![]() ![]() Rolling off a Swedish assembly plant back in 1964, this Draken is not the oldest nor the youngest in the fleet. Let's take a look at one of the very first of these civilian Drakens we've come across so far. But all that means is these timeless classics of Swedish aviation are starting to creep their way into the civilian market. The Swedish Drakens were officially retired in December 1998, although the aircraft remained in limited numbers in both military and civilian roles.It's been over 15 years since the last Saab Draken was retired from services with the Austrian Air Force. The extension program was intended to keep the Draken flying into the 2000s, but due to cutbacks and high maintenance costs, the Draken was eventually phased out of service. The J 35J was a service-life extension program because the delivery of the new Saab JAS 39 Gripen was suffering from delays. The last was the J 35J version, made in the late 1980s, although by then, the Draken had been almost replaced by the Saab 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force. The J 35 Draken design underwent several upgrades. These aircraft were retired in the 1990s, and they were replaced by the Saab Gripen. The last model built was the J 35F, the final version to remain in Swedish service. The early models were intended purely for air defense. Sweden's fleet of Drakens came in six different versions and two other models of the Draken were offered for export. A total of 651 Saab Drakens were manufactured. It entered service with the Swedish Air Force in 1960. The Draken could deploy a drag chute to reduce its landing distance.Īlthough the J 35 Draken was not designed to be a dog-fighter, it proved to have a good quick turn capability, and it was a capable fighter plane. A ram turbine, under the nose, provided emergency power and the engine had a built-in emergency starter unit. Propulsion was provided by a single Svenska Flygmotor RM 6B/C turbojet (Rolls-Royce Avon 200/300). The inner wing has an 80° angle for high speed performance, while the outer 60° wing gives good performance at low speeds. In September 1949, the Swedish Defence Material Administration issued a request for a fighter/interceptor aircraft, and work began at Saab the same year.ĭraken's design incorporated a distinctive "double-delta" configuration, with one delta wing within another larger delta. Other demanding requirements were the capability to operate from reinforced public roads used as part of wartime airbases, and for refuelling/rearming to be carried out in no more than ten minutes, by conscripts with minimal training. 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. The indigenous J 35 was an effective supersonic Cold War fighter that was also successfully exported to Austria, Denmark and Finland.Īs the jet era started, Sweden foresaw the need for a jet fighter that could intercept bombers at high altitude and also successfully engage fighters. The Draken was built to replace the Saab J 29 Tunnan and, later, the fighter variant (J 32B) of the Saab 32 Lansen. The Saab 35 Draken (English: "Kite" or "Dragon") was a Swedish fighter aircraft manufactured by Saab between 19. You can always help out with the Draken! Donate today! The aircraft was transported from Chino, CA to Paso Robles and awaits restoration. This particular aircraft was part of the Royal Danish Air Forces and last saw service at the National Test Pilot School at the Mojave Spaceport. The aircraft was manufactured between 1959 to 1985 and phased out of service in 1999. Manufactured by Saab of Sweden, the Draken was a front line Mach 1.7 fighter aircraft, equipped with a distinctive double delta wing. Svenska Flygmotor RM6C licence built Rolls-Royce Avon Turbo JetĮstrella Warbirds Museum recently received a donation of an RF-35, Draken. North American SNJ-5C AT 6D Cashen Texan. ![]()
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