SAAB 37 Viggen "Thunderbolt" - Thinking Outside The Box

The Saab 37 Viggen (Swedish: "Thunderbolt") was a Swedish single-seat, single-engine, short-medium range fighter aircraft and attack aircraft, manufactured between 1970 and 1990. Several variants were produced to perform the roles of all-weather fighter-interceptor, ground attack, and photo-reconnaissance, as well as a two-seat trainer.
The Viggen was initially developed as a replacement for the Saab 32 Lansen in attack role and later the Saab 35 Draken fighter role. The first studies were between 1952 and 1957 by legendary Finnish aircraft designer Aarne Lakomaa. Several different concepts were studied involving both single and twin engines and with separate lift engines, both simple and double delta wings with canard wings. The aim was to produce a robust aircraft with excellent short-runway performance that could be operated from numerous specially prepared roads and highways to reduce the vulnerability in the event of war. Other requirements included supersonic ability at low level, Mach 2 performance at altitude, and the ability to make short landings at low angles of attack (to avoid damaging improvised runways). To meet these design goals Saab selected a radical configuration: a conventional delta wing with small, high-set canard wings.
The Viggen was powered by a single Svenska Flygmotor RM 8 turbofan. This was essentially a license-built variant of the Pratt & Whitney JT8D "Iroquois" engine with an afterburner an incorporated thrust-reverser to use during landings and land maneuvers, which, combined with the aircraft having flight capabilities approaching a limited STOL-like performance. This enabled operations from 500m airstrips with minimal support. The thrust reverser could be pre-selected in the air to engage when the nose-wheel strut was compressed after touchdown. Only the Viggen and the Panavia Tornado featured both afterburners and thrust-reversers.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• military
• aircraft
• extreme
• action
• defense
• technology

[bartjooh]

It's driving backward on it's own! How cool is that! :D

[BlueThunderPatriot]

It uses the reverse thrusters to reverse so quickly. This aircraft was purposely designed for quick turnaround and short uneven [gravel, dirt, grass, woodland] field services.

[KekkonenKalasti]

Swedes have a consistently peculiar way of using their own radar info and going in and out of Finnish/Swedish airspace when flying against the Finnish F-18. Against pilots who have a proud history of decades of Saab aircraft. It's just silly. Like Finland or Sweden would pose a threat to each other. Idiots.

[BlueThunderPatriot]

Trainig my man is the key to all combat. What do you think Top Gun is: Americans against Americans, Germans, Russians, French or Canadians. It's all about the knowledge and experience. Sometimes the greatest lessons are the closest at hand.

[KekkonenKalasti]

Was the viggen ever sold as a stike aircratft outside of Sweden? I know Saab tried their best to sell it to Finland but it was a bit out of our policy at that time. And a pure strike aircraft still is.

[BlueThunderPatriot]

Not to my knowledge; However surprisingly the Pratt & Whittney they used was purchased from Canada from the ARROW super fighter project....Bet the Canadians really kicked themselves over that one!

[muzzers1]

The most amazing aircraft. Powerful, noisy and beautiful in the way only a jet fighter can look - and what an amazing short landing, turn and take-off. Sweden you have got to be proud of her!!

[Gurkmomma]

LOVE VIGGEN LOOOVVVEEEEE ITTTTT.. I grew up having Viggen´s flying over my head now only have commercial airplanes flying over my head... Greetings from the Jamtland republic in Sweden :b

[kulmedfarbrorful]

They didnt want eyes poppin out, cause the G's was the double as in the spacec.... That is cool.... I feel 5-6g as a poop,,, Licensed is the word, USA gave no licenSE.....,

[robertkindstrand]

Of course it driving backwards, how else will ju park att IKEA or Ullared??? :D hahaha! :D :P

[henrikfable]

my grandmother's cousin has desinged one of the wings on the plane i think its the right one

[humlakullen]

God I love that 'ol sexy beast!

I grew up in a house just two miles from the runway at F17 airforce base in Sweden (Kallinge). Every time they took off on a sortie with full afterburners, to patrol the Baltic sea; our whole house was shaking and the windows rattling. It used to scare the shit out of me as a kid;-).

[JVC7400]

this aircraft was the first one to be fitted with Canards, it has been copied manyyears to come

[Gurkmomma]

the Swedish goverment had a choise to make either they started the production of nuclear weapons or the production of a new multi purpose airplane and i am proud that they choosed thatt they choosed the airplane instead of nuclear weapons... Even thou it dint have as much scare tactics as nuclear weapons has i think the Viggen was a exelent choise.... But it has very much scare tactics and its a really sexy fighter too.

[romajo]

Åh min älskade Viggen, som jag saknar dig!