J 35 Draken
Austrian Air Force Draken in a special paint scheme
Type	Fighter
Manufacturer	SAAB
Maiden flight	25 October 1955
Introduced	8 March 1960
Retired	1993 Denmark 1999 Swedish Air Force 2000 Finland 2005 Austria
Status	Retired
Primary users	Swedish Air Force Austria Denmark Finland
Produced	1955 - 1974
Number built	644[1]

The Saab J 35 Draken (the word 'Draken' here is referring to a Kite, but it's also the same as Dragon in Swedish) or Saab 35 is a Swedish fighter aircraft manufactured by Saab between 1955 and 1974. The Draken was built to replace the Saab J 29 Tunnan and, later, the fighter variant (J 32B) of the Saab Lansen. Symbol of the Austrian Army The Austrian Air Force or the Austrian Army Aviation (de: Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte) was formed in May 1955 by the victorious Allied powers, it was formed as part of the now fully independent Austrian armed forces. ... An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft. ... Saab is an aviation and defense company based in Sweden and founded in 1937 in Linköping. ... The Maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... The Swedish Air Force, or Flygvapnet, is the air force branch of the Swedish Armed Forces, the military of Sweden. ... Yokaichi Giant Kite Festival held on the fourth Sunday every May in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan A kite is a flying tethered man-made object. ... Chinese dragon, color engraving on wood, Chinese school, 19th Century The dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a large and powerful serpent or other reptile, with magical or spiritual qualities. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Saab is an aviation and defense company based in Sweden and founded in 1937 in Linköping. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... SAAB J 29 Tunnan (The Barrel) was a Swedish fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by Saab 1950 - 1956. ... The SAAB A32 Lansen (Swedish:lance) was a two-seater attack aircraft produced by SAAB from 1955 to 1960 for Flygvapnet, the Swedish air force. ...

Design and development

As the jet era started, Sweden forsaw the need for a jet fighter that could intercept bombers at high altitude and also take on fighters. Although other interceptors such as the US Air Force's F-104 Starfighter were being conceived during the the same period, the Saab "Draken" would have to undertake a combat role unique to Sweden. Other demanding requirements were the capability to able to operate from public roads, used as temporary airfields and for refueling/rearming to be carried out in no more than 10 minutes, even by conscripts with minimum training. In September 1949, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration issued a request for a fighter/interceptor aircraft, and work began at Saab the same year. Seal of the Air Force. ... The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a high-performance supersonic interceptor aircraft, capable of high speeds and climb rates. ... The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (Försvarets materielverk, FMV) is a Swedish government agency that reports to the Ministry of Defence. ...

The Draken's design incorporated a distinctive "double-delta" configuration, with one delta wing within another larger delta. The inner wing has an 80° angle for high speed performance, while the outer 60° wing gives good performance at low speeds. Propulsion was provided by a single Svenska Flygmotor RM6B/C turbojet (Rolls-Royce Avon 200/300). A ram turbine, under the nose, provided emergency power and the engine had a built-in emergency starter unit. The Draken could deploy a drag chute to reduce its landing distance. The Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet was developed by Cyril Lovesey who had previously been in charge of Merlin development at Rolls-Royce. ... A drogue parachute is a type of parachute designed to be deployed from a rapidly moving object. ...

The double-delta shape was so revolutionary that it warranted the only sub-scale test aircraft built in Sweden in order to test the concept of the double delta: the Saab 210, unofficially nicknamed "Lilldraken." The Saab 210 first flew on 21 January 1952; its success led to an order for three full-size prototypes. The first prototype, not fitted with an afterburner, made its maiden flight on 25 October 1955. The second prototype, equipped with an afterburner, on its first flight, unintentionally broke the sound barrier while climbing.^[1] Scaled down testbed for the double-delta concept in the development of the SAAB Draken fighter. ... January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1952: // Events January January 5 - Pan Am commences trans-atlantic freight services. ... (Redirected from 25 October) October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1955: Events February February 26 - George F. Smith becomes the first person to survive a supersonic ejection, from a North American F-100 Super Sabre travelling (Mach 1. ...

Operational service

Although not designed to be a dogfighter, the J 35 Draken proved to have good instantaneous turn capability and was a very capable fighter. It entered service in 1960 with the Swedish Air Force; 644 Saab Drakens were built for Sweden as well as other European nations. Sweden's Draken fleet came in six different variants while two Draken models were offered for export. The early models were intended purely for air-defense, but the J 35D introduced a ground attack capability. The last model built was the J 35F, the final variant to remain in Swedish service. These aircraft have now been retired and replaced by the Saab Gripen.

