My Aerokits Swordsman was glued together with Aerolite 306 and when that run out I finished it off with the much less expensive water mixed Cascomite (an apprentice wages forced economy!).

The inside of the hull was coated with glass fibre resin and chopped matting was added to reinforce the engine mounts.

The bow area of the hull was filled with two part expanding foam that was mixed in a jar before pouring into the front of the hull (it was held vertical to stop it running away from the area that it was needed in).

Once fully expanded, the foam was trimmed to make the final expanded area nice and tidy.

The above model was last seen still running many years after I sold it (due to my move away from Devon) - a long time after it was first built and raced in the off-shore series, so the old style adhesives must have worked well enough to hold it together.

The glass fibre resin was also painted around the inside of the hull (the joints being given extra special attention) to prevent the nitro fuel soaking into the wood as it effectively made a glass fibre "shell" that was easy to wipe-out and keep clean after every running session, so the wood was also protected form getting fuel-soaked.

It fell apart from a mixture of fuel, vibration and rough water.

Shame you haven't got the boat as well Ed.

I still have the motor from my father's Swordsman. A Webra 60 Blacktop.

Fortunately I've done the planked decks on my builds, but you are right they do take a lot of time and as you say I've still got the screens and pulpit rails to do. My first milestone is trying them on the water and finishing them later!

Good idea on the simpler Swordsman. That's my plan with my my Rapier based water-jet project as it's the details that take most of the time.

Nice to hear of somebody else that used a Swordsman for off-shore racing.

Mine went well with an OS40 Marine - later changed to a Merco61 Twin-plug.

I also have two Swordsman boats part built, one is built from a set of Aerokit plans with reference to some drawings from Chris, and the other has been part assembled from an Aerokits kit.


Things that tend to put these boats on most peoples back burners are the extra time needed to make the large perspective screen, the deck planking and the front pulpit.

In the time taken to complete these parts - another complete classic powerboat (such as a Rapier) can be completed!

This is a bigger problem when I can clear several projects that are waiting in the time it will take me just to finish one Swordsman.

I think I can feel a modified Swordsman coming on that has a painted deck, a modified screen and no pulpit - so I can enjoy running the lovely hull sooner….and add the other details later……

My father had a Swordsman that he used for RC offshore racing and I used it as well. He built another one about 20 years ago and powered it with a brushless motor.
The reason it is lower down my list is that it is an untouched kit and the other boats are ones that are built and only need a refit.

If it were me I would definitely choose to finish the Swordsman first.

Once you have experienced the pleasure of enjoying the fine handling qualities of the deep vee Fairey hulls you will not believe that you even considered putting any of the others first.....

......... but I am a confirmed Swordsman enthusiast - ever since the first one I built 60 years ago and I know just how well they perform 😳

I'm just about to start painting the hull on my 1:12 scale version. I started building mine years ago (my second build I think) but then got distracted by starting other Fairey builds which I've already painted!

It is the SLEC Swordsman

https://slecuk.com/product/fairey-swordsman-25in-635mm-new-kit/