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SUPERMARINE SCIMITAR
HISTORY

[History] [Survivors & Leading Particulars] [Pictures] [References & Credits]
This page last updated on 28th February 2004

Carrier-borne aircraft operations have always been a dangerous business. With the increase in available speed and weight brought by the development of the jet engine, they were to become even more dangerous. By the close of WWII, the Admiralty had already foreseen that research would be required into the changes necessary during the transition from piston-engined aircraft to jets. One of the more unusual ideas was to save weight and cut down landing accidents by having undercarriage-less aircraft. They would be launched by a special catapult and would land on a flexible rubber deck. Trials were even carried out with a mock deck at Farnborough, using Sea Vampire aircraft. After initial setbacks the concept proved practical, but even so, the Admiralty abandoned the idea.

Supermarine had been developing a single-seat fighter aircraft to use flexible decks, the type 505. When the Admiralty lost interest, the 505 was modified to use a conventional retractable undercarriage, becoming the type 508. This was a straight-winged twin-engined jet with 'butterfly' (V-shaped) tail. A further two aircraft were also built, being designated the type 529 (with cannon and provision for radar) and the type 525. This later aircraft was very different to the 508 and 529 - it had swept wings and a conventional T-tail, and was obviously a Scimitar ancestor. The type 525 first flew on 27th April 1954 and provided valuable information for the Scimitar development. A de-navalised version known as the type 526 was offered to the RAF but they were not interested. Then, during a normal test flight on 5th July 1955, the 525 entered a spin from which the pilot, Lt. Cdr. Rickell, could not recover, and was destroyed in the resulting crash, killing the pilot, who ejected too late. It would be an indicator of things to come.

The first prototype, the type 544, WT854; Ministry of Supply

The second N113 prototype, WT859; Vickers (nose section now preserved at Brooklands)

An order was placed for 100 production aircraft based on the type 525, to be designated N113. Supermarine developed the 525 further, producing the new designation of type 544. The single-seat fighter specification had been changed also; now the aircraft was to be a low level strike aircraft with nuclear capability. The fighter/interceptor role would now be fulfilled by the De Havilland DH.100 design. The first N113 flew on 19th January 1956 and was quickly followed by two more. Deck trials on HMS Ark Royal began in April but the first two N113s were not particularly representative of the final Scimitar so more trials were planned for early 1957. Meanwhile, trials continued. The power of the twin Avon engines was amply demonstrated when one pilot made a successful take-off with the parking brake still on!

In January 1957, the more representative 3rd N113, WW134, began trials on Ark Royal. This aircraft was strengthened for the new low-level role and had aerodynamic 'fixes' applied such as flared-out wingtips and wing fences, to counter pitch-up effects at high speed and altitude (similar problems having previously been experienced with the Swift). The tailplane was also changed from having dihedral (angled up) to anhedral (angled down). The N113's powered controls caused some concern when it was realised the high roll rates made possible could cause structural damage. However, the strengthening introduced for the low level role was found to be sufficient to allay these fears. The first Scimitar proper came off the production line in January too, and flew on the 11th.

N113 WW134 onboard Ark Royal in January 1957 for deck trials; unknown origin

First production F.1, XD212; via E. B. Morgan

While the first production Scimitar was retained for some time by Supermarine to continue trials and development, the navy was busy figuring out how best to evaluate the new aircraft. A new squadron, 700X Flight, was formed to carry out the task. Deliveries of Scimitars to 700X at Royal Naval Air Station Ford began in August 1957 and the squadron carried out their evaluation task until late May 1958.

The first frontline Scimitar squadron to be formed was 803 NAS. After working up at RNAS Lossiemouth and participating in the 1960 Farnborough SBAC show, they embarked on HMS Victorious. Unfortunately, 803's commanding officer was killed in a landing accident when his aircraft went over the side and sank before he could escape, in full view of the assembled press who splashed photos of the trapped pilot over the next day's front pages. While the incident would bring in much improved underwater escape training, it would only be the first in a long line of Scimitar losses (though this first one was due to arrestor wire failure, not a problem with the aircraft).

