Swordsman 37.

When I restored my Rapier, it was in a sorry state - fuel soaked and twisted, so it was more of a "build" than a new kit would have been!

Since I had a (more or less) blank canvass, I took note of the position of the rudder on my Vic Speed Remora, as it was designed as a "steering boat", and I replicated this on the Rapier.

This may have only been a very small modification, but it worked really well and the Rapier steers beautifully.

With this in mind, when the Swordsman 37 build starts I would use this same rudder position as it will be a similar size of boat to the Rapier and it also shares a similar deep-vee hull shape.

The target is to make the Swordsman 37 drive and steer as well as my Rapier does, and I cant see any reason why it shouldn't.

Having a "good looking" boat that can drive and steer as well as my (comparatively) "ugly" Remora would be the absolute "ultimate" model power boat that I would really enjoy driving in any weather conditions that our local UK weather can throw at it!

Bob.

The Rapier can definitely be described as an ugly duckling. It just so happens to be a well handling ugly duckling.

Swordsman 37, or Solent Spear. Hmmm, I don't know if I could decide on just one if I had too 🤷‍♂️

Whichever one though, I'm sure it would handle, and perform very well.

Will

Swordsman 37.

With only so much time available, the Swordsman 37 would still be my first choice as my next model to build from scratch ....although the Solent Spear would definitely be a consideration if any reference drawings should become available in the future.

At 37" long I think that the Swordsman 37 would be a really good model that would definitely clock-up a lot of hours on the water as it could be used 12 months of the year in any weather conditions that my local lakes are likely to suffer.

I already have a good idea about just how well this boat would drive as I have clocked-up many hours of experience over the years with an Aerokits Swordsman - including racing it in an off-shore race in 1970 when it performed surprisingly well.

My slightly longer and slightly modified restored LesRo Rapier probably (and surprisingly) out-performs the Swordsman (!) and that does not please me as much as it should.

A couple of small changes were made to the rudder position and the prop-shaft when I restored the Rapier from a wreck, and I think similar detailing would work equally well on the Swordsman 37.

To see a Swordsman 37 performing as well as my Rapier would be something that I would really look forward to experiencing - and it would certainly be a much better looking model ( I never really liked the Rapier design that much!).

Bob.

Solent Spear

I did consider using my spare glass fibre Huntsman 31 hull as the base for a model of the Solent Spear.

The Solent Spear is a very attractive looking boat and I think it would make a superb model that should perform very well.

......but I also think that this would also be a really good model to build from wood as I generally prefer to have a wooden hull than a glass fibre hull.

In a model boat, I much prefer the sound of a wooden boat in the water to the sound of a plastic hull - it just sounds nicer!

Bob.

Keith - Go into your account and part way down there is a box to close your account. Before you do that it would be good if you can remove your post from this thread - Click Edit on the right of your post and then on the top left there is a waste basket which removes your post. I will then remove mine.

Just to try to keep this on track - the Swordsman 37 with the integrated platform would be an excellent next project for us to work on together Chris.

Bob.

I would like to close my membership and stop all emails but cannot figure out how to do that. Can someone give me some advice? Thank you, Keith

Yup - as we are both masters of the paint brush Chris 🙄..........a rattle can could be the way to go to get a realistic glass fibre hull finish 🤣

37” long plus the swim platform will make a nice size model that should perform very well 12 months of the year - big enough to cope with all the typical British weather throws at us.

If we can find a way to get that “integrated” look to the swim platform it will add a nice touch !

Bob.

Yes, I agree, that is the one to build and it will be different to the limited kits as well. Only two windows!

The length will be 37 feet excluding the swim platform as that is the length of the Fairey Dagger from which the hull came from. The platform tends to be included when it is more substantial and moulded as part of the hull.

Downside to building a model of a full-sized plastic/fibreglass boat is getting a good paint finish. Spraying would be the way to go.

Hi Chris,

I think the Swordsman 37 with the full open cockpit would be the variant to go for.

It looks nice and clean and should not be a complex build, but it would be nice to extend the keel and hull to include the bathing platform as shown on the profile drawings - that would finish it off nicely.

I have no idea if the bathing platform is included in the 37ft overall length or if it is an additional platform that is not included in the overall length of the boat?

