Swift Engineering#History
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Distinguish|Swift Cooper}}
{{short description|American spacecraft engineering company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Swift Engineering
| logo =Swift_Engineering_logo.svg
| logo_size =
| image = File:Swift Engineering Inc.jpg
| image_caption = Swift Engineering headquarters in San Clemente
| image_size = 300px
| former_name = Swift Racing Cars
| type = Private, Aerospace manufacturer
| genre = Aerospace engineering
| hq_location_city = San Clemente, California
| hq_location_country = United States
|founded = {{Start date and age|1983}}
California, USA
| key_people = {{unbulleted list
| Hiro Matsushita
(CEO and Chairman)
}}
| industry = Aerospace engineering, Aerospace manufacturer, UAS
| products = UAS
UAV
Advance electronic sensors & systems
| area_served = Worldwide
| num_employees = <500
| brands = {{Ill|Swift Crane|simple|Swift Crane}}, {{Ill|Swift Ultra Long Endurance (SULE)|ja|スウィフト- SULE}}
| divisions = Aeronautics Systems
Defense Systems
Mission Systems
Space Systems
| parent = Matsushita International Corp
| owner = Matsushita International Corp (100%)
| subsid = {{unbulleted list
|Swift Xi Inc. (60% ownership){{Cite web|url=https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/newsroom/2018/e77c744e435877be.html|title=US developer and manufacturer of drones. SWIFT Engineering establishes company in Kobe|website=JETRO|access-date=6 October 2021}}
(person-in-charge – Nick Barua){{Cite web|url=
https://medium.com/@incmagazine.seo/nick-barua-creating-opportunities-through-innovation-2e92ea219b16|title=
Nick Barua: Creating Opportunities through Innovation|website=Medium|date=22 March 2024 |access-date= 14 April 2024}}
|Swift Global Communications inc.
}}
|homepage = {{URL|swiftengineering.com}}
}}
Swift Engineering is an American engineering firm that builds autonomous systems, helicopters, submarines, spacecraft, ground vehicles, robotics, and composite parts. The chairman and CEO is Hiro Matsushita, a former racecar driver and grandson of the founder of Panasonic, Konosuke Matsushita.
Swift used to produce racing cars for open-wheel racing series including Formula Ford, Formula Atlantic, the Champ Car World Series and Formula Nippon.
They company has designed and manufactured over 500 race cars.
History
Swift Engineering was founded in 1983 by David Bruns, Alex Cross, R. K. Smith, and Paul White under the name Swift Racing Cars.{{cite web|url=http://www.champcaratlantic.com/News/Article.asp?ID=2108|title=Rekindling The Flame|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060825141549/http://www.champcaratlantic.com/News/Article.asp?ID=2108|archive-date=August 25, 2006}} Their first car, the DB-1, was a Formula Ford which won the SCCA National Championship in its debut race.{{cite web|url=http://www.apexspeed.com/swift/documents/FirstWinNewsRelease.pdf|title=First Win PR|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707152050/http://www.apexspeed.com/swift/documents/FirstWinNewsRelease.pdf|archive-date=2011-07-07}} The company later built cars for Sports 2000, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Atlantic, and CART. Swift chassis won the Atlantic Championship from 1989 to 1992 and British Formula Renault in 1990.
In 1991, Swift was purchased by Panasonic executive and former Indycar racing driver Hiro Matsushita,{{Cite web |last=Henderson |first=Martin |date=1997-09-24 |title=HIRO AT LARGE |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-24-sp-35775-story.html |access-date=2023-03-15 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} grandson of Panasonic founder Konosuke Matsushita,https://www.panasonic.com/global/corporate/history/konosuke-matsushita.html/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106164920/https://www.panasonic.com/global/corporate/history/konosuke-matsushita.html |date=November 6, 2021 }} The Founder, Konosuke Matsushita who renamed the firm Swift Engineering. Under his direction, Swift moved up to the CART World Series for 1997, with two cars entered by Newman/Haas Racing and driven by Michael Andretti and Christian Fittipaldi. In CART, Swifts got four wins and 24 podiums from 182 race entries. Tarso Marques was the last driver to race a Swift chassis in CART in the 2000 season.
In 2000, Swift Engineering started to provide vertically integrated, multi-disciplined product development services including design, development, engineering, testing, and rapid manufacturing of prototypes, demonstrators, and pre-production articles.
