Comper Swift

In March 1929, Flight Lieutenant Nicholas Comper left the Royal Air Force and formed the Comper Aircraft Company with the purpose of building an aircraft that he had designed, which he named the Comper Swift. A key design goal set by Comper for the Swift was to minimise the presence of blind spots, a factor that had undermined the prospects of countless aircraft that were otherwise ideal. This principal of prioritising optimal external visibility for the pilot dictated many attributes and characteristics of the aircraft, such as the placement of the cockpit aft of the high-mounted wing. This in turn necessitated the use of a relatively lightweight engine in order to maintain appropriate weight distribution across the aircraft as there was a considerable amount of vertical surface area placed forward of the center of gravity. This initial aircraft was powered by a 40 hp (30 kW) ABC Scorpion piston engine. After successful tests, seven more aircraft were built in 1930, powered by a 50 hp Salmson A.D.9 radial engine. Trials with Pobjoy P radial engine for use in air racing resulted in all the subsequent aircraft being powered by the Pobjoy R. The last three factory-built aircraft (sometimes referred to as the Gipsy Swift) were fitted with de Havilland Gipsy engines – two with 120 hp (89 kW) Gipsy Major III, and one with a 130 hp (97 kW) Gipsy Major. ==Design==

The Comper Swift was a compact single-seat monoplane aircraft with a high-mounted wing. Despite this, a relatively comfortable cockpit was provisioned along with clear and well-positioned instrumentation, much of it being installed on a dedicated dash. In terms of overall construction, the Swift was primarily composed of spruce and covered by fabric. It shared considerable structural similarity to Comper's previous aircraft designs; the fuselage comprising a lightweight girder composed of longerons and diagonal struts which attached to the longerons via three-ply wood gussets. The aircraft had a monoplane wing that rested on a relatively narrow portion of fuselage while the inefficient portion of wing area within the center was kept proportionally small. All of the wing's fittings were composed of standard steel plate while the covering was composed of fabric. A somewhat unorthodox undercarriage arrangement was used; elements such as the shock absorbers were entirely housed inside of the fuselage, reducing drag. ==Operational history==

The Comper Swift established a formidable reputation during the 1930s as a premier racing and touring aircraft, frequently outperforming larger and more powerful machines. Its operational history is most famously marked by Arthur Butler’s record-breaking flight in 1931, where he flew a Pobjoy-powered Swift (G-ABRE) from England to Darwin, Australia, in just over nine days. This feat demonstrated the aircraft's surprising durability and range, despite its diminutive size. Other notable long-distance exploits included Lieutenant Commander C. Byas’s 10-day solo flight to Cape Town and Alban Ali’s journey from India to Egypt in the "Scarlet Angel," which was later rebuilt and continued to race in the United Kingdom for decades. In the competitive arena of British air racing, the Swift was a perennial fixture, appearing in every King’s Cup Air Race between 1930 and 1937. The aircraft’s high power-to-weight ratio and clean aerodynamics allowed it to secure numerous podium finishes, most notably in 1932 when Flight Lieutenant Edward Fielden piloted a Gipsy-engined Swift owned by the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII) to second place. Renowned aviator Alex Henshaw also launched his storied career in a Swift, winning the Siddeley Trophy at the 1933 King's Cup. The aircraft's agility and speed—reaching up to 140 mph—made it a favorite among sporting pilots who valued performance over cockpit space, which famously had just enough room for a pilot and a set of golf clubs. Following World War II, the surviving Comper Swifts transitioned into the vintage and enthusiast circuit, remaining competitive in handicap racing well into the 1950s. Pilots like Ron Clear and A.L. Cole maintained the type's presence in events such as the Daily Express Air Race, where they often outpaced more modern light aircraft. Of the roughly 45 Swifts originally produced, several have been meticulously preserved or restored to flying condition. Today, the operational legacy of the Swift is carried on by organizations like the Shuttleworth Collection, which operates G-ACTF (the former "Scarlet Angel"), allowing modern audiences to witness the same spirited flight characteristics that made the "pocket racer" a legend of the Interwar period. ==Survivors==

• EC-HAM Airworthy, displayed at Cuatro Vientos, Madrid, Spain. Owned by Fundación Infante de Orleans. Formerly G-ABUU, now painted to represent "EC-AAT" "Ciudad de Manila" as flown by Fernando R. Loring for his March 1933 flight Madrid-Manila. • G-ABUS Stored, believed in France. • G-LCGL Airworthy (replica) This aircraft was shipped to Oshkosh, USA for the EAA Airventure fly-in, and will be shipped back to Australia after the show. • VH-UVC Stored, in Sydney, Australia. - According to Classic Wings Magazine, VH-UVC took to the skies for the first time in 55 years on 20 November 2017 at Omaka Airfield, Blenheim, New Zealand. A new-build aircraft, registered G-ECTF, and built according to the original plans, powered by a Pobjoy Cataract engine, flew for the first time on 2 October 2015. ==Operators==

; • Spanish Republican Air Force ; • Royal Air Force ==Specifications (C.L.A.7 Swift)==