft.  
+
This missile is best used in short-range encounters such as head-on attacks where the enemy fighter is closing the distance rather than flying away, particularly because there is not that many head-on missiles in early jet era and Swift F7 basically has a monopoly on that kind of missile attack. The best distance to launch is 2 km or closer - although most people will take at least 2 seconds to process "wait, that is a missile being fired", so it will be already too late for them, some will just evade automatically on muscle memory and the missile cannot cut them off very well, at best detonating their engine or missing entirely. In such situation it is necessary to either assist it with the cannons or just give up and move onto the next target. With high level of skill and attention, Fireflashes can be used to shut down some chasing aircraft (about 4-5 km away) if plane can turn onto enemy fast enough then launch one at near point-blank ranges, hoping that radar obtains the lock in time or it just hits them into cockpit.
  
−
This missile has an effective range of about 4 km (2.4 mi) before it no longer has the kinetic energy to continue. This missile is best used in short-range encounters such as head-on attacks where the enemy fighter is closing the distance rather than flying away. This missile can be used during tail chases as long as you maintain close distance and can keep the radar on the enemy long enough for the missile to acquire its target. The Fireflash is a finicky missile which requires practice and patience, though not as simple to use as other missiles found in-game, it can be a surprise to enemy fighters they are not expecting resulting in them having to go back and watching replays in unbelief to see what took them out. Having only two of these missiles to rely on will require the pilot to exercise restraint and not launch one if the chances of a hit are marginal and instead maybe turn to the 30 mm cannons instead in that instance.
+
This missile can also be used during tail chases as long as the radar lock is kept on the enemy long enough for the missile to reach its target and they seem to not pay attention (not likely after firing the cannon). This also works when hitting targets when they just got out of a climb, or simply hesitate between pulling up or dropping down, but the window for such attack is very narrow.
  
−
{{Notice|Unlike heat-seeking missiles, beam riding missiles will not trigger a missile launch warning for the enemy player.}}
+
Having only two of these missiles to rely on will require the pilot to exercise restraint and not launch one if the chances of a hit are marginal and instead maybe turn to the 30 mm cannons instead in that instance.
 +
 
 +
{{Notice|Unlike heat-seeking missiles, beam riding missiles will not trigger a missile launch warning for the enemy player, nor will it care about flares that they use. However, in a tail chase scenario chaff can fool the onboard radar and make it detonate the missile prematurely.}}
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
−
''Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
+
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
−
[[File:Swift F7 elitefe24 003.jpg |450px|thumb|right|]]
+
[[File:Swift F7 elitefe24 003.jpg|450px|thumb|right|]]
−
=== Modules ===
+
The Swift F.7 is played similar to the [[Hunter F.1|Hunter]] as more of a Boom and Zoom aircraft, though it retains dogfighting capability. The aircraft has a sweet spot for its manoeuvrability around 600-800 km/h. Above those speeds, sustaining a hard turn (or alternatively turning and rolling simultaneously) can result in a ripped wing. It is generally advised to keep some altitude with the aircraft. The missiles are SACLOS-guided and can be useful in head-on. The vehicle has an afterburner which results in higher acceleration than most jets that you will face, though opponents such as the [[Shenyang F-5]] and [[AV-8A]] Harrier are capable of accelerating faster. It is recommended to use either 20 minutes of fuel or full tank as 7 minutes does not allow for prolonged use of the afterburner, nor does it allow for loitering.
−
{| class="wikitable"
+
 
−
! Tier
+
The Swift F.7 is capable of maintaining a 960 km/h climb at a pitch of 15°, allowing it to achieve altitude of 4 to 5 km easily while maintaining a high speed and catching climbing opponents off-guard. It performs excellently in the support role, where it can Boom and Zoom pre-occupied enemies or maintain a very high speed of over 1,000 km/h in level flight, making gentle turns and passes on opponents who are pre-occupied and being put into vulnerable positions by allied aircraft.
−
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
+
 
