Budget Buy: A plane of many mods

THE REAL WORLD

Steve Wilson of Granbury, Texas, lives on the Pecan Plantation Airpark, 35 miles southwest of Fort Worth. He bought a 145-horsepower Globe Swift that was built in 1946 but sat unsold in the Globe factory until Temco took over and refurbished it into a 1948 Temco Swift. His advice? Get someone who has Swift time to check you out. “Our biggest loss in Swifts are high-time pilots, low time in type.” He said it isn’t hard to fly, but it flies like airplanes did 70 years ago. He also said once the aircraft is set up properly, it is nearly maintenance-free. He estimates that the Swift will require $125 per hour to operate and own. He also owns a 210-horsepower Swift that burns about 9.5 gallons per hour (and he has two more Swifts in restoration). His 145-horsepower Swift goes 120 knots, while the 210-horsepower Swift goes 140 knots and got him safely to Alaska and back. Bo Mabry of Beaufort, South Carolina, suggests getting a mechanic specializing in Swifts before you buy to help you make the right selection. “It’s not what I would call the best crosswind airplane, but it is a very straightforward airplane.” Let the mechanic verify the paperwork for the modifications the aircraft is sure to have. “It’s a sweet-flying airplane, very light on the controls,” Mabry said. He has a 180-horsepower engine in his Swift. He sees 145 knots true airspeed and adds that many owners have closed the original slots in the leading edge of the wing that were added for lift, added a more aerodynamic cowling, and streamlined the wheel wells for more speed. Dave Carpenter of Berea, Kentucky, said it is rare to find a Swift with an airworthiness directive that has not been completed. “Swifts are a very personal airplane. They are almost like a homebuilt. The person that works on your airplane must know and understand a Swift,” he said.

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