ABOUT THE DESIGN: In the years following World War II, British aviation expert Barnes Wallis -- the brilliant aircraft engineer credited with designing the "Dam Buster" bomb that helped cripple Germany's steel industry in 1943 -- turned his attention to more advanced aircraft designs, including variable wing (swing-wing) aircraft capable of supersonic flight. One of his most famous concepts was the "Swallow," an elegant tail-less plane he hoped would become the mainstay of Britain's commercial aviation industry.

The plane had four engines mounted in pairs toward the tips of the wings, one above and one below the aerofoil. These pivoted along all three axes, serving in place of a rudder, ailerons and elevators.

Although test models of the plane actually flew, the British government pulled its funding in the late 1950s, essentially killing this promising project

ABOUT THE KIT: The Barnes Wallis Swallow kit was patterned by Scott Lowther and cast by Acme Design, Inc. The model features variable-geometry wings as well as a "pop-up" cockpit. Decals are by JBOT. This is a "desktop" model without landing gear.

The 1:144 scale kit is available from the Fantastic Plastic website.

Kit Parts
Beauty Shot
Rear View

Review by: Fantastic Plastic

Entry created: 06/02/09