−
! Survivability
+
Alternatively the Swift F.7 can be played more aggressively, making use of its energy retention and high thrust-to-weight to engage and wear down enemy fighters. Its take-off flaps can be used as air brakes due to their high rip speed and allow it to manoeuvre at high angles of attack, helping to get guns on target in one-on-one engagements at lower speeds, though it is not recommended to use them excessively nor rate fight due to the speed that will be bled. It is important to note that usage of the take-off flaps at over ~850 km/h will counter-intuitively reduce the turning rate of the aircraft, so they should not be used to manoeuvre on target in high speed dives and passes.
−
! Weaponry
+
 
−
|-
+
When in a compromised position against a more manoeuvrable aircraft the priority should be to gain separation with the enemy. This can be done against most opponents by accelerating to high speeds using the afterburner, as you can maintain a higher speed in level flight than most aircraft you will face - the Swift F.7 is capable of reaching 1,100 km/h in level flight at sea level while making use of the afterburner. Once separation has been achieved you can make use of your higher energy state and speed to gain some altitude and re-engage on your terms.
−
| I
+
 
−
| Fuselage repair
+
'''Enemies worth noting:'''
−
|
+
 
−
|
+
[[MiG-21S (R-13-300)]] - This premium Soviet plane has radar missiles (can do a head-on attack just like you, but from further ranges) and IR missiles. It flies much, much faster than the Swift F.7, so chasing it is often pointless. It usually hangs above at 6-7 km height, so you can easily spot it by the white trail of its engine exhaust. Best you can do is bait it down and then try to exploit any of its mistakes. Taking it head-on is a really good way to get destroyed as the radar missiles can pull more Gs than the Fireflash and will not miss.
−
| Offensive 30 mm
+
 
−
|-
+
[[F-104]] - Not nearly as deadly as the MiG-21, but have an extremely annoying habit of getting behind you and then dumping IR missiles in your back when you aren't paying attention and flying with afterburner on. Climbing into their face with the most provoking behaviour (using smoke trails, going straight at them, etc) will often entice them into head-on, where you can just blast them with the Fireflash, as they don't seem to be able to leave a committed dive in time. If they know better and avoid fighting you, you just have to deal with it and keep in mind that something can dive on you at any minute.
−
| II
+
 
−
| New boosters
+
[[S.O.4050 Vautour IIN (late)]] - Vautours are usually an easy plane to get rid of, but there is a specific interceptor model that can fire radar missiles. Unfortunately, it is difficult to tell which one it is exactly from just looking at it, but if a bomber for some reason looks unafraid of you and rather turns onto you instead of running away or going straight for the base, you might want to prepare to dodge instead of just going head-on.
−
| Compressor
+
 
−
| Airframe
+
[[G.91 R/4]] and similar planes - Although these planes are rather slow and may seem kind of as a joke to the Swift F.7, they can have rear-aspect IR missiles which can be heated up instantly. Be mindful where you are flying, because when fighting something else, you might expose yourself to an entire wing of these planes which will not hesitate to unload half of their missiles into your back. Cutting engine to 0% and dodging does work, but this will bring you down to their level, so it's better to avoid this situation to begin with.
−
|
+
 
 +
===Radars===
 +
<!--{{main|AN/APG-30}}-->
 +
The Swift F.7 is equipped with an AN/APG-30 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. In RB, it simply guides the Fireflashes.
 +
 
 +
The radar is rather vulnerable to the ground clutter and might refuse to lock onto targets until they are way too close at low altitudes. When the radar is blinded, Fireflash should be launched and guided manually if situation demands it.
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
! colspan="4" | AN/APG-30 - Rangefinding radar
 
|-
 
|-
−
| III
+
! {{Annotation|Maximum<br>Tracking<br>Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
−
| Wings repair
+
! {{Annotation|Minimum<br>Tracking<br>Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
−
| Engine
+
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking<br>Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
−
|
+
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking<br>Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
−
| New 30 mm cannons
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| IV
+
| 2,750 m || 300 m || ±9° || ±9°
−
| G-suit
 
