Trumpeter Fairey Swordfish Mk. I

Hi all!

The first build I did after a long break from modelling was the Trumpeter 1/32 Fairey Swordfish Mk. I. The Fairey Swordfish is a Brittish bi-plane that served as a tornado bomber during the Second World War.

Despite being one of my first models, and in hindsight having much room for improvement, this is still one of my favorite aircraft. My local hobby store doesn’t stock a wide variety of bi-planes, so when I saw this kit in stock I knew I had to have it.

Lets get into the build!

Unlike a lot of aircraft kits, Trumpeter gave the option of a clear or standard plastic fuselage. I chose to go with the clear fuselage to display the cockpit and fuel tank detail. This wings were painted using Tamiya spray cans. A dark brown MIG panel wash was applied. Given it was my first major model after a long break the weathering was a bit heavy handed. I have since learnt that less is often more!

The engine detail was incredible, with all the parts comfortably fitting together. The engine cowling was painted in copper and weathered with a panel line wash and oil stains.

The kit provided two display variants – wings folded for storage or outstretched. Due to storage space constraints I built the wings folded. The tires are rubber and simply popped on to the rims.  For me the highlight of this kit was the enormous torpedo attached to the under carriage. I chose to paint the tip of the torpedo a semi-gloss dark red in order to give a contrasting point of interest. 

 

The major drawback that I must mention, was the metal rigging for the wings. The metal was very thick in comparison to other photo etched parts (not entirely a bad thing as it gave support to the wings) also the lengths of the rigging didn’t match up with the guide holes in the wings. This was were some extra skill came in handy with measuring the distance between the guide holes and cutting the lengths of rigging accordingly.

Overall I would say this kit is great for someone who is after a larger scale bi plane kit that features an array of customisation options. Attaching the rigging may prove difficult for some, but with a bit of patience and modification it can be done. With that said this has the potential to be a great display model.