Ex-RDAF S 35XD N217FR operated by the National Test Pilot School takes off from the Mojave Spaceport

The J 35 Draken underwent several upgrades. The last was the J 35J version, in the late 1980s. By then, it had been almost totally replaced by Saab Viggen in Swedish service. The J 35J was a service life extension program since the delivery of the new Saab Gripen was still in the development stage and suffering from delivery delays. The extension program was to keep the Draken flying into the 2000s, but due to cutbacks and high maintenance costs the Draken was eventually phased out. The Swedish Drakens were officially retired in December 1998, although the type remains in limited numbers in both military and civilian versions. Export customers included Denmark and Finland. In 1985, the Austrian Air Force purchased 24 Saab-Scania reconditioned Drakens. The National Test Pilot School (NTPS) is one of two civilian-operated test pilot schools in the world (the other being the Empire Test Pilots School). ... Mojave Airport, storage location for commercial airliners. ... The Saab Viggen (Thunder Bolt or Bolt ¹) or Saab 37 is a Swedish fighter aircraft manufactured between 1970 and 1990 to replace the Saab Draken (Dragon). ... The Saab JAS-39 Gripen (Griffin) is a fighter aircraft from Sweden manufactured by Saab. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Symbol of the Austrian Army The Austrian Air Force or the Austrian Army Aviation (de: Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte) was formed in May 1955 by the victorious Allied powers, it was formed as part of the now fully independent Austrian armed forces. ...

All Drakens are interceptors with limited air to ground capability, with the sole exception of the Danish Drakens, which are strike aircraft capable of carrying AGM-12 Bullpup missiles, advanced jammers, and increased internal and external fuel stores. The Danish Drakens are so far the heaviest of the series to have been in service. The AGM-12 Bullpup is an air-to-ground missile which was used on the A-4 Skyhawk, A-6 Intruder and F-4 Phantom among others. ...

Danish F-35 aircraft were retired in 1993. Finland updated its J 35X fleet with new avionics, cockpit displays, navigational/attack systems and electronic countermeasures during the 1990s but finally retired the Draken in 2000. Austria was the last country to operate the Draken in military service, and these were retired in 2005, when they were replaced by Swiss Tiger IIs, while waiting for its Eurofighters. In the United States, the National Test Pilot School (NTPS) owns six Drakens that were formerly in Danish service; of these, two TF-35XDs and one RF-35XD are operational, based at the Mojave Spaceport. The National Test Pilot School (NTPS) is one of two civilian-operated test pilot schools in the world (the other being the Empire Test Pilots School). ... Mojave Airport, storage location for commercial airliners. ...

Draken Variants

• J 35A - First production variant. Not all delivered with radar. Some modified to carry IR seekers.
• J 35B - Redesigned engine exhaust, the first Draken to carry AA rocket pods
• SK 35C - J 35A with a short tail converted into a two seater trainer, the last version to use the Avon 200 or RM 6BS turbojet engine.
• J 35D - The fastest Draken version, the fuel ran out before it stopped accelerating. The first Draken to use the Avon 300 or RM 6C turbojet engine.
• S 35E - Unarmed reconnaissance version. Cameras replaced radar in nose and cannon in wings.
• J 35F - The first version to be fitted with radar guided AA missiles. One 30mm cannon replaced by electronics.
• J 35F2 - Upgraded version fitted with an IR seeker.
• J 35J - Updated variant of the J 35F2, the main external difference is the two sidewinder pylons under the air intakes. Originally designated J 35F Mod or J 35F-Ny .
• SAAB 35H - Purposed export version for the Swiss Air Force, never sold or delivered to Switzerland.
• SAAB 35XD - Danish export versions. F-35) single-seat fighter, TF-35 two-seat trainer and RF-35 reconnaissance aircraft.
• SAAB 35XS - Fighter version for the Finnish Air Force. Built by Saab and assembled under licence by Valmet in Finland.
• SAAB 35BS - Used J 35Bs sold to Finland
• SAAB 35DS - Used J 35Ds sold to Finland
• SAAB 35CS - Used SK 35Cs sold to Finland
• SAAB 35OE - Modified J 35Ds sold to Austria

The total number of Drakens produced and delivered: 644.^[1]

Operators

Withdrawn from military use. Several aircraft flown in the civil circuit.