Since it is drawn as an integral part of the hull and not an “add-on” I suspect that it is included within the 37ft overall length……but maybe not?


Bob.

Bob, doh, guess which version of the Swordsman 37 I showed a picture of in my first post!

A full cockpit version is certainly easier to build, only one roof and less windows! And they do look very nice. I can draw whichever version you fancy.

Will, when I had my Mk. 2 Spearfish kit I did think about building it into something else but thought the hull too big for a 1:12 build and would have been a shame in some ways as it was a mint kit. I think the hull was a bit flimsy as well until braced compared with the fibreglass Huntsman hull which I think will be easier to modify?

Chris

Hi Chris,

These are pictures of a Swordsman 37 full cockpit option for you to see.

It looks like a nice simple cockpit to model.

Bob.

That's the problem, so many options, and so many good looking boats to consider 🤯

I guess the Swordsman Marine 30 does just look like a Spearfish, with a water jet instead.
Still a good looking boat though, and a Spearfish kit would be pretty easy to convert into one I would think.

Will

Hi Will, yes, I came across the Swordsman 30 again after saying I'd made a decision on the Spearfish! I'd forgotten about it after considering for my water-jet project but then decided to do something non-Fairey, but having looked at it again!! 🤔 😁

Too many options!

Chris

Hi Bob, no, I don't like the Super Swordsman as much and it looks too similar to the Huntsman 31, well in profile, for me to really want to build one. I only really mentioned it because I came across the drawing for it.

The Swordsman 37 you've shown is the full cockpit version of the one you want to build - I've not seen any photos of one though, only the aft cabin versions. Only a couple of the 40 footers were built.

Chris

Chris, don't forget the Swordsman 30 as well, available with water jet drive.
In my opinion, the 37 is the nicer looking of the two larger Swordsman.
The Spearfish 32 is a damn good looking boat, as is the Solent Spear.

If I had the skills (and time 🙄), I would love to build so many of these different Fairey related boats.

Will

This is the variant that I have tried to replicate on my scratch built/your plans variant.

After Cabin with Higher Roof.

I don’t think I like the Super Swordsman as much - I would rather have a Swordsman 40 if I wanted that style as I think it looks much sleeker and nicer.

Bob.

Hi Chris,

There is also the Swordsman 40 - shown here with the Swordsman 37 .

Do you know anything about this variant?

The Swordsman 40 has an aft cabin, and at the same scale would be 40” long - enough to give the 39” Rapier some stiff competition….and it looks good too!

I also think it looks nicer than the aft cabin Super Swordsman.

Bob.

No, that is the aft cabin version with the higher roof level, one of the three versions offered when the Swordsman was first produced.

The Super Swordsman came out a few years later with the full height aft cabin.

Photo 1 - aft cabin with roof level with the deck - as per the Aerokits kit. Photo 2 - aft cabin with higher roof - as per our builds. Photo 3 - Super Swordsman. Most were fitted with the larger rectangular air intakes in the coamings but some had the earlier rounded ones.

It does get complicated with all the different models and variants with some looking very similar, but as you know I have the tee-shirt
and anorak! 😂

Thanks Chris,

I think the one I have built from scratch/your drawings and pictures etc will be a “Super Swordsman” **

** corrected - mine is the “After Cabin With Higher Roof” variant.(thanks Chris).

When I get home I will dig it out and take some pictures of it to show the progress to date.

The second one that I have is a part built Aerokits model so that will be the Lower Aft Cabin Roof variant.

An extended Aerokits Swordsman type hull to base the Swordsman 37 on would be the best option for us I think with the new superstructure drawings from yourself to complete it.

……we should both have a Swordsman 37 on the water this summer…….🤣

Bob.

Hi Bob

There were three versions of the Swordsman, the large aft cockpit version, the raised aft cabin version (roof just below the coamings) as per our ongoing builds and the lower roof aft cabin version as per the Aerokits kit and the Philip Connolly drawings where the roof is level with the deck.

A "proper" aft cabin version like that of the Huntsman 31 was then produced and to avoid confusion I guess, was called the Super Swordsman. All variants used the same hull at 33 feet long.

The Swordsman 37 actually uses the Fairey Dagger hull, their military market boat, but as this was based on the Swordsman hull anyway, as you say it should be pretty easy to modify the hull designs that we have already used.

