Saab 35 Draken: Difference between revisions
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===Movie Apearances=== |
===Movie Apearances=== |
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A US private owned Draken where shown in the movie [[ |
A US private owned Draken where shown in the movie [[Fire birds]] where it starred as the air force of a drug cartell. |
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==Variants== |
==Variants== |
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Revision as of 14:44, 16 October 2007
- This article is about a Swedish fighter aircraft. For the fictional cartoon character, see Doctor Drakken.
The Saab 35 Draken ("Draken" is Swedish for "The kite", but can also mean "The Dragon") or Saab 35 is a Swedish fighter aircraft manufactured by Saab between 1955 and 1974. The Draken was built to replace the Saab J 29 Tunnan and, later, the fighter variant (J 32B) of the Saab Lansen. The indigenous J 35 was an effective supersonic Cold War fighter that was also successful as an export product. Although out of service today, the Draken was influential as the first in a line of highly-sophisticated Saab fighters.
Design and development
As the jet era started, Sweden foresaw the need for a jet fighter that could intercept bombers at high altitude and also take on fighters. Although other interceptors such as the US Air Force's F-104 Starfighter were being conceived during the same period, Saab's "Draken" would have to undertake a combat role unique to Sweden. Other demanding requirements were the capability to operate from public roads, used as temporary airfields and for refueling/rearming to be carried out in no more than ten minutes, even by conscripts with minimum training. In September 1949, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration issued a request for a fighter/interceptor aircraft, and work began at Saab the same year.
Draken's design incorporated a distinctive "double-delta" configuration, with one delta wing within another larger delta. The inner wing has an 80° angle for high speed performance, while the outer 60° wing gives good performance at low speeds. Propulsion was provided by a single Svenska Flygmotor RM6B/C turbojet (Rolls-Royce Avon 200/300). A ram turbine, under the nose, provided emergency power and the engine had a built-in emergency starter unit. The Draken could deploy a drag chute to reduce its landing distance.
The double-delta shape was so revolutionary that it warranted the only sub-scale test aircraft built in Sweden: the Saab 210, unofficially nicknamed "Lilldraken" (the little kite). The Saab 210 tested the concept of the double delta, first flying on 21 January 1952. The 210's successful testing results led to an order for three full-size Draken prototypes. The first prototype, not fitted with an afterburner, made its maiden flight on 25 October 1955. The second prototype, equipped with an afterburner, on its first flight, unintentionally broke the sound barrier while climbing.[1]
Operational history
Although not designed to be a dogfighter, the J 35 Draken proved to have good instantaneous turn capability and was a very capable fighter. It entered service in 1960 with the Swedish Air Force; 644 Saab Drakens were built for Sweden as well as other European nations. Sweden's Draken fleet came in six different variants while two Draken models were offered for export. The early models were intended purely for air-defense, but the J 35D introduced a ground attack capability. The last model built was the J 35F, the final variant to remain in Swedish service. These aircraft have now been retired and replaced by the Saab Gripen.
The J 35 Draken design underwent several upgrades. The last was the J 35J version, in the late 1980s, although by then, the Draken had been almost totally replaced by the Saab Viggen in Swedish service. The J 35J was a service-life extension program since the delivery of the new Saab JAS 39 Gripen was still in the development stage and suffering from delivery delays. The extension program was to keep the Draken flying into the 2000s, but due to cutbacks and high maintenance costs the Draken was eventually phased out. The Swedish Drakens were officially retired in December 1998, although the type remains in limited numbers in both military and civilian versions. Export customers included Denmark and Finland. In 1985, the Austrian Air Force purchased 24 J35D s totaly reconditioned by Saab, designnated J 35Ö.
All Drakens are interceptors with limited air-to-ground capability, with the sole exception of the Danish Drakens, which are strike aircraft capable of carrying AGM-12 Bullpup missiles, advanced "jammers", and increased internal and external fuel stores. The Danish Drakens are so far the heaviest of the series to have been in service. Danish F-35 aircraft were retired in 1993.
Finland updated its 35X fleet with new avionics, cockpit displays, navigational/attack systems and electronic countermeasures during the 1990s but finally retired the Draken in 2000.
Austria was the last country to operate the Draken in military service, and these were retired in 2005, when they were replaced by Swiss Tiger IIs, while waiting for its Eurofighters.
In the United States, the National Test Pilot School (NTPS) owns six Drakens that were formerly in Danish service; of these, two TF 35XD s and one RF 35XD are operational, based at the Mojave Spaceport.
Movie Apearances
A US private owned Draken where shown in the movie Fire birds where it starred as the air force of a drug cartell.
Variants
Proof of concept
- Saab 210 Draken
- (also known as Lilldraken; "the little kite") - A scaled-down, "proof of concept" experimental aircraft to evaluate the double-delta wing configuration, not specifically a Draken variant but included here for sequence purposes.
Full-size Drakens
- J 35A
- Fighter version, total production: 90. The J 35As were delivered between 1959-1961. The tail section was lengthened after the 66th aircraft to house a new afterburner for additional thrust. This forced the installation of a retractable tail-wheel. The two versions were nicknamed Adam kort (Adam short) and Adam lång (Adam long).
