Thunder & Lightnings - Supermarine Scimitar

Supermarine Scimitar
Survivors

Preserved Scimitar XD317 at Yeovilton; author

Like its predecessor the Swift, the Scimitar has not done well in retirement. The astonishing accident rate and the low production run together with a lot of hasty scrapping means that only three full examples survive.

Click on the serial of a survivor entry for further information. Please comment on any individual survivor entry you feel requires an update!

Serial	Mark	Owner & location	Updated
XD220	F.1	USS Intrepid Air & Space Museum, New York, USA	05/10/2008
XD317	F.1	Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, Somerset	25/10/2007
XD332	F.1	Solent Sky (stored), Timsbury, Hampshire	09/05/2009

Serial	Mark	Owner & location	Updated
WT859	Type 544	Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, MoD Boscombe Down, Wiltshire	01/10/2008

Serial	Mark	Owner & location	Updated
Simulator	F.1	City of Norwich Aviation Museum, Norwich Airport, Norfolk	21/04/2007
XD215	F.1	Nick Parker, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
XD235	F.1	Tony Collins, Lavendon, Buckinghamshire	01/10/2008

Variant Type 508 Type 529 Type 525 Type 544/N113D F.1

First flight 31 Aug 1951 29 Aug 1952 27 Apr 1954 19 Jan 56 11 Jan 1957

Crew One

Armament None Four 30mm cannon None Four 30mm cannon, up to four 1,000lb bombs or four AGM-45 Bullpup AGMs or four AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs; 2" or 3" rockets, 2,000lb Red Beard nuclear bomb

Powerplant 2 x 6,500 lb Rolls-Royce Avon RA 3 2 x 7,500 lb RR Avon RA7 2 x 10,000 lb RR Avon RA24 2 x 10,000 lb RR Avon RA24/26, later 11,500 lb Avon 200 series

Max. speed 524 kt / 0.89 Mach 562 kt / 0.954 Mach 640 kt / 0.968 Mach

Service ceiling 50,000 ft ? 46,000 ft

Range ? 1,422 miles

Empty weight 18,850 lb 19,910 lb 23,962 lb

Max. take off weight 25,630 lb 28,169 lb 34,200 lb

Wing span 41 ft 37 ft 2 in

Wing area 340 sq ft 450 sq ft 484.9 sq ft

Length ^* 50 ft 50 ft 6 in 53 ft 0.4 in 55 ft 3 in

Height ^* 12 ft 4 in 14 ft 11 in 17 ft 4 in

Production 1 1 1 3 76

Variant	Type 508	Type 529	Type 525	Type 544/N113D	F.1
First flight	31 Aug 1951	29 Aug 1952	27 Apr 1954	19 Jan 56	11 Jan 1957
Crew	One
Armament	None	Four 30mm cannon	None	Four 30mm cannon, up to four 1,000lb bombs or four AGM-45 Bullpup AGMs or four AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs; 2" or 3" rockets, 2,000lb Red Beard nuclear bomb
Powerplant	2 x 6,500 lb Rolls-Royce Avon RA 3	2 x 7,500 lb RR Avon RA7	2 x 10,000 lb RR Avon RA24	2 x 10,000 lb RR Avon RA24/26, later 11,500 lb Avon 200 series
Max. speed	524 kt / 0.89 Mach	562 kt / 0.954 Mach	640 kt / 0.968 Mach
Service ceiling	50,000 ft	?	46,000 ft
Range	?	1,422 miles
Empty weight	18,850 lb	19,910 lb	23,962 lb
Max. take off weight	25,630 lb	28,169 lb	34,200 lb
Wing span	41 ft	37 ft 2 in
Wing area	340 sq ft	450 sq ft	484.9 sq ft
Length ^*	50 ft	50 ft 6 in	53 ft 0.4 in	55 ft 3 in
Height ^*	12 ft 4 in	14 ft 11 in	17 ft 4 in
Production	1	1	1	3	76

^* Lengths vary with type of nose cone (notably early aircraft with instrumentation boom, and whether IFR probe fitted or not). Heights are for with wings unfolded.