In 2018, Swift Engineering formed a joint venture, {{Ill|Swift Xi|lt=Swift Xi Inc.|ja|スウィフト・エックスアイ|fr|Swift Xi}}, with the Kobe Institute of Computing to open its first office abroad in Kobe, Japan.{{anchor|Nick Barua|Nick Barua}} Since 2018, Yale physicist and executive Nick Barua has overseen management.{{cite web|url=https://timeiconic.com/dr-nick-barua-multi-faceted-career-of-yale-physicist-to-japans-business-icon/|title=Dr. Nick Barua: Multi-Faceted Career of Yale Physicist to Japan's Business Icon|date=May 11, 2023 |access-date=August 3, 2023}}
Racing cars
The first Swift racecar was the DB-1 Formula Ford. The car won its debut race, the 1983 SCCA Runoffs at Road Atlanta. The DB-1 was the third car designed by Bruns and was considered to be a design simplification of Burns's previous design, the Automotive Development ADF. The car was considered a landmark design that rendered prior Formula Ford models obsolete. The DB-1 had the lowest aerodynamic drag of any Formula Ford at its release. Over 100 DB-1s were sold in the 18 months following the car's release. The car won 10 Formula Ford championships over the next 13 years. The closely related DB6 won an additional six championships with the last one in 2008. The success of the car was considered one of the factors that resulted in the slow decline of Formula Ford in the US after 1984.{{cite news |last1=Egan |first1=Peter |title=Swift DB-1, Testing the new Formula Ford national champion |publisher=Road and Track |date=March 1984 |pages=61–63}}{{cite book |last1=Nickless |first1=Steve |title=Anatomy & Development of the Formula Ford Race Car |date=1993 |publisher=Motorbooks International |location=Osceola, WI |isbn=087938-807-2 |pages=59–63, 116}}{{cite news |last1=Zurschmeide |first1=Jeff |title=They Can't Do That... Can They? |url=https://www.scca.com/articles/2010089-sportscar-feature-impossible |work=Sports Car Magazine |publisher=SCCA |date=July 2017 |pages=32–37}}
In 1998, Swift became the sole supplier for the new spec regulation Toyota Atlantic Championship. In 2006, the Atlantic race series became a part of the Champ Car (formerly CART) organization and was renamed the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda. Swift built a new car for the series, using 016.a as a chassis code. Swift became the sole supplier of chassis for the Japanese Formula Nippon championship in 2009 with the 017.n chassis (also known as the FN09).{{cite web |url=http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/30/2009-formula-nippon-cars-to-be-made-in-usa/ |title=2009 Formula Nippon cars to be made in USA|date=August 30, 2007 }} An updated model called SF13 was used in 2013. The company proposed a derivative of the 017.n, the 020.I, in response to Indy Lights' requirement for a new chassis for the 2014 season.{{cite web|url=http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-swift-files-2014-indy-lights-proposal/|title=INDYCAR: Swift Files 2014 Indy Lights Proposal|last=Pruett|first=Marshall|date=August 28, 2012|work=SPEED Channel|publisher=Fox Sports|access-date=2012-08-29|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120830013641/http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-swift-files-2014-indy-lights-proposal/|archive-date=August 30, 2012}}
=''Race cars designed and built by Swift''=
Aviation
Beginning in 1997, Swift diversified into aerospace/aviation markets, working with major companies including Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, Sikorsky, and others. Swift has also worked for governmental agencies such as NASA.