−
|
 
−
| Cover
 
−
|
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
−
<!--''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''-->
+
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
−
* Excellent climb rate with afterburner
+
* Superb flight performance thanks to the afterburner; retains energy very well in turns
−
* Access to excellent Fireflash short-range beam guided missiles
+
* Access to excellent [[Fireflash]] short-range beam-guided air-to-air missiles, that also work against light tanks and helicopters in Ground Realistic Battles
−
* Fireflash missiles work against tanks in ground attack scenarios
+
* Equipped with two powerful 30 mm ADEN autocannons
−
* Two powerful 30 mm ADEN autocannons
+
* Fireflash can be considered as all-aspect missiles; unfazed by flares and equipped with a proximity fuse
−
* Can use slower speed to advantage forcing overshoots (allowing for autocannon or missile attack)
+
* Flaps and wings have a very high rip speed limit
 +
* Can withstand some damage from 7.62 mm and .50 cal rounds
 +
* Afterburner takes about 8-15 minutes of continuous use to cause engine overheating
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
−
* No dedicated air brake, must use landing flaps or pull up to bleed speed
+
* No dedicated airbrake, must use take-off flaps as an airbrake at high speeds
−
* Severe control surface locking above 820 kph
+
* Both autocannons are on the right side of the aircraft fuselage, requires slight adjustment when aiming
−
* Wingtips will break around 800 kph when turning high G in realistic or simulator battles
+
* Fireflash missiles have to be manually guided when there is no radar lock; 2 Gs overload limits the performance
−
* Both autocannons are on right side of the aircraft fuselage, requires slight adjustment when aiming
+
* Poor manoeuvrability at high speeds (> 950 km/h) and high risk of ripping wings while pulling extreme Gs
−
* Slower than many contemporary fighters
+
* Less ammunition for 30 mm ADEN than the F.1 variant; requires trigger discipline
−
* Terrible performance at high speed
 
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
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== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
<!--''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''-->
+
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 +
 
 +
;Skins
 +
 
 +
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=swift_f7 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
  
 
;Images
 
;Images
−
<div><ul>
+
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="150">
−
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Swift F7 WTWallpaper 001.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
+
Image:Swift F7 WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
−
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Swift F7 WTWallpaper 002.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
+
Image:Swift F7 WTWallpaper 002.jpg|
−
</ul></div>
+
</gallery>
  
 
;Videos
 
;Videos
−
{{Youtube-gallery|PoLoEYfa4ec|'''Quick Look - Supermarine Swift F7''' - ''WhooptieDo''|kLUvhT1l14w|'''Is The Supermarine Swift F.7 Worth your time?''' - ''DEFYN''|9AxBBRIYdEE|'''SWIFT F1/F7 Montage - War Thunder''' - ''Professional Thunder''|bBeNjjWfoyQ|'''The Fireflashes Are The Most Fun You'll Have With Missiles''' - ''Spit_flyer''|3-vKO2Chypc|'''The BEST Fireflash Kills You'll Ever Watch｜Swift F.7''' - ''CaSama''}}
+
{{Youtube-gallery|bBeNjjWfoyQ|'''The Fireflashes Are The Most Fun You'll Have With Missiles''' - ''Spit_flyer''|kLUvhT1l14w|'''Is The Supermarine Swift F.7 Worth your time?''' - ''DEFYN''}}
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
Line 244: Line 280:
 
;Related development
 
;Related development
  
−
* Supermarine [[Swift F.1]]
+
* Supermarine [[Attacker FB 1]]
−
* Supermarine [[Attacker FB 1|Attacker]]
+
* Supermarine [[Attacker FB.2]]
  
 
;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
 
;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
  
−
* North American [[F-86 (Family)| F-86]] Sabre
+
* North American [[F-86 (Family)|F-86]] Sabre
 
* Dassault [[M.D.450B Ouragan]]
 
* Dassault [[M.D.450B Ouragan]]
 
* de Havilland [[Venom FB.4|Venom]]
 
* de Havilland [[Venom FB.4|Venom]]
−
* Grumman [[F9F (Family)|F9F]] Cougar
+
* Grumman [[F9F (Family)|F9F Cougar]]
−
* Hawker [[Hunter F.1|Hunter]]
+
* Hawker [[Hunter (Family)|Hunter]]
 
* Mikoyan-Gurevich [[MiG-17 (Family)|MiG-17]]
 