- J 35B
- Fighter version, built and delivered between 1962-1963, total production: 73. This variant had improved radar and gun sights, and was also fully integrated into the Swedish STRIL 60 system; a combat guidance and air surveillance system. A number of J 35As were rebuilt into J 35B standard.
- SK 35C
- 25 J 35As with short tail sections rebuilt into a twin-seated trainer version. The minor modification meant that the aircraft could easily be converted back to a J 35A standard if necessary. The trainer version lacked armament.
- J 35D
- Fighter version, delivered between 1963-1964, total production: 120. The aircraft had a new and more powerful Rolls-Royce Avon 300 (RM 6C), which could deliver 77.3 kN thrust when using its afterburner. This was also the fastest Draken version, and capable of accelerating until out of fuel.
- S 35E
- Reconnaissance version, total production: 60. The radar and the armament had been removed and several cameras (of ortho and oblique types) fitted. A total of 28 aircraft were re-built J 35Ds.
- J 35F
- Fighter version, delivered between 1965 and 1972, total production: 230. This variant had improved electronics and avionics, e.g. integrated radar, aim and robot systems. The aircraft variant could be armed with more types of weapons and more efficient weapons, but one of the cannons was removed to give space for electronics. The J 35F2 was a J 35F, produced with a Hughes Aircraft Company N71 infra red sensor, a so-called IR seeker. This was a change in the production line fron the no 35501 airframe.
- J 35J
- In 1985 the Swedish government decided to modify 54 J35F2's to J35J standard in 1987 12 more modifications where ordered. Between 1987 and 1991, the aircrafts were given a longer lifespan, more modern electronics, a modernized cannon, an additional 2 sidewinder pylons under the air intakes and increased fuel capacity. The final operative J 35J flew for the last time in 1999.
- SAAB 35H
- Proposed export version for the Swiss Air Force; none sold or delivered to Switzerland.
- SAAB 35XD
- Danish export versions: F-35 single-seat Strike Aircraft, TF-35 two-seat trainer and RF-35 reconnaissance aircraft. The type has been heavilly modified to make it into a strike aircraft compared the the Swedish versions.
- SAAB 35XS
- Fighter version for the Finnish Air Force; built by Saab and assembled under licence by Valmet in Finland.
- SAAB 35BS
- Used J 35Bs sold to Finland.
- SAAB 35DS
- Used J 35Ds sold to Finland.
- SAAB 35CS
- Used SK 35Cs sold to Finland.
- SAAB 35Ö
- In the mid 1980s, SAAB purchased back 24 J 35D aircraft from the Swedish Air Force and converted them into the J 35Ö version (also called J 35OE in English literature). These were later exported to Austria.
Proposed Modifications
Before it had been decided to develop the JAS 39 Gripen in the late 70's an intensive study work was undertaken on a AJ35 modification for the remaining S35E and J35F variants whose main goal was to gove the aircrafts strike capabilities while waiting for a replacement for the AJ37 Viggen
- 35 MOD Level 4
- The most ambitious modification in the programe. The proposed modifications where, new outer wing, aditional weapon stations, RBS 15 capability, the adition of cannards by the air intakes for increased maneuverability, maximum take-off weight increased to 15.000kg.
- 35 MOD Level 1b
- Esentially the aircraft that became the J35J
The total number of Drakens produced and delivered: 644.[1]
Operators
Saab 35 Draken was withdrawn from military use in 2005.
- Fliegerregiment 2
- Staffel 1
- Staffel 2
- No. 725 Squadron
- No. 729 Squadron
- HavLLv 11
- HavLLv 21
- F 1
- F 3
- F 4
- F 10
- F 11
- F 12
- F 13
- F 16
- F 17 Kallinge
- F 18
- F 21
Although withdrawn from military use, several aircraft today fly in the civil circuit, mainly in USA.
Specifications (J 35F Draken)
Data from The Great Book of Fighters[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: One
Performance
- Thrust/weight: 0.70
- Takeoff roll: 650 m (2,133 ft)
Armament
- 1x 30 mm M-55 ADEN cannon with 100 rounds (2x 30 mm M-55 ADEN cannon with 90 rounds each in earlier models)
- Four hardpoints for either fuel tanks or air-to-air missiles
- Rb 24, Rb 27 and Rb 28 air-to-air missiles
- 75 mm rocket pods
- 135mm rockets
- 55, 220, 500, and 1,000 pound bombs
- Maximum ordnance 2,900 kg (6,393 lb)
References
- Dorr, Robert F.; Francillon, René J. and Miller, Jay. Saab J35 Draken (Aerofax Minigraph no.12). Arlington, TX: Aerofax Inc., 1987. ISBN 0-942548-17-5.
- Jørgensen, Jan. Saab 35 Draken: Scandinavian "Cold War" Warrior. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1997. ISBN 1-853107-29-8.
- Laukkanen, Jyrki. Saab 35 Draken in Finnish Air Force (Suomen Ilmavoimien lentokoneet, osa 3). (in Finnish)
External links
Related content
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
Sources
- Books
"Draken" by "Bo Widfeldt" ISBN 91-971605-4-7