About the Fairey Swordfish Floatplane
Serving on many battleships and destroyers of the Royal Navy during WWII, the Fairey Swordfish Mk. I Floatplane flew as the eyes of the British fleet. This stalwart warbird now makes its appearance as the first waterborne biplane of the 1/48 Scale Aircraft Series. Taking advantage of the latest in molding technology, Tamiya is proud to bring back the classical style of this pontoon float equipped, aviation masterpiece.

The sturdy fuselage and main wings of the Swordfish consisted of cloth stretched tightly over a steel frame. This construction has been recreated in amazing detail, right down to outline of the ribs protruding through the cloth of the wings and fuselage. Even the rivets on the metal cowling around the nose have been reproduced just as they appear on the original "Stringbag". Differing from its landing gear equipped counterpart, the Floatplane version was equipped with two large pontoon floats. Fully detailed in every respect and equipped with small rudders, these sleek floats drastically alter the appearance of the Swordfish. Also included in the kit is a wheeled stand for rolling the aircraft and a storage stand to sit the pontoon floats on. Test your modeling skill on the finely recreated, open cockpit, which is fully equipped with instrument panels and minute detailing.

The rear of the cockpit features a wireless radio and revolving machine gun. The Swordfish was powered by a Bristol Pegasus 3M radial engine, which along with its exhaust vents and the surrounding cowling, promises a rewarding modeling experience. The main wings of the Swordfish can be modeled in the folded or unfolded position, whichever you prefer. To add further realism to your Swordfish Mk.1 Floatplane, we invite you to purchase the separately available Photo Etched Bracing Wire Set (Item 61072).

In addition to its role in scouting operations for the Royal Navy, the Floatplane Swordfish packed a powerful punch of its own. Tamiya's 1/48 scale kit includes a rich variety of weaponry such as 46cm torpedo, 113kg bomb and smoke dischargers. To dish out all that hardware, kit also includes three crew figures of realistic expression. Both its superb versatility and the indomitable spirit of its pilots and crewman account for the illustrious history of this ultimate biplane. Now, Tamiya provides you with the ultimate aircraft modeling experience, the Fairey Swordfish Mk.1 Floatplane.