XD230 - the first production Scimitar F.1 with guns & radar at RNAS Ford in March 1958; unknown origin

F.1 XD278 ready to launch from HMS Ark Royal, 1960; Peter Duhig (who'd love to hear from old shipmates!)

The Scimitar was, at the time of its introduction, the heaviest and most powerful aircraft ever to serve in the Fleet Air Arm. While innovations such as angled decks helped, the situation with these large and fast aircraft and small aircraft carriers meant that take-offs and landings were an increasingly dangerous business. While the Americans simply built bigger carriers, this luxury was not available to the RN, which was becoming increasingly pressurised to save money, not spend it. The Scimitar's design included a tail bumper so that the aircraft could be rested on it for take-off, with the nosewheel high in the air, actually off the deck. The increased angle of attack meant the less powerful catapults on the RN's small carriers could still manage to bring a heavy (and heavily loaded) aircraft like the Scimitar to flying speed.

Accidents began to mount up - in-flight fires, landing accidents by the dozen, ditchings and plain old crashes. The general consensus these days is that the RN was simply not experienced enough in operating such an advanced and heavy aircraft. The limited size of the carriers also meant that landing accidents became far more serious than they would otherwise have been. In all, 76 Scimitars were actually produced (the last batch of 24 having been cancelled), and no less than 39 were lost in a variety of accidents - an attrition rate of over 51% over the Scimitar's service life! Also worrying was the increasing workload on the single pilot during long low-level strike missions (the two-seat Scimitar having been dropped at an early stage).

F.1 XD269 goes over the side of HMS Victorious after a brake failure, 10th July 1961; unknown origin

Scimitar F.1s of 800 NAS at Farnborough, 1961; J. M. G. Gradidge

The accidents and workload worries did not, however, stop the Scimitar squadrons from putting on some spectacular airshow appearances. Even in their first year of squadron service, Scimitars put on a stunning show at the 1959 Farnborough SBAC show, which included a variety of role demos including one Scimitar using an extended arrestor hook to pick up a banner target from the runway. The 'twinkle roll' was also born at that show - when aircraft fly in formation and all quickly roll simultaneously. Later shows would see increasingly large formations of Scimitars, with nine being shown off in the 1961 show.

Scimitars never saw any action, though they did help prevent a possible war when the Royal Navy was sent to the Gulf to block the increasingly hostile Iraqis from invading Kuwait in 1961. They were also prepared for a basic ground attack role using guns only in the Indonesian campaign, though I don't know if they were ever actually used in this role (if you know for sure, please mail me). While the Scimitar carried both AGM-45 Bullpup air-to-ground missiles and later AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, the latter were more for a self-defence role than an interceptor role, as the Sea Vixen was entering service and taking this role over completely.

Scimitar F.1 XD235; via Zvi Kreisler (nose section now preserved in Wales)

Scimitar F.1 plans; based on those in 'Scimitar'

Soon, however, the increasing difficulty of the low-level attack role and mounting losses meant that the navy relegated the Scimitar to 2nd-line duties while the much more capable Blackburn Buccaneer was brought into service. The Buccaneer Mk.1's underpowered engines meant that early Buccaneers could not take off with a full load of fuel and weapons, so Scimitars were used to provide 'buddy' refuelling; that way the Buccaneers could take off with minimum fuel and save their precious thrust for carrying a respectable weapon load! Other duties for Scimitars in their last months of service were towing target banners, providing radar targets for calibration of ground-based radar sets and a myriad of other unglamorous but essential roles. The last frontline squadron (803 NAS) relinquished their Scimitars in October 1966. The Fleet Requirements Unit (FRU, later FRADU) operated Scimitars using civilian pilots for a time too; from 1965 to the end of 1970. So it was that December 1970 saw the last flight of the last Supermarine fighter.

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