Sword Models 1/72 Shorts SB 6 Seamew Review

Added: 2026-05-15

[00:00:05][music] >> Hello and welcome to Flory Models Kit Review Time. Today we've got Sword Models 1/72 scale Seamew.

[00:00:22]Mew, mew, whichever way you do it. It's a weird looking thing, I think you'll agree.

[00:00:28]Um it didn't actually make operational service, but it has got quite an interesting backstory to it. And I will link it in a YouTube video we found on it down below in the description. All right, so if you want to know a little bit more about this and like why, um it will answer all your questions cuz it's actually quite an interesting, very short little documentary, but it talks all about this one right the way through. But again, it's one of those ones where you have to tip your hat to Sword because nobody else would do this type of kit. I don't think anybody. So, uh from our point of view as modelers, we're being a little bit sport. So, if you're like a Shorts fan or just like the sort of, you know, the sort of very short-lived stroke sort of what if type aircraft and things like that, then obviously these are your people. So, what have we got?

[00:01:13]We have it's called the uh SB.6 Seamew.

[00:01:17]Uh obviously it was a Royal Navy or aircraft. Uh as I say, it didn't really go operational. Uh it was pulled before that for the reasons you will see in the video. All right, so uh you can see all about it on there. Uh your kit number for this one is SW uh 72157.

[00:01:34]All right, and then down on here as well, you've got some of the the aircraft it did fly with, but I think there was only 20 of these made and most of them were scrapped before they went operational anyway. All right, but again, something a little bit weird, a little bit ugly. Um but uh watch the video and you'll understand why it looks like this all the way through. So, in the box we are greeted by one bag and it's a zip bag this time.

[00:02:00]All right. In here. All right.

[00:02:03]All right. And then what's really nice, obviously being a Sword kit, we've got clear parts, deckles, and a mask set. So again, we've got a die-cut mask set as well for the the numbering and the various things on here. As well as obviously we've got the down in this. We'll look at that in a moment. We've got two sprues.

[00:02:25]out as well.

[00:02:27]And this is Sword. So think of it like a limited run kit. Uh we've got no locating tabs on those ones, unfortunately.

[00:02:36]So over on the instruction, all right, you are greeted by a small pamphlet.

[00:02:44]There we go. So parts call out right the way through here. Obviously clear parts, the mask set as well uh for the actual canopy. And then we are straight off and running in with this one. Crew of two.

[00:02:55]So we're basically getting everything down in here. Front cockpit, rear cockpit situated as well. Those will be a fitted at the top. We've got a little bit of wing spars going through there and the tail wheel and tail wheel hook being fitted onto this one. Two halves of the wings obviously just being sort of clamshelled together and then being fitted onto the main fuselage. Same way it goes with the tail. We've got this sort of um leading edge extension uh type thing uh on the actual front of the wings being fitted. Talks about clear parts being fitted now, but I'm sure you could put them on later. The gear is fixed. So we've got the fixed gear going fitted down on there. And then underneath down on this one, we've got various uh tabs uh and controllers as well for the flaps and the control surfaces. We've got the radar dome underneath. We've got the exhaust being fitted. Obviously main gear. And then over on here we've got the props. Couple of clear parts as well for the lights. And that is your CV together. As I said before, we've got a couple of options. So we've got one from HMS Bulwark 1956.

[00:03:53]And then obviously we've got another one for us when 57 with HMS Warrior. So, it's a couple of options standing in there as well.

[00:04:02]Clear parts and deckles as well. So, as I said before, we've got some of the clear little mat cutting masks as well for the clear parts. You can just about see these are all die cuts, that's very nice indeed. We've got the deckles.

[00:04:17]And again, typical Sword deckles.

[00:04:20]Uh I've got the shorts Seamew for the front and obviously the different versions down in here just like that.

[00:04:27]Whilst we're on the close-up, we will look at the clear parts.

[00:04:31]So, delicate little clear parts. So, we got the forward windscreen.

[00:04:37]And again, good chunk of distance on that, so it's not like it's just a clear part onto it, which is nice. Obviously, the two canopies, and then we've got those navigation lights for the wings being fitted down on there. Very nice indeed. Let's just pop them back in the bag if I'm getting them in.

[00:04:55]Keep those safe.

[00:04:58]All right. Then, we are into the plastic itself. So, large sprues. I have to say, the quality just gets better and better with Sword.

[00:05:07]These are actually not too bad at all.

[00:05:08]Sometimes you can get, you know, a little bit divots and lumps and bumps on the surface. Looks pretty good. The detail on the actual paneling is pretty sharp, crisp. We've got raised details down in here around about the engine area. Tail up in here, we've obviously got a little bit of uh uh corrugated effect down in here. There is a little bit of flash down here on the tail and bits and pieces, but generally, smaller parts down inside all looking very nice.

[00:05:35]Very nice. Little bit of flash on the prop.

[00:05:38]It is what it is. It's from panel looking very nice with the bezels and all the areas. And again, tail planes and the actual rudder down in here as well with the corrugated effect. And there's all normal parts.

[00:05:51]On the blind side, no actual locating tabs or anything else like that. A little bit of internal detail as you can see down in there.

[00:05:58]Typical Sword, really. Very nice. All right. Then we've got the wings. So, wing section. Big old wings. There's no fold option on this, although it did have folded wings. Um but again, if you wanted to, I'm sure you could easily follow the part cut line and go for it.

[00:06:13]But again, surface detail, recess, nice and sharp, looking very nice. The corrugations look very, very good as well.

[00:06:20]Tail planes as well. Let's see it on the other wing. It looks pretty good.

[00:06:25]Very nice. Not too much flash on it.

[00:06:27]Just needs a little bit of a tidy up and a sort out around the edges.

[00:06:31]Looks okay. On the inside, there's no real details at all as you might expect.

[00:06:36]So, uh very nice.

[00:06:39]There you have it. If you want something interesting, this is definitely the kit for you. And I highly recommend watching the video that's linked down below. It's nothing to do with me, but uh it explains why it looks the way it does.

[00:06:52]And why it didn't last very long, either. And why it killed its test pilot. Anyway, apart from that, I'm sure it's a lovely aircraft, but there's none around, either, apparently. So, if you do want one, the only way you're going to see it is in model form, which is quite a nice touch. So, anyway, there we go. That is the Sword 72nd scale SB6 Seamew.

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