* Mikoyan-Gurevich [[MiG-17 (Family)|MiG-17]]
 
* Saab [[J29D]] Tunnan
 
* Saab [[J29D]] Tunnan
Line 260: Line 296:
 
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
−
* ''encyclopedia page on the aircraft;''
 
 
* ''other literature.'' -->
 
* ''other literature.'' -->
  
 
* [[wt:en/news/6342-development-supermarine-swift-banking-on-success-en|[Development<nowiki>]</nowiki> Supermarine Swift: Banking on Success]]
 
* [[wt:en/news/6342-development-supermarine-swift-banking-on-success-en|[Development<nowiki>]</nowiki> Supermarine Swift: Banking on Success]]
 +
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/463997-swift-f7/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]
  
 
{{AirManufacturer Supermarine}}
 
{{AirManufacturer Supermarine}}
 
{{Britain jet aircraft}}
 
{{Britain jet aircraft}}

Latest revision as of 13:59, 16 June 2024

RANK 5 FRANCE
Somua SM PACK
This page is about the British jet fighter Swift F.7. For the other version, see Swift F.1.
Swift F.7
swift_f7.png
GarageImage Swift F.7.jpg
Swift F.7
Britain flag.png Britain
V Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
8.7 8.7 8.7
Class:
Research:120 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:340 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

Following the failure of the Swift F.1, a number of upgrades were made, including the installation of afterburn-capable engines, structural modifications, and a longer nose to accommodate cameras and a more powerful radar. The variants culminated in the Swift F.7, notably the first and only Swift to be fitted with guided air-to-air missiles, namely the Fireflash. However, despite having resolved most of the issues plaguing the Swift line, the F.7 never entered service, having been made redundant by the Hawker Hunter, and the 14 built aircraft were relegated to training purposes and trialling of the Fireflash.

Introduced in Update 1.91 "Night Vision", the Swift F.7 builds upon the characteristics of the preceding F.1 variant, in particular with a new afterburning engine allowing the Swift to accelerate even faster. The beam-riding Fireflashes can also pose a new and unusual threat, as opponents are unlikely to be expecting an air-to-air missile capable of being launched in head-on engagements. The Swift F.7 continues to excel at catching enemies by surprise, and utilising its speed and energy retention to stay out of harm's way. However, it also maintains the F.1's poor manoeuvrability, which can make obtaining shooting solutions and dodging the increasingly common IR-guided missiles difficult without proper speed management.

General info

The sleek Swift F.7 searching for targets.

Flight performance

Max speed
at 3 048 m985 km/h
Turn time25 s
Max altitude12 192 m
EngineRolls-Royce Avon Mk.116
Type
Cooling systemAir
Take-off weight10 t

The Swift F.7 is a good fighter which excels in playing the interceptor role; however, like the three bears from Goldilocks' story, this jet has a sweet spot in speed where the controls give maximum performance. Like many jets, this one does not do so well when slow and it becomes an easy target for others to attack. On the other hand, flying too fast causes the controls to lock up, preventing plane from pulling up fast. If playing in realistic or simulator battles, breaking the sound barrier will instantly obliterate the plane, but it's extremely difficult to reach unless intentionally done. Doing "extreme overload" manoeuvre at 700+ km/h while having a weight displacement might also damage the wing and force the pilot to return to the airfield.

The sweet spot or "just right" speed zone for the Swift F.7 is between 700 km/h and 810 km/h. Here the jet will have enough speed to bleed and will be able to snap onto incoming plane quicker, although flying at 900+ km/h will allow it to climb harder or change directions multiple times. Maintaining a speed close to 1,000 km/h can be a viable strategy, as most aircraft on the enemy team will struggle to keep up with you, while the lockup of the controls will be within a manageable level. Diving either to shoot down another aircraft or to get away from someone on your tail can be a challenge as doing so can result in the aircraft superseding the 810 km/h threshold (easily going into the mid 900s). This aircraft does not have an air brake, instead the take-off flaps have been reinforced and should not rip when used to slow the aircraft down and can be deployed and retracted as needed.

