J 35 Draken
Encyclopedia
The Saab 35 Draken was a Swedish fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

 manufactured by Saab
Saab
Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska...

 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 32 Lansen. The indigenous J 35 was an effective supersonic
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...

 Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

 fighter that was also successfully exported to Austria, Denmark and Finland.

Design and development

As the jet era started, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 foresaw the need for a jet fighter that could intercept bombers at high altitude and also successfully engage fighters. Although other interceptors such as the US Air Force's F-104 Starfighter were being conceived during the same period, Saab's "Draken" would have to undertake a combat role unique to Sweden. Other demanding requirements were the capability to operate from reinforced public roads used as part of wartime airbase
Airbase
An airbase is a military airfield that provides basing and support of military aircraft....

s, and for refuelling/rearming to be carried out in no more than ten minutes, by conscripts with minimal training. In September 1949, the Swedish Defence Material Administration issued a request for a fighter/interceptor aircraft, and work began at Saab the same year.

Draken's design incorporated a distinctive "double-delta
Delta wing
The delta wing is a wing planform in the form of a triangle. It is named for its similarity in shape to the Greek uppercase letter delta .-Delta-shaped stabilizers:...

" 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 RM 6B/C turbojet (Rolls-Royce Avon
Rolls-Royce Avon
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopaedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:**** a 1955 Flight article on the development of the 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 double-delta shape was so revolutionary that it warranted the only sub-scale test aircraft built in Sweden: the Saab 210
Saab 210
-See also:-References:*Dorr, Robert. F. Modern Combat Aircraft 21 - Saab Viggen. Shepperton, Surrey. Ian Allan Ltd. 1985. ISBN 0 7110 1484 1...

, unofficially nicknamed "Lilldraken" (the little dragon). The Saab 210 tested the concept of the double delta, first flying on 21 January 1952. The 210's successful testing results led to an order for three full-size Draken prototypes. The first prototype, not fitted with an afterburner, made its maiden flight on 25 October 1955. The second prototype, equipped with an afterburner, unintentionally broke the sound barrier on its first flight while climbing.

Operational history

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 defence. The last model built was the J 35F, the final variant to remain in Swedish service. These aircraft were retired in the 1990s and was replaced by the Saab Gripen
JAS 39 Gripen
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight single-engine multirole fighter manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. It was designed to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force...

.

The J 35 Draken design underwent several upgrades. The last was the J 35J version, in the late 1980s, although by then, the Draken had been almost totally replaced by the Saab 37 Viggen in Swedish service. The J 35J was a service-life extension program since the delivery of the new Saab JAS 39 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
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

. In 1985, the Austrian Air Force
Austrian Air Force
The Austrian Air Force is a component part of the Austrian armed forces .-History:The Austrian Air Force was formed in May 1955 by the victorious Allied powers, subject to restrictions on its use of guided missiles...

 purchased 24 J 35D s reconditioned by Saab, designated J 35Ö.

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
AGM-12 Bullpup
The AGM-12 Bullpup is an air-to-ground missile which was used on the A-4 Skyhawk, A-6 Intruder, F-105 Thunderchief and F-4 Phantom among others...

 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. Danish F-35 aircraft were retired in 1993.

Finland updated its 35XS fleet with new avionics, cockpit displays, navigational/attack systems and electronic countermeasures
Electronic countermeasures
An electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy...

 during the 1990s but finally retired the Draken in 2000.

Austria was the last country to operate the Draken in military service. They bought refurbished J 35D which was the last Austrian Air Force fighter with two internal cannons due to the restriction in the Austrian State Treaty
Austrian State Treaty
The Austrian State Treaty or Austrian Independence Treaty re-established Austria as a sovereign state. It was signed on May 15, 1955, in Vienna at the Schloss Belvedere among the Allied occupying powers and the Austrian government...

 of 1955 of not being allowed to carry air-to-air missiles. This restriction was dropped in 1993 due to airspace violations from the nearby Yugoslavian internal conflict on its southern border, AIM-9 Sidewinder
AIM-9 Sidewinder
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...

 missiles were purchased. These Drakens were retired in 2005, when they were replaced by former Swiss Tiger IIs, while waiting for new Eurofighters.

In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, the National Test Pilot School
National Test Pilot School
The National Test Pilot School is a civilian test pilot school located at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California. The school attracts students primarily from commercial aircraft manufacturers and military air forces...

 (NTPS) owns six Drakens that were formerly in Danish service; of these, two TF-35XD s and one RF-35XD are operational, based at the Mojave Spaceport
Mojave Spaceport
thumb|right|235px|A retired [[Boeing 767-200]] that flew for [[Ansett Australia]] being cut open for scrap at Mojave AirportThe Mojave Air and Space Port , also known as the Civilian Aerospace Test Center, is located in Mojave, California, at an elevation of...

.

Proof of concept

Saab 210
Saab 210
-See also:-References:*Dorr, Robert. F. Modern Combat Aircraft 21 - Saab Viggen. Shepperton, Surrey. Ian Allan Ltd. 1985. ISBN 0 7110 1484 1...