=''Notable Aviation products of Swift''=
| class="wikitable"style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;" | |||||
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Name ! scope="col" | Type ! scope="col" | Image ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Northrop Grumman Bat | Reconnaissance UAV | 220px | During experimentation conducted by U.S. Fourth Fleet and Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC), the Northrop Grumman Bat unmanned aircraft system flies over the joint high-speed vessel USNS Spearhead (JHSV-1) during its maiden flight off of a U.S. Navy vessel in the Straits of Florida. | Engineering, Analysis & Manufacturing |
| 2007 | Eclipse ECJ / 400 | Civil utility aircraft | 220px | Eclipse ECJ at Airventure 2007. | Engineering, Analysis & Manufacturing |
| 2013 | Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton | Maritime unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicle and patrol aircraft | 220px | MQ-4C Triton Test Flight with Multi-Intelligence Upgrade | Supporting Northrop Grumman in the design and manufacturing of composite structures. |
| 2015 | Sikorsky S-97 Raider | Reconnaissance and attack compound helicopter | S-97 Raider in flight | Engineering, manufacturing, etc.{{Cite web|url=https://www.swiftengineering.com/product-development/s-97-raider/|title=High-Speed Scout And Attack Compound Helicopter|access-date=26 February 2024}} | |
| 2017 | Echo Voyager | Autonomous underwater vehicle(AUV) | Engineering & Manufacturing (Details are confidential){{cite web|url=https://www.swiftengineering.com/product-development/echo-voyager/|title= Fully Autonomous Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV)|access-date=26 February 2024}} | ||
| 2017 | Swift020/021 | VTOL type UAV | 220px | Swift020 flying over Kobe 2018 | Design, manufacturing |
| 2019 | Sikorsky–Boeing SB-1 Defiant | Compound helicopter | 220px | A Boeing-Sikorsky flight demo of the SB-1 Defiant, the SARA, and the S-97 Raider at the William P. Gwinn airport in West Palm Beach, FL, Feb. 20, 2020. | A major portion of the airframe structure was designed and manufactured at Swift’s facility in San Clemente, California by an integrated team of Swift and Boeing employees.{{cite web|url=https://www.swiftengineering.com/press/swift-joins-sikorsky-boeing-defiant-team/|title= Swift Joins Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant Team To Deliver Next Generation Vertical Lift|access-date=26 February 2024}} |
| 2019 | Sikorsky Raider X | Reconnaissance and attack compound helicopter | Swift Engineering worked with Sikorsky on FARA Raider-X helicopter. A major portion of the airframe structure is designed and manufactured at Swift’s facility in San Clemente, California.{{cite web|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/swift-engineering-selected-design-construction-110000133.html|title= Swift Engineering Selected for the Design and Construction of FARA Airframe for Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company|date= 23 December 2019|access-date=26 February 2024}} | ||
| 2021 | Lockheed Martin X-59 Quesst | Experimental supersonic aircraft | 220px | NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft sits on the ramp at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California during sunrise, shortly after completion of painting. With its unique design, including a 38-foot-long nose, the X-59 was built to demonstrate the ability to fly supersonic, or faster than the speed of sound, while reducing the typically loud sonic boom produced by aircraft at such speeds to a quieter sonic “thump”. The X-59 is the centrepiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which seeks to solve one of the major barriers to supersonic flight over land, currently banned in the United States, by making sonic booms quieter. | Engineering, Analysis & Manufacturing |
| 2021 | Swift Crane | VTOL type UAV | 220px | Swift Crane flying over Awaji Island, Hyogo 2023 | Design, manufacturing< |
| 2021 | {{Ill|Swift Ultra Long Endurance (SULE)|ja|スウィフト- SULE}} | High-altitude platform station | First test flight at Spaceport America in New Mexico, USA in July 2020 | Design, manufacturing |
=Killer Bee=
Swift Engineering designed, built, and delivered the runway-independent Killer Bee blended wing UAV and its mobile launch/retrieval system in 2002. Northrop Grumman bought the Killer Bee UAV product line from Swift Engineering, and renamed it as the Northrop Grumman Bat in April 2009.{{Cite web|url=https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/northropgrummanbat/|title=Bat Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)}} It has been used primarily as an ISR gathering tool, and features a 10-ft wingspan with 30-lb payload capacity.
