Supermarine Swift on E-bay

I also read the Jets Monthly article today. Another thing worth mentioning is that Jet Art were quoted as saying it had been very well weatherproofed, and was in remarkable good overall condition given how long it has been outside. That sounds encouraging! I really hope it gets well restored and taken care of from now on.
Is it just me, or would the finished article look fantastic at Hendon next to the Hunter?

Would it be possible for JetArt to post a picture of the cockpit here? Would love to see it 🙂

Its not owned by Jet Art – they are doing the restoration work.

I understand it was an absolute pig to dismantle!

Bruce

The thing that concerns me is that Jet Art price things to sell overseas, does this mean the Swift is going to need an export licence too?

Great to hear it’s gone to jet Art. I’m sure they will do a great job on the restoration 🙂

Quite possibly the last earely Swift afterburner, as neither the RAF or Newark examples have theirs

Thanks for your report: it proves that my speculation – that Jet Art were involved – was correct.

Relevant to this post is this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-15636592 It’s an interview with the former owner of WK275, dated 8 November 2011 and gives a good “up close and personal” look at what state the airframe was in late last year.

From what you say, it look as though WK275 was very well “weatherproofed“: it will need to have been, having been out in the open for 44 years!

The speculation now moves on to: what the new owner plans to do with WK275 in a year or two, once it has been restored?

I hope that it will be made accessible to the public, and it would be great if it were loaned to say, the chaps at Elvington…

As a former resident of Hereford, and one who has watched the sad decline of this aircraft over the years, I am delighted that the future looks rosy for it. I’m amazed that it still has its original engine! Hopefully Jet Art will document its restoration – I’d love to see how it progresses.

Great news, and good to hear that it is still so complete.

To answer my own question, an article was seen in Jets Monthly which confirmed the Swift F Mk.4 WK275 has been bought by a private collector and has been transported to Jet Art Aviation, Selby, North Yorkshire for a full restoration.
On inspection it has been found to be a complete airframe with it’s original engine and jet pipe, also when the cockpit was opened for the first time in nearly forty years again it was found to be complete with all instrumentation and the original ejector seat

In terms of airworthy vintage aircraft 50k is small beer BUT airworthy aircraft tend to appreciate in value if well maintained and we are talking about an aircraft which has no prospect of being flown. I am extremely sceptical that there is anyone out there willing to lay out 50k for a neglected static example of a jet which is hardly an icon to the average member of the public.
True it is worth what someone is prepared to pay for it and in the present economic climate I doubt anyone will want to lay out anything close to 50k particularly with a large transport bill and significant restoration costs to make her presentable again. I also have my doubts that static airframes appreciate greatly in value and I would be very surprised if this one could be sold on after restoration for anything near the restoration costs.
My own opinion is that she isn’t worth a great deal more than scrap value although I am not sure exactly what she would realise as scrap. Others here who are far more knowledgable about values than me have said maybe £10 to £12,000 is a fair price which seems quite reasonable to me.
I have a car to restore which when finished will, if I am lucky, be worth around the cost of restoration but I took it on because I really wanted the car and the chances of getting another are slim. If the Swift does find a new owner it is likely to be one with the same outlook – sufficient love for the aeroplane to plough money into it which may prove impossible to recover in the forseeable future.
We don’t need to talk up the project as I am sure that there are already people out there who would consider taking her if the selling price was realistic.

In terms of airworthy vintage aircraft 50k is small beer BUT airworthy aircraft tend to appreciate in value if well maintained and we are talking about an aircraft which has no prospect of being flown. I am extremely sceptical that there is anyone out there willing to lay out 50k for a neglected static example of a jet which is hardly an icon to the average member of the public.
True it is worth what someone is prepared to pay for it and in the present economic climate I doubt anyone will want to lay out anything close to 50k particularly with a large transport bill and significant restoration costs to make her presentable again. I also have my doubts that static airframes appreciate greatly in value and I would be very surprised if this one could be sold on after restoration for anything near the restoration costs.
My own opinion is that she isn’t worth a great deal more than scrap value although I am not sure exactly what she would realise as scrap. Others here who are far more knowledgable about values than me have said maybe £10 to £12,000 is a fair price which seems quite reasonable to me.
I have a car to restore which when finished will, if I am lucky, be worth around the cost of restoration but I took it on because I really wanted the car and the chances of getting another are slim. If the Swift does find a new owner it is likely to be one with the same outlook – sufficient love for the aeroplane to plough money into it which may prove impossible to recover in the forseeable future.
We don’t need to talk up the project as I am sure that there are already people out there who would consider taking her if the selling price was realistic.

I can understand the desire to talk the price down if you’re a potential purchaser, but assigning a value of £5000 is a bit silly.

The Swift is worth what someone is prepared to pay. It is an interesting historic aircraft. 50k is small beer to many in the game.

If the aim is to save it complete, which it should be, it might be better to talk both the aircraft and the price up so that a purchaser feels it worth spending time and money on it – which it most definitely is.

I can understand the desire to talk the price down if you’re a potential purchaser, but assigning a value of £5000 is a bit silly.

The Swift is worth what someone is prepared to pay. It is an interesting historic aircraft. 50k is small beer to many in the game.

If the aim is to save it complete, which it should be, it might be better to talk both the aircraft and the price up so that a purchaser feels it worth spending time and money on it – which it most definitely is.

Swift

£45K for a static restoration, really?

Just from that point of view the aircraft is worth struggling to preserve – I think.

Seeing as there are only five of the type left I agree

Swift

£45K for a static restoration, really?

Just from that point of view the aircraft is worth struggling to preserve – I think.