The Swift F.7 showing effective camouflage for the terrain it is flying in.

The plane does not lose much speed in a straight line due to being a delta-wing (kind of like Javelin F.(A.W.) Mk.9, but less extreme), just reducing the throttle will not affect it very much either. As soon as plane hits 450 km/h speed it keeps itself afloat and can glide around. When taking off from airfield, lifting off at about 320 km/h and keeping plane low at ground level until 450 km/h will ensure its stability and better climb rate later on. Stable nature of plane helps to conserve fuel after going into 900+ km/h in WEP mode, as at 100% the speed will not reduce at level flight. The aircraft also will not care as much if engine was put to 0% to evade IR missiles or for other reasons. The implication is also that even if the pilot foolishly spent all of the fuel, the plane still can glide across entire map back to airfield, if it had enough speed or height left, easily gliding 40 km from 3 km height or even more depending on remaining speed.

Speed management is key to survival - the afterburner can aid with increasing the aircraft's speed if slow - and with the afterburner the aircraft has a really good climb rate - it can accelerate significantly even in a steep climb. Due to the fact that engine can sustain afterburner for a good 15 minutes, one can just fly with afterburner on all the time. Unfortunately, afterburner doubles plane heat signature, so if any enemy plane with IR missiles is on the tail, it should not be used.

Aircraft can start landing when at 400 km/h. To bleed excess speed, the plane can do some pulls and rolls simultaneously at 0% engine, much like with early propeller planes, but due to the plane's shape it will take longer. After reaching proper speed, landing flaps can deployed to force the plane to finally stop gliding. The wheels of the Swift are very flimsy, so touchdown should only happen at 300 km/h or below, or the wheels will just crush under the plane's weight. In air RB, Swift can intentionally break the wheels to stop faster on plane belly, but there is always a risk of accidentally destroying the plane.

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 980 977 12192 26.5 26.9 14.8 10.1 850
Upgraded 993 985 24.1 25.0 42.6 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 + -
1,167 435 N/A 1,035 465 ~9 ~5
Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons Rudder Elevators Radiator
< 850 < 600 < 600 N/A

Engine performance

Engine Aircraft mass
Engine name Number Basic mass Wing loading (full fuel)
Rolls-Royce Avon Mk.116 1 6,639 kg 276 kg/m2
Engine characteristics Mass with fuel (no weapons load) Max Takeoff
Weight
Weight (each) Type 7m fuel 20m fuel 26m fuel
1,000 kg Afterburning axial-flow turbojet 7,213 kg 8,089 kg 8,553 kg 9,530 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
Condition 100% WEP 7m fuel 20m fuel 26m fuel MTOW
Stationary 3,126 kgf 4,501 kgf 0.62 0.56 0.53 0.47
Optimal 3,158 kgf
(1,167 km/h) 		4,548 kgf
(1,167 km/h) 		0.63 0.56 0.53 0.48

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person
Speed of destruction
Structural0 km/h
Gear435 km/h
Armour
  • 12.7 mm steel plate behind pilot's seat
  • 50 mm bulletproof glass in canopy windscreen

The simple armour setup on this fighter affords protection to the pilot, via the front windscreen having 50 mm bulletproof glass to help protect against head-on attacks. Behind the pilot's seat is a 12.7 mm steel plate which is in place to provide protection for the pilot if their aircraft is shot from behind. The fuel tanks and the engine should take most of the brunt of an attack from behind, but in the event, something gets through the steel plate is meant to be the last line of protection.