Former Operators

• Austria.
  • Austrian Air Force.
• Denmark.
  • Royal Danish Air Force.
• Finland.
  • Finnish Air Force.
• Sweden.
  • Swedish Air Force.

Symbol of the Austrian Army The Austrian Air Force or the Austrian Army Aviation (de: Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte) was formed in May 1955 by the victorious Allied powers, it was formed as part of the now fully independent Austrian armed forces. ... Danish Air Forces F-16 MLU at Radom Air Show 2005 History The Danish armed forces received 38 Supermarine Spitfire H. F. Mk. ... The Finnish Air Force (Finnish: Ilmavoimat) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. ... The Swedish Air Force, or Flygvapnet, is the air force branch of the Swedish Armed Forces, the military of Sweden. ...

Specifications (J 35F Draken)

Data from The Great Book of Fighters^[2]

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 15.34 m (50 ft 4 in)
• Wingspan: 9.42 m (30 ft 10 in)
• Height: 3.89 m (12 ft 9 in)
• Wing area: 49.22 m² (529.82 ft²)
• Empty weight: 7,865 kg (17,340 lb)
• Loaded weight: 11,400 kg (25,132 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 16,000 kg (35,273 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Volvo Flygmotor RM6C afterburning turbojet
  • Dry thrust: 56.5 kN (12,787 lbf)
  • Thrust with afterburner: 78.4 kN (17,637 lbf)

Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 2+^[1], 2,120 km/h (1,317 mph) at 11,000 m (36,100 ft)
• Range: 3,250 km (2,020 mi) with external drop tanks
• Service ceiling: 20,000 m (65,600 ft)
• Rate of climb: 175 m/s (34,450 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 231.6 kg/m² (47.4 lb/ft²)
• Thrust/weight: 0.70

• Takeoff roll: 650 m (2,133 ft)

Armament

• 1x 30 mm M-55 ADEN cannon with 100 rounds (2x 30 mm M-55 ADEN cannon with 90 rounds each in earlier models)
• Four hardpoints for either fuel tanks or air-to-air missiles
• Rb 24, Rb 27 and Rb 28 air-to-air missiles
• 75 mm rocket pods
• 135mm rockets
• 55, 220, 500, and 1,000 pound bombs
• Maximum ordnance 2,900 kg (6,393 lb)

The distance AB is the wing span of this Aer Lingus Airbus A320. ... In aviation, the Maximum Take-Off Weight (or MTOW) is the maximum weight with which an aircraft is allowed to try to achieve flight. ... The Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet was developed by Cyril Lovesey who had previously been in charge of Merlin development at Rolls-Royce. ... Turbojets are the simplest and oldest kind of general purpose jet engine. ... For other uses of afterburner, see Afterburner (disambiguation). ... VNO of an aircraft is the V speed which refers to the velocity of normal operation. ... The maximal total range is the distance an aircraft can fly between takeoff and landing as limited by its fuel capacity. ... In aeronautics, the service ceiling is the maximum density altitude where the best rate of climb airspeed will produce a 100 feet per minute climb(twin engine) and 50 feet(single engine) at maximum weight while in a clean configuration with maximum continuous power. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... In aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing. ... Thrust-to-weight ratio (where weight means weight at the Earths surface) is a dimensionless parameter characteristic of rocket and jet engines, and of vehicles propelled by such engines (typically space launch vehicles and jet aircraft). ... The Royal Small Arms Factory ADEN is a 30mm cannon used on many military aircraft, particularly those of the British RAF and FAA. Development The ADEN (named for the Armament Development Establishment, where it was designed, and Enfield, where it is produced) was developed in the late 1940s as a... Sidewinder Missile The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. ... The Hughes AIM-4 Falcon was the first operational guided air-to-air missile of the United States Air Force. ...

Reference

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Erichs, Rolph, Hammerich, Kai, Rapp, Gudmund et al. The Saab-Scania Story. Stockholm: Streiffert & Co., 1987. ISBN 91-7886-014-8.
2. ^ Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. The Great Book of Fighters. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-7603-1194-3.

See also

• Swedish Air Force
• List of military aircraft of Sweden

The Swedish Air Force, or Flygvapnet, is the air force branch of the Swedish Armed Forces, the military of Sweden. ... This is a list of Swedish military aircraft since its start. ...

External links

• http://fly.to/draken/
• http://www.paffalcons.com
• http://www.vectorsite.net/avj35.html
• http://www.warbirdalley.com/draken.htm
• http://www.doppeladler.com/oebh/luftfahrzeuge/draken.htm (english&german)

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