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| 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 due to being powered by the recently-developed de Havilland Ghost turbojet engine, giving it the 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. 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. A dedicated aerial reconnaissance model, the S 29C, was also produced. 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.