What with the talk of Spitfires in Burma and the P-40 in Libya I wonder if anybody has any recollection of the Swifts in Australia?. I was reading an article in the July 82 edition of Air International which refers to 6 Swifts that were involved in the Maralinga test of 22 October 1956. Two were assessed as Cat 5 due to the blast and the others were written off as scrap. The article queries whether they were buried or indeed scrapped. I’m not sure I would want an irradiated Swift but does anybody know what happened to them? If this has been raised before could you let me have a reference. What were they doing in Oz anyway?
By: Bager1968 - 20th April 2012 at 02:48
From the second thread linked above:
By: TwinOtter23 - 19th April 2012 at 23:17
That’s more like it – my searching technique requires attention!! 😮
By: paul178 - 19th April 2012 at 21:39
This thread?
By: pagen01 - 19th April 2012 at 20:53
A quick search has thrown up this reference on here http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=20416&highlight=Swift+radiation
But I thought there was another thread as well! :confused:
There was a more recent one I’m sure, but the second post on that thread seems ironic given latest threads here!:D
By: pagen01 - 19th April 2012 at 20:51
Agree with Dave, the Swift was a brand new aircraft built to the latest airframe and engine standards of the day, but was in abundance due to hundreds being ordered and then the RAF not wishing to put them into front-line service.
As the British were using Maralinga for the Op Buffalo weapons tests it made sense to ship the aircraft out for armament proof trials, probably with all manner of other items and support equipment.
By: DaveF68 - 19th April 2012 at 20:13
The Swifts, in spite of not being good at what they were intended to be, were modern airframes, equivalent to those in service. So it would have been worthwhile to see the effects of a nuclear blast on them.
By: ozplane - 19th April 2012 at 19:00
Thanks TO. It seems to confirm the story but not the follow up. I’m still intrigued as to why the UK would ship the Swifts out there. Surely there must have been some scrap airframes nearer at hand in the Far East Air Force perhaps?
By: TwinOtter23 - 19th April 2012 at 18:47
A quick search has thrown up this reference on here http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=20416&highlight=Swift+radiation
But I thought there was another thread as well! :confused:
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April 19, 2012 at 6:32 pm