Fairey Swordfish in Action By W.A. Harrison Squadron/Signal Publications, ©2001 ISBN 0-89747-421-X 50 pages Reviewed By Michael Benolkin

My hat is off to Mr. Harrison and Squadron/Signal Publications for this one. When the Tamiya 1/48 Fairey Swordfish kits became available last year, many of us were understandably excited. The level of detail, even without the optional photo-etch parts, was fantastic. The excitement diminished, however, when I rummaged through my reference library and realized I had virtually no information on the Swordfish.

Patience has prevailed with this latest installment of Squadron/Signal's "In Action" series. This title covers the Swordfish from its development as the TSR.1 and TSR.2, through the Swordfish Mk.IV configuration. As with all of the "In Action" series, the book is full of black & white photos with loads of great details, as well as scrap drawings illustrating differences between variants and the color profile centerfold.

There is a great deal of information about the land-based as well as the floatplane versions of the Swordfish, and coverage of two lesser-known marks - the Mk.III radar-equipped attacker, and the Mk.IV trainer that featured enclosed canopies to keep the Canadian students from freezing!

This title will be a welcome addition for aviation historians, Fleet Air Arm enthusiasts, and especially for modelers awaiting great data for their Tamiya project.

My sincere thanks to Squadron/Signal Publications for this review sample!