| Saab 29 Tunnan | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| General information | |
| Type | Fighter |
| National origin | Sweden |
| Manufacturer | Saab AB |
| Primary users | Swedish Air Force |
| Number built | 661 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1948–1956 |
| Introduction date | 1951 |
| First flight | 1 September 1948 |
| Retired | 1976 |
The Saab 29 Tunnan (The Barrel), colloquially also Flygande Tunnan (The Flying Barrel),[Nb 1][1][2] is an early jet-powered fighter aircraft designed and produced by the Swedish aircraft manufacturer Saab. It was the second turbojet-powered combat aircraft to be developed in Sweden, the first being the Saab 21R, and it was the first Western European fighter to be produced with a swept wing after the Second World War, only being preceded in Western Europe as a whole by the Messerschmitt Me 262 built during the conflict.[3][4]
Work on what would become the Tunnan commenced in late 1945. The design, internally designated R 1001, had a barrel-like fuselage, giving it a distinctive rotund appearance, from which its name is derived. A relatively thin swept wing configuration was adopted after wartime aerodynamic research from Germany indicated its favourable high speed qualities. It was powered by the recently-developed de Havilland Ghost turbojet engine. The Swedish Air Force placed an initial order for three prototypes under the service designation J 29 during Autumn 1946. On 1 September 1948, the first prototype performed its maiden flight; flight testing proved the aircraft to exceed performance estimates in several aspects.
During May 1951, Bråvalla Wing (F 13) received the first production aircraft.[3] Five principal variants of the Tunnan were produced; the first model to enter service being the J 29A fighter, the more capable J 29B and J 29E fighters, and finally the afterburner-equipped J 29F fighter, which was the final fighter variant to be built. A dedicated aerial reconnaissance model, the S 29C, was also operated. During the 1960s, several J 29Bs saw combat while stationed in the Republic of Congo as Sweden's contribution to a UN peacekeeping mission (ONUC). The Austrian Air Force also operated the type. In service, the J 29 proved to be relatively fast and agile. The Swedish Air Force operated the type in both fighter and fighter-bomber roles into the 1970s.
Cite error: There are <ref group=Nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=Nb}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Nilsson 2012.
- ^ Project:s Saab Historic Milestones, Saab, 23 March 2014, Swedish naming of aircraft
- ^ a b Boyne 2002, p. 547.
- ^ "1940s." Saab, Retrieved: 27 March 2016.