=Eclipse 400=
In 2007 Swift Engineering produced the prototype Eclipse 400 single-engine jet aircraft under contract to Eclipse Aviation. The aircraft was built in secrecy at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and first flown on 2 July 2007.{{cite web |url=http://www.avweb.com/news/airventure/EAAAirVenture2007_EclipseConceptJet_195692-1.html |title=Eclipse Goes Solo with Concept Jet |access-date=2008-11-15 |last=Trautvetter |first=Chad |date=July 2007}} Swift supplies high-strength, low-weight composite parts and assemblies to several aerospace industry customers. Engineering consultancy and designing and producing tooling for composite parts are further aspects of the business.https://minijets.org/en/300-500/pwc-610f/eclipse-concept-jet/ Eclipse Concept Jet (ECJ)
=Sikorsky–Boeing SB-1 Defiant=
Swift Engineering Inc. joined the Sikorsky-Boeing team in 2015 to support the development of the Sikorsky–Boeing SB-1 Defiant Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR TD), with the design and manufacturing of a significant portion of the airframe structure.{{Cite press release|url=https://www.newswire.com/press-release/swift-joins-sikorsky-boeing-defiant-team-to-deliver-next|title = Swift Joins Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant Team to deliver Next Generation Vertical Lift}}
=Swift020/021=
In 2014, Swift started developing the Swift020 fully electric, fully autonomous VTOL UAS. This aircraft is runway-independent and transitions to horizontal flight through its autopilot software.{{Cite web |last=Press |date=2020-05-01 |title=Swift UAS Teams Break New Ground in Japan |url=https://www.suasnews.com/2020/05/swift-uas-teams-break-new-ground-in-japan/ |access-date=2023-03-15 |website=sUAS News - The Business of Drones |language=en-gb}} the first UAS featuring X-blade technology, made its first fully autonomous flight demonstration in the city of Kobe, Japan on July 21, 2018.{{cite web |title=Swift Engineering Inc. successfully flies VTOL drone Swift020 in Kobe, Japan. |url=https://www.suasnews.com/2018/11/swift-engineering-inc-successfully-flies-vtol-drone-swift020-in-kobe-japan/ |website=sUASNews |date=November 5, 2018 |access-date=12 December 2019}} It takes off and lands like a quadrotor but transitions to efficient fixed-wing forward flight without additional launch and recovery equipment, vastly reducing operational time and cost.{{Cite web|url=https://swiftengineering.com/swift020/|title=Swift021 – A Fully Autonomous VTOL UAS|website=Swift Engineering}}{{Cite web|url=https://dronelife.com/2017/04/29/49104/|title=Swift Engineering's VTOL Solutions for the UAS Industry – the Swift 020|first=Frank|last=Schroth|date=April 29, 2017}} It has a 4-meter wingspan, 2–3 hours of endurance, and a 1.5-kg payload.
=Swift Crane=
The {{Ill|Swift Crane|lt=Swift Crane|ja|スウィフト・クレーン|simple|Swift Crane}} is a VTOL unmanned aerial vehicle designed and developed by Swift Engineering. It is a fixed-wing design and can take off and land vertically. This drone features a large wing and four propellers. Swift Engineering initially released the Swift020 model, which was primarily used for research and development purposes, and later upgraded it to the Swift021. The latest version of the drone, the Swift Crane, is a commercialized variant.{{Cite web |url=https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/long-range-drone-takes-off,-lands-like-a-bird |title=Long-Range Drone Takes Off, Lands like a Bird |access-date=2024-01-29|website=The American Society of Mechanical Engineers}}
=Swift Ultra Long Endurance (SULE)=
In 2018 Swift proposed to design, fabricate, and fly a {{Ill|Swift Ultra Long Endurance (SULE)|ja|スウィフト- SULE}} 30-day mission high-altitude long endurance (HALE) UAS with flight tests including 24-hrs, 48-hrs, and 7-days during the Phase 2 timeline for NASA.{{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/ames/nasa-small-business-partnership-prepares-drone-for-30-day-science-flights/|title= NASA Small Business Partnership Prepares Drone for 30-Day Science Flights|date= August 4, 2020|access-date=2021-11-10}} All operations, ground control, safety, reviews, and payload will be included in these test flights and within the proposed 2-year timeframe.{{cite web|url=https://data.nasa.gov/dataset/Swift-Ultra-Long-Endurance-SULE-Unmanned-Air-Vehic/i9cw-bz9c/data/|title= Swift Ultra Long Endurance (SULE) Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV), Phase II|access-date=2021-11-10}} Swift HALE completed its first test flight from Spaceport America in New Mexico in 2020.{{cite press release |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200720005719/en/American-Swift-High-Altitude-Long-Endurance-UAS-Completes-Landmark-Flight/|title=American made Swift High Altitude Long Endurance UAS Completes Landmark Flight|date=July 20, 2020 |author= Swift Engineering}}
Swift has achieved a remarkable milestone with its SULE (Swift Ultra Long Endurance) aircraft, soaring to an incredible altitude of 55,904 feet above Mean Sea Level (MSL) during a pioneering flight on September 29-30, 2024. This groundbreaking 24-hour journey not only paves the way for scientific exploration and environmental monitoring but also enhances opportunities in defense and aerospace. Taking off from and landing at Spaceport America in New Mexico, this successful flight has more than doubled the aircraft's previous altitude record of 25,000 feet, demonstrating the boundless potential of innovation and exploration.{{cite press release |url=https://www.stateaviationjournal.com/index.php/national-news/swift-engineering-sule-high-altitude-long-endurance-platform-reaches-stratosphere-at-56000-feet-in-24-hour-plus-flight|title=Swift Engineering SULE High-Altitude, Long-Endurance Platform Reaches Stratosphere at 56,000 Feet in 24-Hour-Plus Flight|date=November 21, 2024 |author= Kim Stevens|access-date=2024-12-03}}
Naval technology
=XLUUV submarine=
In 2017, Swift Engineering designed, fabricated, and delivered QTY 10, 10-ft Iridium NEXT payload adapter cylinders, and structures for a 50 ft. XLUUV unmanned submarine.
