I've never flown a Swift but I could see how it would be fun to fly if it had a decent amount of HP. 150HP would be awesome in this plane. I've flown complex aerobatic aircraft and I appreciate snappy handling. I own a RANS S-12 XL, which is a very nice handling aircraft. Handles like a small WWI fighter, if it could have the rotary engine torque assistance turning both directions. I don't really care how fast a plane goes as long as it is fun to fly. I mainly fly for fun, not to go places. I can enjoy flying a glorified kite at 85kt as much as I enjoyed flying a jet trainer at 400kt.
These are rare beautiful little planes. My flight instructor owned an absolutely immaculate example with the 125 hp six cylinder Continental up graded to 145 hp. Version. That airplane was so polished up you needed sunglasses when it was in the hanger. I rode in it a few times and after my log book and ratings looked like a catalog I got to fly it. I hope my dear old friend Virgil is still flying!
What a wonderful video. We’ve had ours since 1964. When my grandparents bought her. My grandfather flew B-24s and after owning an Ercoupe for many years he upgraded to a Swift. It was the thrill he was looking for after the war. After my grandfather’s passing in 1981 my dad became her caretaker. Him and I are still flying her regularly. She is the nicest flying airplane I have ever flown.
Wow! Thanks for sharing that, I'm happy to find out such a nice in place is in great hands. Speaking of Ercoupes, my old man had one back in the 50s and flew from from coast to coast with it.
I got a GC-1B last year. It's all in pieces and was last flown in 1964 but it appears to all be there including the C-145 upgraded engine. It was my dream to restore it but I'm not sure if I can pull it off. When I look at it I feel overwhelmed but this video inspired me a bit. Wish me luck.
Hey, have you contacted the Swift Museum folks? There's a lot of know-how and support in that group. Keep at it!! I'd love to see it fly again. Many Swift projects started out like yours, in a box.
My first airplane ride was in a Swift! My buddy's dad had a Globe Swift, and he took my brother, myself and our buddy for a ride one day when we were around 10 years old or so. Both my brother and I were so impressed that later we both went on tho fly and get our own planes. My brother retired two years ago from United Airlines as a captain. I'm in Port Townsend, WA where there is actually an airworthy Swift at the Port Townsend Aero Museum, where most of their over 20 antique and vintage planes are flown regularly!
My Dad owned one for many years. We flew often and I clearly remember spending many a weekend polishing the aluminum to a mirror finish. Great looking aircraft. N80808
My first pilot friend, a WW2 navy instructor, had one in the 60s. He claimed to have gotten it into an inverted flat spin while haveing some fun...and pulled it out. Claimed best of many planes he had over years. I flew with him in Commander 500 and Super H18.
Very well done mini-doc on one of the greatest GA airplanes ever built. I owned N78274 for seven years. The maintenance can be challenging on these old birds, but they really do fly as well as they look.
Unfortunately, I never had the chance to fly in a Swift after that glorious experience. I learned to fly in a Piper Super Cub, got my PPL, flew many other aircraft. One was a Mooney Mite. That was quite a kick!
Glad I discovered this channel! Love learning about older general aviation! and thanks for adding the bit about the museum. My son and I are always looking for destinations.
Great video! I grew up around Swifts and have always loved them. That's me at 6:54 and 7:07 flying Dad's Buckaroo at an airshow a few years ago. One of my favorite aircraft to fly!!
At one point someone converted a Buick 3.8L v6 and mounted it in a Swift. With the short exhaust stacks sticking out of the cowl he said it sounded like the warbird it was always meant to be!
I had one too N99B sold her because I was building an RV-4. Everytime Im near one I think to myself I should have another one. Sweet airplane that turned heads everytime the engine started up with those straight pipes on the 6cyl engine.
The swift is sweet.. gets more looks for sure, but I’ve flown both and the RV-4 is by far the better plane.. faster, higher, more nimble, probably stronger and cheaper to maintain, easier to fly ect.. the Swift is fun to land and is more demanding to land well.. that’s pretty cool.
Great video! I never knew about the later models with the huge engines. There used to be a formation aerobatic team in my area that used Swifts. They all painted their planes the same with big tail numbers, and they called themselves the Swift Birds.
Like at sight! This is a very nice styling-kind aircraft! Almost 20 years ago I did replicate one of this for Flight Simulator 98, one of my first choices... Thank you :)
I feel like your just going down a list of aircraft my dad has owned and doing a video on every one 😂😂😂 Great video as always 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Next up is a Bellanca Viking 🤣
Thank you! Now, gotta get to work on the Epsilon vid! (I'm thinking of bundling it with a piston-trainer series, not quite sure yet. Maybe the Epsilon alone could warrant its own video)
@@aircraftadventures-vids They did have some fly ins in the past. There airplanes are just works of art. I also believe a Moony flew in the last time I was there. Today the airport is HUGE and very well maintained. Here is a Triva question about the Mcminn County airport. " What movie has a part filmed at the Mcminn county Airport? The end of "Two Lane Blacktop" The drag race scene.
@@aircraftadventures-vids Field trip time. I just live about 8 miles from the airport, so a visit is easy. We also have a nice place to fly gliders about 25miles away near Benton Tn. That is wild!!!!
Trying to think of anyone tried to make a homebuilt version, but can't think of it. But I will say that many have been so modified they are practically experimental!
@@aircraftadventures-vids VL3 is selling like hot cakes for a quarter of a million and up (that is including used). I think a brand new one will come in at 350+ That is a market that a "Fury" of sorts could get into, I'd think.
I flew a swift in Austin Tex in 1988 or 1989 with a great guy, was at the then Austin Exec. airport. it was a great flying plane, wish i knew where and what happened with that plane
