The Saab J 29 Tunnan was a fighter aircraft in service with the Swedish Air Force between 1951 and 1976. It was the first jet-powered combat plane to be originally designed as such from the outset by Saab. Although the J 21R was the first Swedish jet-powered aircraft, it was not an original design as it had been converted into a jet plane from the piston-engine J 21. Thus, the Tunnan started a series of outstanding and reliable jet fighters completely manufactured in Sweden, with the last one being the JAS 39 Gripen.
Like its American and Soviet contemporaries, the North American F-86 Sabre and the MiG-17, the Saab J 29 was fitted with swept mid-wing, which made it a highly-maneuverable aircraft. Because of the thick, round shape of the fuselage, it was nicknamed the ''flying barrel''. The first prototype of the Tunnan, the 29-001, first took to the air on September 1, 1948. The test pilot was the British WW2-veteran Robert Moore. It was powered by one Svenska Flygmotor RM2B jet engine, which was capable of delivering 6,167 pounds of thrust. The RM2B was a modified de Havilland Ghost, which was manufactured in Sweden under license.
After three years of flight tests, the aircraft finally entered service with the Swedish Air Force in August 1951 as the Saab 29 'Tunnan' (barrel). The production rate was impressive by any standard. Between 1951 and 1956, no fewer than 661 aircraft were delivered by the factory to the Swedish defense ministry. The first production versions were the J 29A1 and the 29B, while the last variant was the J 29F, whose engine featured a Swedish-designed afterburner, thus increasing the thrust and improving the aircraft rate of climb. Therefore, this Scandinavian fighter represented a real breakthrough in those days for the Saab team, attracting international attention, when, in 1954 and 1955, it broke two world speed records, which had previously been held by the United States, flying at 1,065 km/h (662 mph).
Technical Description
The Saab J 29 Tunnan was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane. The barrel-shaped fuselage was of all-metal construction. It had swept wing, which was mounted on the middle of fuselage. The wing trailing edge was fitted with servo-controlled ailerons. The strong fuselage airframe and wing spars and stringers made of it a versatile and rugged aircraft, which was fitted with retractable landing gear. It was powered by one RM2B jet engine, which was based on the British de Havilland Ghost built in Sweden under license.
Specifications (J 29F)
Type: fighter aircraft
Length: 10.23 m (33 feet, 7 inches)
Wing Span: 11 m (36 feet, 1 inch)
Wing Area: 24.15 m2 (259.9 square feet)
Height: 3.75 m (12 feet, 4 inches)
Power Plant: one 6,200-lb, Svenska Flygmotor RM2B jet engine, with afterburner.
Maximum Speed: 1,060 km/h (660 mph)
Range: 1,100 km (680 miles)
Rate of Climb: 32.1 m/s
Service Ceiling: 15,500 m
Crew: one
Armament: four 20-mm Hispano Mark-V autocannons; twenty four 75-mm rockets; three 200-kg (1,323-lb) bombs.
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| Above, a squadron of J 29F aircraft in the early 1960s. |
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| The first production version of the aircraft; the 29A in 1953, flying over Sweden territory. |
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| The cockpit instrument panel of the Tunnan. |