The superstructure will be easy to draw up.

Chris

Swordsman 37.

Hi Chris,

If I remember correctly (unlikely!) the Swordsman 37 model would have the same hull as the regular Swordsman - but with a 4” plug fitted somewhere around midships to lengthen it?

The width of the hull is unchanged (?) so the actual hull construction would be more or less the same as the regulator Swordsman model (we based ours on the Aerokits model).

When I get back I will take a look at it again as the longer hull build could be reasonably easy to achieve - if all the other dimensions remain the same?

I know that the superstructure will have the biggest changes to the Swordman, but it is quite tempting to cut a longer keel and see how it looks…….

Bob.

Hi Chris,

I firmly blame Fairey Marine for your dilemma - they made far too many good looking boats.

When I get back next week I will find some suitable wood for the engine mounting platform and get it cut and fitted with mounts etc for the Sprite Plus and make some more progress on that prototype build so it will be “finished and floating” before your Swordsman 37 drawings are ready.

I will also set-up a bandsaw to cut some more hardwood strakes for the ‘37 hull so they are ready and will not slow down the hull build when we are able to make a start on it.

The Swordsman that I am working on has an aft cabin. I based this variant on some pictures that you were kind enough to share with me some time ago, but I am not sure if it has a specific variant name?

This models progress was “ambushed” by the Kopy Kommander project that I took on as a challenge at the time when Will sent me some old broken model boat oddments that he hoped would include some parts for a LesRo Stiletto (!)….its a long storey that has already been recoded elsewhere - but the Stiletto build morphed into a Sea Commander…and this then became another project to solve the strange handling problems that many of the Aerokits designs exhibit when driven briskly with radio controlled steering.

I will take a couple of pictures of my Swordsman build as it is at the moment to see if it can be identified as any specific type.

These pictures will be relevant to this thread as it is the first joint project that we started together, but for some reason (Kopy Kommander) it has been left to “mature” nicely……but it really deserves to receive some attention as it is a good looking Classic Model Power Boat that I know will perform really well.

Bob.

Hi Bob.

Well, it's decision made for me I think. Amongst my original Fairey Marine drawings I found (forgotten about) those for the first Spearfish builds with the wooden top as Fairey referred to it. I shall have to shorten the fibreglass hull a bit to suit my scale 1:12 builds but whatever I build was going to need some alteration. The wooden top versions were around 2 grand more expensive than the all fibreglass boats. The Spearfish hulls used a plug from a rejected Huntsman 31 hull (timber was waxy) with the length reduced by a couple of feet, for what reason no-one knows.


Another reason for building one is that it is very similar to the Huntsman 31 Sport which I was building before converting to the aft cabin version. I know it's very similar to the classic Fairey Marine models rather than pushing the boat out with one of the sleeker fibreglass revivals but it's an itch that's got to be scratched I think! 😀 Though it does mean doing another planked deck! 😮

Drawings won't be too difficult for the Swordsman 37 as I have a drawing for the model showing the plan and side views. As you say modifying the hull from the Aerokits kit should do the job.

It will be awhile before I can make a start on the drawings though as I'm having a break from drawing now and getting on with my existing builds. Also I've got to finish a drawing I've started of an aircraft for a neighbour who's writing a book.

Looking through the Fairey drawings was a bit of a mistake! I've got them for the Super Swordsman - which has a proper aft cabin like the Huntsman 31, and for the naval version of the Huntress which I always fancied building! But I've got 3 Huntresses at the moment!

Chris

Hi Chris,

Building the Swordsman 37 hull from wood (as per the Swordsman) is the way I assumed that we would be doing it - like a slightly lengthened version of the Aerokits hull that we have based our current models on.

I don't think we have any chance of finding a suitable glass fibre hull to use (?), and building it from wood (like the Swordsman) is not likely to be too much of a problem.

The Solent Spear is a beautiful model - but again - I would rather build one from plans out of wood - including the hull.

The rounded and curved edges of the prototypes should not be too difficult to replicate from wood - just a bit more shaping and final finishing that we are used to - but certainly not beyond basic modelling skills.

The Supermarine Spearfish is indeed a beautiful boat, but not one that I fancy making at this point in time - I would much prefer to build a Solent Spear or a Swordsman 37.

Bob.