Why the Swordfish can survive unexpected damage

The Swordfish's fabric-covered construction behaves differently under fire from an aircraft that depends on stressed metal skin. A hole in stressed skin can reduce structural strength, while a local tear in fabric may remain more limited. Some cannon shells may also pass through fabric without triggering on contact. This is offered as a tentative informal explanation rather than a full engineering analysis, and enough hits or fire would still destroy the aircraft. The distinction helps explain how an aircraft obsolete in speed and layout could survive some kinds of battle damage.