If the aircraft takes some damage to the wing's root, it will lose control and fall. Most of other damage can be sustained without immediately crashing, the plane will often not even notice if half of its tail is gone.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB2 915 → 4 270 Sl icon.png
RB8 330 → 12 203 Sl icon.png
SB9 504 → 13 923 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications101 300 Rp icon.png
164 400 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 200 Ge icon.png
Crew training98 000 Sl icon.png
Experts340 000 Sl icon.png
Aces1 800 Ge icon.png
Research Aces780 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
120 / 380 / 600 % Sl icon.png
202 / 202 / 202 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Flight performance Survivability Weaponry
Mods aerodinamic fuse.png
Fuselage repair
Research:
10 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
16 000 Sl icon.png
410 Ge icon.png
Mods booster.png
New boosters
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 100 Sl icon.png
230 Ge icon.png
Mods jet compressor.png
Compressor
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 100 Sl icon.png
230 Ge icon.png
Mods aerodinamic wing.png
Wings repair
Research:
8 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
350 Ge icon.png
Mods jet engine.png
Engine
Research:
8 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
350 Ge icon.png
Mods g suit.png
G-suit
Research:
11 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
18 000 Sl icon.png
450 Ge icon.png
Mods armor frame.png
Airframe
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 100 Sl icon.png
230 Ge icon.png
Mods jet engine extinguisher.png
EFS
Research:
11 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
18 000 Sl icon.png
450 Ge icon.png
Mods armor cover.png
Cover
Research:
11 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
18 000 Sl icon.png
450 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
aden_belt_pack
Research:
10 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
16 000 Sl icon.png
410 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 1.png
Mods air to air missile.png
Fireflash
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 100 Sl icon.png
230 Ge icon.png
Mods weapon.png
aden_new_gun
Research:
8 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
350 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Swift F7 elitefe24 002.jpg

Offensive armament

Weapon 12 x 30 mm ADEN cannon
Ammunition320 rounds
Fire rate1 200 shots/min
Main article: ADEN (30 mm)

The Swift F.7 is armed with:

  • 2 x 30 mm ADEN cannons, belly-mounted at right side (135 + 185 = 320 total)

This aircraft has been outfitted with two 30 mm ADEN autocannons. Though they are mounted on the fuselage resulting in not having to configure for convergence the pilot will need to account for both autocannons being mounted on the right side of the aircraft fuselage near the right air intake. Pilots which are used to having balanced machine guns or autocannons (equal amounts on both left and right side) will need to slightly adjust their aim to ensure the bullets don't miss just to the side of where they would normally aim. The ADEN cannons when they do hit their mark usually result in a critical hit or a destroyed aircraft with wings flying in one direction and tail sections going in another.

As with Swift F1, the plane is allowed to have pure HE-I belt (air targets belt), making any critical hit that much worse for the enemy.

When the gun has no set distance and the plane is flying straight, the moving scope in cockpit is demonstrating where the shells will go at about 700 m mark. To hit a plane that is further than that it is necessary to aim that above them. Do remember that this is not a true aim assist and is merely a suggestion.

Suspended armament

List of setups (1)
Setup 12 x Fireflash air-to-air missiles
Main article: Fireflash

The Swift F.7 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

  • Without load
  • 2 x Fireflash missiles

The Fireflash missile was the first air-to-air guided missile put into service with the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force. Built by Fairey Aviation, the same company who built the Swordfish, this missile utilised radar beam riding guidance to get the missile onto a target. Though not as simple to use as other missiles found in-game, it can be a surprise to enemy fighters: they are usually not expecting head-on attacks and it will result in them having to go back and watching replays in disbelief to see what took them out.

The odd-looking missile consists of a central dart attached to two boosters. The boosters spin-stabilize the missile in flight and propel the missile to speeds upwards of Mach 2. 1.5 seconds after launch, with fuel spent, the boosters separate and the missile would coast the rest of the way to the target, still receiving guidance from the controlling aircraft. Only one can be guided at any time, launching both at once can result in instant self-destruct sequence, potentially obliterating Swift F7 itself.

When launched without lock or if the radar is offline, the missile will follow the static middle dot of the scope in cockpit. It is possible to offset the aim away from the dot (default hotkeys ALT+WASD), much like with MCLOS missiles of opponents, but doing this too much is counterproductive, since the scope itself does not move when doing so, providing no visual feedback. When obtaining radar lock, missile will attempt to follow the locked target to the best of its ability and there is no need to fly literally directly at the enemy anymore (though deviating too much might break the lock, so caution is advised). If the lock was still maintained when the missile passes enemy aircraft, it will self-destruct, blowing off half of the enemy plane in process even if they dodge a direct hit. The missile will also detonate if passing extremely close to any aircraft (including allies).

