Fairey Swordfish Mk. 1 – 1/72 Airfix (Old Tool)

This is the first half of a future new tool / old tool build comparing the 1958 and 2021 Airfix Swordfish kits.

I have had a new-tool Airfix Swordfish in my stash for some time, but wanted to build it as one of Ark Royal's aircraft attacking Bismarck on May 26, 1941. When I ran across a 1963 boxing of the old 1958 Airfix version for $3 at Rivercon in Shreveport last month I picked it up and chose to build it using the decals from the 2021 Airfix kit for an Illustrious Swordfish attacking Taranto on 11 November 1940. The specific aircraft modeled was L4M of No. 815 Naval Air Squadron, crewed by Lt. Ian Swayne & Observer Sub. Lt. Buxall.

When I started the build I had planned on building the Ark Royal version with the folded wings option from the new Airfix kit, but decided instead to use the folded wing parts on the old-tool kit. I cut the wings off, attached the new-tool parts, and they worked fairly well, even with the old kit.

Paints are Vallejo Dark Slate Grey 71.309, Dark Gray 71.110, and NATO Black 71.251. Although the painting directions called for a gun metal engine cowling, I changed the former to Antique Bronze because most references (including Airfix) show this as the correct color for a Swordfish - and I had picked up the correct Humbrol 171 color when I bought the kit originally. I also changed the propeller spinner from Sky to black since the aircraft's Sky underside was painted with washable black "distemper" paint for the raid.

As if often the case, researching the build got me interested in the subject, and I stayed up late last night finishing a book on the raid that really added to my enjoyment getting it built.