Editing Supermarine Swift (section)

==Operational history==
[[File:Swift FR5s 2 Sqn RAF in flight 1956.jpg|thumb|Close formation of six Swifts, 1956]]
[[File:Supermarine Swift FR.5 WK281 79.S ABIN 15.06.68.jpg|thumb|Swift FR.5 ''WK281'' wearing the markings of No. 79 Squadron RAF]]

In February 1954, the Swift F 1 entered service with the RAF, [[No. 56 Squadron RAF|No. 56 Squadron]] becoming the first RAF squadron to operate the type. With its introduction, the Swift became the RAF's first swept-wing aircraft. The Swift F 2 entered service that same month. Wood refers to the type's introduction as having been "panicked", and that the adoption soon proved to be an "abysmal failure".<ref name = "wood 46"/> Tragedy struck very early in the career of the Swift: there were a number of accidents that involved the F 1 and F 2, one of them being fatal. In August 1954, it was decided that the Swift F 1 would be grounded, and the Swift F 2, which had effectively replaced the F 1 that same month, was also soon grounded as well, for similar reasons.<ref name = "wood 46"/>

The Swift F 3 and F 4 fighters were noted to have improved performance over their predecessors. The F 4 was the last variant that the RAF would accept in an interceptor role.<ref name = "wood 46"/> All fighter variants of the Swift were withdrawn from service by the RAF after a short time in service, to be replaced by the more capable [[Hawker Hunter]]. While subject to its own problems, the Hunter had quickly proved to be a successful fighter aircraft.<ref name = "wood 47">Wood 1975, p. 47.</ref> By autumn 1954, the problems with the Swift had become public knowledge, and reports of the pending cancellation of the Swift appeared in the national press. In Parliament, [[Secretary of State for Air|Under-Secretary of State for Air]] [[George Ward, 1st Viscount Ward of Witley|Sir George Ward]] said of the aircraft: "Aerodynamic difficulties have been encountered, and it is not possible to say with certainty if they can be overcome in the version under development".<ref name = "wood 47"/>

In early February 1955, it was rumoured that the Swift had failed its final evaluation by the RAF [[Central Fighter Establishment]], and that the type was likely to be restricted to [[aerial reconnaissance]] or to [[ground attack]] roles.<ref name = "wood 48">Wood 1975, p. 48.</ref> On 2 March 1955, [[Minister of Supply]] [[Selwyn Lloyd]] acknowledged that development of the Swift had cost £20 million prior to the scrapping of the fighter variants. According to Wood, the Swift had become a national scandal by early 1955, which not only tarnished the aircraft, but also the RAF and the British aircraft industry, with the public and the government generally becoming more averse to other aircraft projects.<ref name = "wood 48"/>

The FR.5 was the last Swift variant to enter service with the RAF and was eventually replaced by the Hunter FR.10, with the FR.5 leaving RAF service entirely in 1961. The Swift FR. 5 had been deemed suitable for its role and was based with two squadrons that were assigned to [[RAF Germany]].<ref name = "wood 48"/> The Swift never saw combat action with the RAF, but it did break a number of speed records in its time. In [[Libya]], on 26 September 1953, an F.4 (WK198) piloted by [[Commander]] [[Mike Lithgow]] broke the world absolute speed record, reaching a speed of 737.7&nbsp;mph (1,187&nbsp;km/h),{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} though it was broken just eight days later by the [[Douglas Skyray]], a [[United States Navy]] (USN) fighter. The Swift has the distinction of being the last British production aircraft to hold the record (the [[Fairey Delta 2]] was experimental). Fewer than two hundred Swifts were built from an order of 497. A number of Swift airframes were taken to Australia for [[British nuclear tests at Maralinga#Major tests|Operation Buffalo]] in 1956, being placed at various distances from a detonating atomic bomb.<ref>Winchester 2005, p. 312.</ref>

Its last variant had resolved many of the problems that had plagued earlier Swifts but the programme was not continued. The Hunter, performing satisfactorily in the same roles, removed any requirement to persist with the Swift.<ref>Winchester 2005, p. 313.</ref>