The Fireflash is a finicky missile which requires practice and patience, as it has maximum overload of 2G and is basically unable to do a sharp turn or pull. When the missile exceeds its turn limit (does anything more than minimal corrections), it starts to bleed speed at an extreme rate and will not be able to chase the opponent properly. At 2 km height this missile can chase a target at about 2.1 km away and it can go for about 14 seconds (flying 10-12 km in process) before it no longer has the kinetic energy to continue and just explodes. Reasonable minimum range is 0.8-1.4 km when head-on, 0.5 km when fired from behind.

This missile is best used in short-range encounters such as head-on attacks where the enemy fighter is closing the distance rather than flying away, particularly because there is not that many head-on missiles in early jet era and Swift F7 basically has a monopoly on that kind of missile attack. The best distance to launch is 2 km or closer - although most people will take at least 2 seconds to process "wait, that is a missile being fired", so it will be already too late for them, some will just evade automatically on muscle memory and the missile cannot cut them off very well, at best detonating their engine or missing entirely. In such situation it is necessary to either assist it with the cannons or just give up and move onto the next target. With high level of skill and attention, Fireflashes can be used to shut down some chasing aircraft (about 4-5 km away) if plane can turn onto enemy fast enough then launch one at near point-blank ranges, hoping that radar obtains the lock in time or it just hits them into cockpit.

This missile can also be used during tail chases as long as the radar lock is kept on the enemy long enough for the missile to reach its target and they seem to not pay attention (not likely after firing the cannon). This also works when hitting targets when they just got out of a climb, or simply hesitate between pulling up or dropping down, but the window for such attack is very narrow.

Having only two of these missiles to rely on will require the pilot to exercise restraint and not launch one if the chances of a hit are marginal and instead maybe turn to the 30 mm cannons instead in that instance.

Msg-info.png Unlike heat-seeking missiles, beam riding missiles will not trigger a missile launch warning for the enemy player, nor will it care about flares that they use. However, in a tail chase scenario chaff can fool the onboard radar and make it detonate the missile prematurely.

Usage in battles

Swift F7 elitefe24 003.jpg

The Swift F.7 is played similar to the Hunter as more of a Boom and Zoom aircraft, though it retains dogfighting capability. The aircraft has a sweet spot for its manoeuvrability around 600-800 km/h. Above those speeds, sustaining a hard turn (or alternatively turning and rolling simultaneously) can result in a ripped wing. It is generally advised to keep some altitude with the aircraft. The missiles are SACLOS-guided and can be useful in head-on. The vehicle has an afterburner which results in higher acceleration than most jets that you will face, though opponents such as the Shenyang F-5 and AV-8A Harrier are capable of accelerating faster. It is recommended to use either 20 minutes of fuel or full tank as 7 minutes does not allow for prolonged use of the afterburner, nor does it allow for loitering.

The Swift F.7 is capable of maintaining a 960 km/h climb at a pitch of 15°, allowing it to achieve altitude of 4 to 5 km easily while maintaining a high speed and catching climbing opponents off-guard. It performs excellently in the support role, where it can Boom and Zoom pre-occupied enemies or maintain a very high speed of over 1,000 km/h in level flight, making gentle turns and passes on opponents who are pre-occupied and being put into vulnerable positions by allied aircraft.

Alternatively the Swift F.7 can be played more aggressively, making use of its energy retention and high thrust-to-weight to engage and wear down enemy fighters. Its take-off flaps can be used as air brakes due to their high rip speed and allow it to manoeuvre at high angles of attack, helping to get guns on target in one-on-one engagements at lower speeds, though it is not recommended to use them excessively nor rate fight due to the speed that will be bled. It is important to note that usage of the take-off flaps at over ~850 km/h will counter-intuitively reduce the turning rate of the aircraft, so they should not be used to manoeuvre on target in high speed dives and passes.

When in a compromised position against a more manoeuvrable aircraft the priority should be to gain separation with the enemy. This can be done against most opponents by accelerating to high speeds using the afterburner, as you can maintain a higher speed in level flight than most aircraft you will face - the Swift F.7 is capable of reaching 1,100 km/h in level flight at sea level while making use of the afterburner. Once separation has been achieved you can make use of your higher energy state and speed to gain some altitude and re-engage on your terms.