Seeing as there are only five of the type left I agree

Unfortunately its value is clouded by the disposal of the previous family owned Spitfire. Which was sold on for a considerable profit.

I think the above hits the nail on the head but there was a time in the 60’s and possibly early 70’s when there was little or no interest in rebuilding Spitfires to fly and at that time they weren’t worth massive money.
Once the RAF decided to dispose of all their gate guards there was a cache of Spitfires to restore and it became viable to remanufacture a lot of parts neeeded to make them airworthy. At the same time it also seemed that almost as many potential owners appeared with the means to restore and operate a Spitfire as there were potentially airworthy rebuild projects so values climbed quickly hence the ability to move the family’s Spitfire on for a quick but substantial profit. It doesn’t make what happened right but it does emphasise that the profit came from being in the right place at the right time with the right airframe to sell.
Unfortunately a Swift is not a viable project to rebuild to fly and the only recent attempt failed for various reasons including the unexpected death of the owner. Shortage of parts and the specialist expertise for an airworthy rebuild of a single example would make the cost prohibitive. Couple this with the difficulties of finding and maintaining an engine and the demanding flight characteristics which may mean that the CAA may not be prepared to issue a C of A mean the Swift is and always will be worth a great deal less than even a complete basket case Spitfire.
I can understand the owners wish to ensure that they are not ripped off (again) but they need to take a hefty dose of realism and understand that just because they both happen to have a pair of wings a Swift and a Spitfire do not share a common cash value.
I sincerely hope that common sense prevails and that the Swift can be rescued and restored with the family receiving a fair and realistic price for the airframe but sadly I think they will continue to hold out for an unrealistic price and eventually it will either disintegrate or they will scrap it in a fit of pique and there will be no winners.

Unfortunately its value is clouded by the disposal of the previous family owned Spitfire. Which was sold on for a considerable profit.

I think the above hits the nail on the head but there was a time in the 60’s and possibly early 70’s when there was little or no interest in rebuilding Spitfires to fly and at that time they weren’t worth massive money.
Once the RAF decided to dispose of all their gate guards there was a cache of Spitfires to restore and it became viable to remanufacture a lot of parts neeeded to make them airworthy. At the same time it also seemed that almost as many potential owners appeared with the means to restore and operate a Spitfire as there were potentially airworthy rebuild projects so values climbed quickly hence the ability to move the family’s Spitfire on for a quick but substantial profit. It doesn’t make what happened right but it does emphasise that the profit came from being in the right place at the right time with the right airframe to sell.
Unfortunately a Swift is not a viable project to rebuild to fly and the only recent attempt failed for various reasons including the unexpected death of the owner. Shortage of parts and the specialist expertise for an airworthy rebuild of a single example would make the cost prohibitive. Couple this with the difficulties of finding and maintaining an engine and the demanding flight characteristics which may mean that the CAA may not be prepared to issue a C of A mean the Swift is and always will be worth a great deal less than even a complete basket case Spitfire.
I can understand the owners wish to ensure that they are not ripped off (again) but they need to take a hefty dose of realism and understand that just because they both happen to have a pair of wings a Swift and a Spitfire do not share a common cash value.
I sincerely hope that common sense prevails and that the Swift can be rescued and restored with the family receiving a fair and realistic price for the airframe but sadly I think they will continue to hold out for an unrealistic price and eventually it will either disintegrate or they will scrap it in a fit of pique and there will be no winners.

As has been posted upthread, this Swift needs £50,000 spent on it – but that would be £5,000 to buy it, and £45,000 to dismantle, transport, and restore it.

£45K for a static restoration, really?

Bruggen, I think I’m struggling with the words.
The Swift was the first aircraft designed by a British manufacturer to an RAF requirement with the features of swept-wings, reheat,and the flying tail, the last two features being added through the Mks.
This F.4 is the only complete example in existance as a reminder to the trials and tribulations of the whole Swift F.1 – 4 pure interceptor line.

I realise that as a fighter for the RAF the service career was abysmal and seems to have mostly consisted of trials and evaluation use (which I thought that the F.4 was used for-but could be wrong), but not withstanding I think as an example of a type from an era when problems with swept-wing aerodynamics and high speeds were still a struggle for the aircraft companies to solve with and the services to live with routinely. Just from that point of view the aircraft is worth struggling to preserve – I think.

I’m afraid that’s the most robust case I can make for it:)
Anyway it was Supermairnes’ last pure fighter for the RAF from a long and illustrious list, such as the Spitfire and the, um…

As has been posted upthread, this Swift needs £50,000 spent on it – but that would be £5,000 to buy it, and £45,000 to dismantle, transport, and restore it.

£45K for a static restoration, really?

Bruggen, I think I’m struggling with the words.
The Swift was the first aircraft designed by a British manufacturer to an RAF requirement with the features of swept-wings, reheat,and the flying tail, the last two features being added through the Mks.
This F.4 is the only complete example in existance as a reminder to the trials and tribulations of the whole Swift F.1 – 4 pure interceptor line.

I realise that as a fighter for the RAF the service career was abysmal and seems to have mostly consisted of trials and evaluation use (which I thought that the F.4 was used for-but could be wrong), but not withstanding I think as an example of a type from an era when problems with swept-wing aerodynamics and high speeds were still a struggle for the aircraft companies to solve with and the services to live with routinely. Just from that point of view the aircraft is worth struggling to preserve – I think.

I’m afraid that’s the most robust case I can make for it:)
Anyway it was Supermairnes’ last pure fighter for the RAF from a long and illustrious list, such as the Spitfire and the, um…