How to build
Tamiya’s Fairey Swordfish
(revised edition for the Swordfish Mk II)

by Geoff Coughlin

ADH Publishing

Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner

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There was much rejoicing when Tamiya released their 1/48 scale Swordfish all those years ago.

The modeller now had an excellent kit from which to produce a realistic replica of this famous biplane. With a subject as large as this one is it stands to reason that the builder wants to detail it as much as possible.

So in 1999 ADH publishing came to the party. They allowed Geoff Coughlin to create a book that gave the enthusiast all the information needed to point them in the right direction.

Apart from a slight layout change, this revised edition is essentially the same as its predecessor. The only difference is the additional four pages that relate to the Fairey Swordfish Mk II. Thus this book now has 54 as opposed the original’s 50 pages. This modest increase is not a problem as the construction of these aircraft is very similar.

There are over 110 colour photographs which are divided between details of the real aircraft and the assembly sequences of the model. I found the images to be a bit brighter in this updated edition which was pleasing.

There are 7 sections to this publication:

1. Introduction – The object here is to provide the reader with the differences between the various Mks of Swordfish. This includes the unofficial “Mk IV” that went to Canada for Naval air gunnery training.

2. The Tamiya 1:48 scale kit – As the title suggests, we get a brief summary of the contents of this 90s release. It was an excellent kit back then and still holds up well now.

3. Swordfish Mk I photographic library – Modellers crave reference material of their subjects and this chapter sees to it that good quality colour images are available. Areas covered are the fuselage, struts, cockpit, engine, armament and wing fold.

4. How to build the Mk I kit – The author takes us through his building of this kit and passes on useful tips regarding construction and painting. More photographs abound as we follow the assembly sequences and compare the results to the accompanying close-ups of the real thing.

5. After-market accessory sets – When this kit was first released, there were a lot of companies that provided detailing sets for this aircraft. As this section is a repeat of the earlier publication, many of the items mentioned are no longer in production. It is useful nonetheless in knowing what was out there so that a determined search can begin.

6. How to detail the Tamiya kit – As detailed as the original kit is, there is always room for improvement. Additions made by the author include the control cables for the rear flying surfaces, replacing the engine collector ring and support arms, and adding the various etched metal parts that are available for this release.

7. Bibliography – To get a better appreciation of the Fairey Swordfish, a handy list of books and magazines is listed to further your indulgence.

Geoff Coughlin is an accomplished modeller and as such is a good choice to author this kind of book.

He takes the reader through the whole process of building the Tamiya 1:48 scale Fairey Swordfish which is aimed at both the experienced and novice builder alike. The book is profusely illustrated and the step by step photographs leave little doubt on how to get the most from this kit.

Thanks to ADH Publishing for the review sample