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Supermarine Scimitar
Links, References & Credits

[History] [Survivors & Leading Particulars] [Pictures] [Models] [Links, References & Credits] 

This page last updated on 5th April 2009

Links

• William Daysh's 49ers Reunion Web Site, for RN Aircraft Artificers, includes a good number of piccies of Scimitars in action in the galleries.
• Project Get Out and Walk - Scimitar ejection history page with details of all Scimitar ejections.

References - Books

• Scimitar File by Eric Morgan & John Stevens published by Air Britain, ISBN 0-7110-2034-5. 221 packed pages of development and service history, squadron and individual airframe histories but mostly 'I was there' recollections from pilots and maintainers. Highly readable too - not at all dry or hard work to get through. Colour content is limited though - and some of the colour profile drawings have various detail errors so should not be relied upon in isolation. These are about the only minor quibbles I can offer though - overall this is the book on the Scimitar and if you have any interest in the type at all this should be in your collection. [Buy from Amazon UK]

• Scimitar - From the Cockpit by Michael J. Doust published by Ad Hoc Publications, ISBN 0-946958-54-8. Another excellent volume on the Scimitar, at 84 pages somewhat of a 'Scimitar File lite' in that it consists primarily of recollections from pilots and maintainers (at least one of which is reprinted from the Scimitar File) with less of the detail and only the briefest of historical information. Photographs, many of which are also in the Scimitar file, are generally reproduced larger and with better quality in this book, and the selection of colour profiles is much better with all of them showing more detail and attention to differences between individual airframes - still a few errors though, mostly in stencil details (which varied a lot from aircraft to aircraft). Definitely worth getting. [Buy from Amazon UK]

• Scimitar by David Gibbings & J.A. Gorman published by Society of Friends of the Fleet Air Arm Museum, ISBN 0 948251 39 5. A monograph on the Scimitar, with brief squadron histories, development history and so on. A good selection of pictures you won't see elsewhere plus basic camouflage scheme side views for modellers and annotated pictures of the cockpit. Recommended.

• Postwar Military Aircraft 7; Supermarine Attacker, Swift and Scimitar by Philip Birtles published by Ian Allan, ISBN 0-7110-2034-5. Was for a good while one of very few tomes on the Scimitar, and even then only devotes around a quarter of the book to it. A good number of photos and a good history of the development and service. Somewhat superseded these days but worth getting if you can find a copy.

• Supermarine Aircraft since 1914 by C F Andrews and E B Morgan published by Putnam, ISBN 0 85177 800 3. Includes a number of pages on the Scimitar with good development history and a good number of black and white pictures. Recommended.
• The British Fighter since 1912 by Francis K. Mason published by Putnam, ISBN 0-85177-852-6. An invaluable reference to British fighter aircraft, includes several pages on the development of the Scimitar and related aircraft, with black and white pictures and small plans diagram. Highly recommended, though not purely as a Scimitar reference.

References - Magazines

• The Aeroplane February 20th 1959: article on development history.
• The Aeroplane July 26th 1957: article on the trials programme.
• Aeroplane Monthly, March 1979: Fighters of the Fifties No.22 - Supermarine Scimitar by C. F. Andrews. Excellent article on the Scimitar with development and service history and lots of monochrome pictures and nice scale artwork showing the N113 and Scimitar from sides, top, bottom, etc.
• Fighters Pictorial: Scimitar, Supermarine's Last Fighter. Nice 4-page article on the Scimitar with colour and monochrome pictures (including ones of the type 508 and 525), brief history of each individual airframe, plans, colour profile, brief development & service history.
• Flight April 4th 1958: article on the trials programme and technical description with cutaway drawings.
• Scale Aviation Modeller September 1997 (Vol 3 No 9): Scintillating Scimitar; Bill Clark builds the Dynavector 1/48 vacform kit. Don't be misled by the cover of this issue, there is no colour and markings article on the Scimitar in this issue. I wasn't wonderfully happy about that when I got home!

Credits

This section would have been greatly the poorer without contributions from the following - so many thanks to (in alphabetical order):

Jonathan Davies, Ray Deacon, Peter Duhig, Andrea Geraci, Nicolas Godfurnon, Rick Kent, Zvi Kreisler, Garry Lakin and Kim Raquet.

Thanks also to the following organisations:

The Southampton Hall of Aviation.

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