Structure
Swift Engineering is the parent of a diverse set of subsidiaries.
| class = "wikitable"
! Subsidiary ! Business !Executive Leader |
| Swift Xi Inc.
| Engineering Company |{{anchor|Nick Barua|Nick Barua}} Nick Barua - COO{{cite web|url= https://forbesae.com/From-the-Stars-to-the-Boardrooms-Dr-Nick-Baruas-Meteoric-Rise-in-the-Executive-Leadership|title=Nick Barua’s Meteoric Rise in the Executive Leadership|date=May 13, 2025 |access-date=May 13, 2025}} |
Recognitions
- 2012: Swift Engineering received the JEC Americas Innovation Award for its out-of-autoclave process{{Cite web|url=http://www.jeccomposites.com/about-jec/press-releases/jec-innovation-awards-program-2012-13-companies-rewarded-their-composite|title=JEC Innovation Awards Program 2012 - 13 companies rewarded for their composite innovations|date=February 16, 2012|website=JEC Group}}
- 2012: Northrop Grumman Small Business Supplier of the Year, awarded from 1500 suppliers
- 2013: Swift Engineering has been chosen as a "Best in Class" A&D Company to Watch by Aviation Week{{Cite web|url=https://archive.aviationweek.com/issue/20131111|title=Aviation Week — November 11/18 2013|website=Aviation Week | The Complete Archive}}
- 2018: Swift proposed to design, fabricate, and fly a Swift Ultra Long Endurance (SULE) 30-day mission HALE UAS with flight tests including 24-hrs, 48-hrs, and 7-days during the Phase 2 timeline for NASA. All operations, ground control, safety, reviews, and payload will be included in these test flights and within the proposed 2-year timeframe.{{Cite web|url=https://data.nasa.gov/dataset/Swift-Ultra-Long-Endurance-SULE-Unmanned-Air-Vehic/i9cw-bz9c/data/|title=Swift Ultra Long Endurance (SULE) Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV), Phase II}}
- 2019: Swift Engineering has been selected out of 25 companies around the world to install a UAS academy for the Ministry of National Security (Bahamas), to deploy a suite of drones to support the country's command, control, communication, and ISR efforts.{{Cite web|url=https://thenassauguardian.com/govt-signs-17-mil-contract-for-drones/|title=Govt signs $17 mil. contract for drones|date= 17 December 2019|access-date=14 January 2021|website=The Nassau Guardian}}
- 2019: Swift is delivering a pair of low-cost (90% reduction), low-weight (50% reduction) telepresence robotic arm replacements to NASA for their Valkyrie humanoid robotic assembly.
- 2019: Swift Engineering has been selected for the design and construction of Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) Airframe for Sikorsky.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/2019-12-23/swift-engineering-selected-for-the-design-and-construction-of-fara-airframe-for-sikorsky-a-lockheed-martin-company|title=Swift Engineering Selected for the Design and Construction of FARA Airframe for Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company|date=23 December 2019|access-date=14 January 2021|newspaper=Bloomberg.com}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Swift Engineering}}
- [https://www.nasa.gov/feature/ames/nasa-small-business-partnership-prepares-drone-for-30-day-science-flights/ NASA]
- [http://thebridge.jp/en/2018/06/transform-africa-summit-2018-1/ The Bridge]
- [https://forbesjapan.com/articles/detail/27330/1/1/1/ Forbes Japan]
{{Swift Engineering}}
{{Race cars built by Swift Engineering}}
{{Hiroyuki Matsushita}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Sports car manufacturers
Category:Aircraft manufacturers of the United States
Category:American racecar constructors
Category:Aerospace companies of the United States
Category:Engineering companies of the United States
Category:Unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturers