Globe Swift
« AIRCRAFTLiving up to its name
Built in 1946, the Globe Swift was first produced to take advantage of the post-Second World War demand for personal aircraft with fighter performance. The original design, the Swift GC-1, was approved in 1942 but not put into production until after the war. It started as the "home-built" design of R.S. "Pop" Johnson of Fort Worth, Texas, first prototyped in 1940.
In 1946, Globe produced about 500 of its low-wing Swift design. The company reached the limit of its resources, and entered into a manufacturing agreement with TEMCO, the Texas Engineering and Manufacturing Corp., who produced a whopping 833 Swifts in just six months.
Aside from seeking a civilian market, the Globe Swift competed to become the first post-war piston-engined military trainer. After some consideration about the need for a piston trainer, the USAF decided that a high-performance transitional aircraft was necessary. The Swift lost out to the soon-to-be venerable Beechcraft T-34 Mentor. Interestingly, the TEMCO company did succeed in winning the first contract for a jet trainer. The TEMCO Model 51 Pinto beat out, who else, the Beech Jet Mentor, to provide 15 trainers to the U.S. Navy in the early 1950s.
The Swift went out of major production in 1951 when the parts and plans were sold by TEMCO to Univar Aircraft. Univar eventually turned over its parts business for the Swifts in 1980 to the Swift Museum Foundation. While it did not become a primary trainer for the U.S. military, the Swift did see service in numerous European air forces ranging from Belgium to Spain.
As a result of losing the prop battle with Beech, about 1,500 of the sleek, two-seat aircraft were produced. It gained the reputation of being a high-strung and unforgiving aircraft, particularly with a nasty reputation for ground looping. The reputation has considerable basis is fact -- very few Swifts in existence have not suffered at least one ground loop. For the advanced pilot; however, the Swift is a enjoyable, graceful aircraft. Few airplanes evoke as much enthusiasm from its loyal owners than the Swift, nor have many airframes drawn the same negative reaction from critics.
The original Swift was produced with a puny 85 horsepower Continental. As the production line ran up, it became clear more power was needed resulting in the use of the Continental O-300 engine, generating 145 horsepower, and a similar power Lycoming. With an empty weight of 1,375 pounds, the production Swifts were still slightly underpowered for their "fighter" reputation. The model on display at the Arkansas Air Museum is equipped with a Continental O-360 rated at 210 horsepower.
