Saab Aircraft Discussion

[nuclear944]

Since Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget was an aircraft factory after all, I think it's about time we talked about their history. I am an Aviation buff/historian with about 300hrs of GA private flight time. Would love to hear from anyone with similar interests!

Feel free to share any info/interesting facts about a Saab aircraft. Later in the thread we can start talking about non-saab aircraft.

[nuclear944]

I'll start;

This is the Saab 90 Scandia. It was a civil passenger aircraft. It was produced from 1946 to 1954. It used american pratt & whitney R-2000 radial engines. It was very similar to the DC-3 with the exception of the tricycle gear configuration.
Only one remains today out of 18 built total. Five were lost in crashes with three of those crashes being fatal.



The planes in the background seem to be British Bristol Viscounts.

[nuclear944]

Santos Dumont Airport in Rio is named after the disputed inventer of the airplane. The Wright Brothers claim that but Santos Dumont made the first flight exhibition in Europe (Paris).

Yes, there are many disagreements on who invented the airplane, but the important thing is how you define "airplane".
There was a first powered aircraft, a first controllable aircraft, and a first inherently stable aircraft. It's a mystery who managed to combine all of these traits for the first time.

[nordwulf]

You can win a flight in a Gripen at an airshow in India.

Answer questions and fly an advanced fighter jet



New Delhi: A Swedish defense firm has brought to Indian combat aircraft lovers an opportunity to fly one of the world's most advanced multi-role fighter jet after answering some questions posted on the company's website. The winner will be flown in SAAB's most advanced multi-role fighter aircraft, the Gripen, during the Feb 9-13 Aero India air show in Bangalore.

All a contestant needs to do is simply answer a set of questions or fly any flight simulation of the Gripen at Welcome GripenTopGun, a company statement said.

'The Gripen Top Guns contest has an amateur and professional level challenge to test the knowledge of aircraft buffs while providing an opportunity to enter their best flying effort on the Gripen and take a shot at flying the real Gripen,' the statement said.

'The Gripen game entries will be judged by top Swedish and Indian pilots to select a few who will get a shot at flying the real Gripen aircraft simulator. Out of the five chosen simulator pilots, one will get to fly the real thing: the JAS 39 Gripen.'

To top it, for those not really interested in the technical end but love the look and feel of the aircraft, the Gripen Top Guns contest opens a Model Hunt in which 12 participants will make it to the first ever Gripen India calendar.

Three Gripen aircraft will be arriving in Bangalore for the air show.

'We believe that more the people of India get to see and understand the complex technologies that make flying and guarding the skies both simple and effective, the more will be the appreciation of the history of Swedish aircraft technology and Swedish technologies,' Edvard de la Motte, campaign director, Gripen International India said in the statement.

Apart from the grand prize of a flight in the Gripen, the contest has a host of prizes for those who get it right and win in the draw of lots, including Gripen fighter pilot flying suits, Gripen aviator glasses, Gripen exclusive calendars signed by Swedish test pilots as well as Gripen goodies, including Gripen key tags, badges, stickers and pens.

[nordwulf]

The photo in the last post is not a Gripen but an Indian designed Tejas fighter.

Oops, my bad. I copied the picture from the article without checking. Post updated with new picture.