Aircraft hub · 1934

Fairey Swordfish

The ‘Stringbag’: a biplane that crippled the Bismarck and sank more Axis tonnage than any other Allied aircraft. The gazetteer currently lists it at 3 UK museums.

3
Museums
1934
First flight
2,391
Built
139 mph
Top speed
Second World War
Era

Last verified 2026-07-11 against the gazetteer Compendium. Airframes move — confirm on museum pages before travel.

On charge

Where to see the Fairey Swordfish in the UK

The gazetteer records 3 Fairey Swordfish airframes (including cockpit sections and replicas where noted) across 3 UK collections, in 3 regions: East of England, South West England, Northern Ireland.

MuseumCityRegionAirframes recorded
Fleet Air Arm Museum Yeovil South West England Fairey Swordfish II HS618 wears P4139
IWM Duxford Cambridge East of England Fairey Swordfish NF370
Ulster Aviation Society (Maze Long Kesh) Lisburn Northern Ireland Fairey Swordfish II HS503
Computed from the survey

Collection context

Types you’ll see alongside

Blackburn Buccaneer, de Havilland Vampire, Harrier family, McDonnell Douglas Phantom, Westland Wessex.

Where the type is thickest

East of England has 1 collection recording the type.

Marks and variants recorded

Fairey Swordfish II HS503.

Type notes

The Fairey Swordfish in brief

TypeFairey Swordfish
UK museums holding one3
Airframes recorded in this survey3

Serials are the gazetteer's survey snapshot of what each collection records on charge — restorations move between workshops and reserve hangars, so check the museum page for opening times and current display status before travelling. Every type across all 118 museums is indexed in the Compendium.

Aircraft questions

Frequently asked

How many Fairey Swordfish airframes are left in the UK?

The Aviation Gazetteer records 3 Fairey Swordfish airframes in UK collections.

Which museum has the most Fairey Swordfish airframes?

Fleet Air Arm Museum has the most in this survey, with 1 recorded airframe.

CompendiumGazetteer