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Initially developed as back-up for the Hunter programme, the Swift was the first British jet aircraft with swept wings and a tailplane that could land and take-off from an aircraft carrier. It was also the first jet fighter of that kind that flew in the RAF.
Powered by the Rolls Royce Nene engine, the 510 version made its first flight on the 29th of December 1948, with test pilot Mike Lithgow at the controls.
In August 1951, Handley Page test pilot Duggie Broomfield killed himself in the crash of the 521 version, a reduced scale testbed for the future Victor bomber's wing.
In March 1950, prototype 528 was the first to be modified with a nosewheel undercarriage and a larger and longer fuselage, becoming the 535 version.
Version 541, the type that equipped the RAF, first flew in August 1951, with the Rolls Royce AJ.65 Avon engine, but the first production Swift, the F.1, did not fly before March 1953, as many problems were still to be solved during this period.
The F.2 came with four 30mm cannons instead of two. Unfortunately, dangerous pitch-up tendencies at high speeds followed this modification.
The F.3 reheat equipped version did not solve the problem until F.4 flew in May 1953 with a movable tailplane. Though the F.4's reheat could not be lit at high altitude, Mike Lithgow could break the world speed record with this version, reaching 735 mph in Libya on 26th September 1953.
In 1955, after one year RAF service, all aircrafts were removed from operation, as many accidents had occurred, mainly because of the pitch up problem.
The Swift ended its short career winning a good reputation as a low level reconnaissance aircraft, with the FR.5 (549) and FR.7 radar equipped versions.
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