Fairey Swordfish Mk II, LS326, 836 Sqn FAA, 'L' Flight, MAC Ship Rapana, North Atlantic Convoys, 1943 (and restored with RNHF Yeovilton) (1:72)

During WWII the Atlantic convoys suffered great losses and in large part that was due to the lack of air cover. There were simply not enough Carriers for the job. The solution was to use grain and oil carriers fitted with a flight deck whilst still able to carry their usual cargos. These ships carried a flight of three or four Swordfish armed with rocket projectiles or depth charges.

The Swordfish used on these ships were all part of 836 Sqn which provided flights for 19 MAC ships with a total of over eighty aircraft making it the largest ever Fleet Air Arm squadron. They operated in frequently atrocious weather conditions with maintenance work often carried out on the open flight decks.

LS326 was one of these aircraft on board HMS Rapana. She is a survivor and still flies today as the founder member of the Fleet Air Arm Historic Flight and has been repainted in her original wartime colours.