Fairey Swordfish 3D model

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The Fairey Swordfish was a 1930s torpedo bomber biplane that played a frontline role for the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy. Despite being hardly faster than the old WW I SPADs and Nieuports, it remained effective by the time it entered service in 1936. With its outdated design, it managed to sink more tonnage than any other Allied plane during World War II and served from the beginning until the end of the war. The Swordfish made a significant impact on key missions, including the attack on the strategic Italian port of Taranto and a critical strike that led to the sinking of the famous German battleship Bismarck. In addition to its torpedo bomber role, it could serve as a dive-bomber, perform night missions, and pioneered the use of Air to Surface Vessel (ASV) radar technology. Its unique versatility earned it the nickname "Stringbag" due to its ability to carry an unlikely combination of loads, a reference to a housewife's string shopping bag common at the time, meant as a compliment.