Enemies worth noting:

MiG-21S (R-13-300) - This premium Soviet plane has radar missiles (can do a head-on attack just like you, but from further ranges) and IR missiles. It flies much, much faster than the Swift F.7, so chasing it is often pointless. It usually hangs above at 6-7 km height, so you can easily spot it by the white trail of its engine exhaust. Best you can do is bait it down and then try to exploit any of its mistakes. Taking it head-on is a really good way to get destroyed as the radar missiles can pull more Gs than the Fireflash and will not miss.

F-104 - Not nearly as deadly as the MiG-21, but have an extremely annoying habit of getting behind you and then dumping IR missiles in your back when you aren't paying attention and flying with afterburner on. Climbing into their face with the most provoking behaviour (using smoke trails, going straight at them, etc) will often entice them into head-on, where you can just blast them with the Fireflash, as they don't seem to be able to leave a committed dive in time. If they know better and avoid fighting you, you just have to deal with it and keep in mind that something can dive on you at any minute.

S.O.4050 Vautour IIN (late) - Vautours are usually an easy plane to get rid of, but there is a specific interceptor model that can fire radar missiles. Unfortunately, it is difficult to tell which one it is exactly from just looking at it, but if a bomber for some reason looks unafraid of you and rather turns onto you instead of running away or going straight for the base, you might want to prepare to dodge instead of just going head-on.

G.91 R/4 and similar planes - Although these planes are rather slow and may seem kind of as a joke to the Swift F.7, they can have rear-aspect IR missiles which can be heated up instantly. Be mindful where you are flying, because when fighting something else, you might expose yourself to an entire wing of these planes which will not hesitate to unload half of their missiles into your back. Cutting engine to 0% and dodging does work, but this will bring you down to their level, so it's better to avoid this situation to begin with.

Radars

The Swift F.7 is equipped with an AN/APG-30 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. In RB, it simply guides the Fireflashes.

The radar is rather vulnerable to the ground clutter and might refuse to lock onto targets until they are way too close at low altitudes. When the radar is blinded, Fireflash should be launched and guided manually if situation demands it.

AN/APG-30 - Rangefinding radar
Maximum
Tracking
Range 		Minimum
Tracking
Range 		Azimuth Tracking
Angle 		Elevation Tracking
Angle
2,750 m 300 m ±9° ±9°

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Superb flight performance thanks to the afterburner; retains energy very well in turns
  • Access to excellent Fireflash short-range beam-guided air-to-air missiles, that also work against light tanks and helicopters in Ground Realistic Battles
  • Equipped with two powerful 30 mm ADEN autocannons
  • Fireflash can be considered as all-aspect missiles; unfazed by flares and equipped with a proximity fuse
  • Flaps and wings have a very high rip speed limit
  • Can withstand some damage from 7.62 mm and .50 cal rounds
  • Afterburner takes about 8-15 minutes of continuous use to cause engine overheating

Cons:

  • No dedicated airbrake, must use take-off flaps as an airbrake at high speeds
  • Both autocannons are on the right side of the aircraft fuselage, requires slight adjustment when aiming
  • Fireflash missiles have to be manually guided when there is no radar lock; 2 Gs overload limits the performance
  • Poor manoeuvrability at high speeds (> 950 km/h) and high risk of ripping wings while pulling extreme Gs
  • Less ammunition for 30 mm ADEN than the F.1 variant; requires trigger discipline

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 F7 WTWallpaper 001.jpg
  • Swift F7 WTWallpaper 002.jpg
Videos
The Fireflashes Are The Most Fun You'll Have With Missiles - Spit_flyer
Is The Supermarine Swift F.7 Worth your time? - DEFYN

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) · Weizman's Spitfire LF Mk.IXe · ▄Spitfire FR Mk XIVe
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 · Sea Harrier FA 2
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 GR.4 · Tornado F.3 · Tornado F.3 Late
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)
Australia  F-111C
India  ▄MiG-21 Bison
South Africa  ▄JAS39C

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