 Draken: (also known as Lilldraken) - A scaled-down, "proof of concept
Proof of concept
A proof of concept or a proof of principle is a realization of a certain method or idea to demonstrate its feasibility, or a demonstration in principle, whose purpose is to verify that some concept or theory that has the potential of being used...

" experimental aircraft to evaluate the double-delta wing configuration, not specifically a Draken variant but included here for sequence purposes.

Full-size Drakens

J 35A: Fighter version, total production: 90. The J 35As were delivered between 1959-1961. The tail section was lengthened after the 66th aircraft to house a new afterburner for additional thrust. This forced the installation of a retractable tail-wheel. The two versions were nicknamed Adam kort (Adam short) and Adam lång (Adam long). The Adam was fitted with a French Cyrano Radar PS-02(same as on the Mirage III) as the Swedish radar hadn't been developed in time.
J 35B: Fighter version, built and delivered between 1962–1963, total production: 73. This variant had improved radar and gun sights, and was also fully integrated into the Swedish STRIL 60
STRIL
STRIL is short for "Stridsledning" which means "combat management" in Swedish. STRIL 50 and STRIL 60 were integrated systems for air combat management including early warning and ground-controlled interception...

 system; a combat guidance and air surveillance system. Fitted with a Swedish built radar PS-03.
SK 35C: 25 J 35As with short tail sections rebuilt into a twin-seated trainer version. The minor modification meant that the aircraft could easily be converted back to a J 35A standard if necessary. The trainer version lacked armament.
J 35D: Fighter version, delivered between 1963–1964, total production: 120. The aircraft had a new and more powerful Rolls-Royce Avon 300 (RM 6C), which could deliver 77.3 kN thrust when using its afterburner. This was also the fastest Draken version, capable of accelerating until out of fuel. It was also the last Draken to carry two cannons.
S 35E: Reconnaissance version, total production: 60. The radar and the armament had been removed and several cameras (of ortho and oblique types) fitted. The aircraft was unarmed but was fitted with a countermeasure system to increase its survivability. A total of 28 aircraft were re-built J 35Ds.
J 35F: Fighter version, delivered between 1965 and 1972, total production: 230. This variant had improved electronics and avionics, e.g. integrated radar, aim and missile systems. The aircraft's main armament were IR and SARH versions of the Hughes Falcon missile originally intended for the J 35D, but one of the cannon was removed to make space for more avionics. The J 35F2 was a J 35F, produced with a Hughes Aircraft Company
Hughes Aircraft
Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace and defense contractor founded in 1932 by Howard Hughes in Culver City, California as a division of Hughes Tool Company...

 N71 infra red sensor, a so-called IR seeker. This was a change in the production line from the no. 35501 airframe. The Hawé mods I & II where carried out on the P/S-01/011 radar sets in the early 80's to improve ressistance to ECM.
J 35J: In 1985 the Swedish government decided to modify 54 J 35F2s to J 35J standard. In 1987, 12 more modifications were ordered. Between 1987 and 1991, the aircraft were given a longer lifespan, more modern electronics, a modernized cannon, an additional two sidewinder pylons under the air intakes and increased fuel capacity. The final operative J 35J flew for the last time in 1999.
Saab 35H: Proposed export version for the Swiss Air Force; none sold or delivered.
Saab 35XD: Danish export versions: F-35 single-seat Strike Aircraft, TF-35 two-seat trainer and RF-35 reconnaissance aircraft. The type was heavily modified to make it into a strike aircraft compared the Swedish versions.
Saab 35XS: Fighter version for the Finnish Air Force; built by Saab and assembled under licence by Valmet
Valmet
' was a Finnish state-owned conglomerate. Valmet was formed in 1951, when the state of Finland decided to group their various factories working on war reparations to the Soviet Union under one company...

 in Finland.
Saab 35BS: Used J 35Bs sold to Finland.
Saab 35FS: Used J 35F1s sold to Finland.
Saab 35CS: Used SK 35Cs sold to Finland.
Saab 35Ö: In the mid-1980s, Saab purchased back 24 J 35D aircraft from the Swedish Air Force and converted them into the J 35Ö version (also called J 35OE in English literature). These were later exported to Austria.

Proposed modifications

Before it was decided to develop the JAS 39 Gripen
JAS 39 Gripen
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight single-engine multirole fighter manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. It was designed to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force...

 in the late 1970s, an intensive study was undertaken on an AJ 35 modification for the remaining S 35E and J 35F variants. The main goal was to give the aircraft strike capability while waiting for a replacement for the AJ 37 Viggen.
35 MOD Level 4: The most ambitious modification in the program. The proposed modifications were; new outer wing, additional weapon stations, RBS 15 capability, the addition of canard wings
Canard (aeronautics)
In aeronautics, canard is an airframe configuration of fixed-wing aircraft in which the forward surface is smaller than the rearward, the former being known as the "canard", while the latter is the main wing...

 by the air intakes for increased maneuverability and maximum take-off weight increased to 15 000 kg.
35 MOD Level 1b: Essentially the aircraft that became the J 35J.

The total number of Drakens produced and delivered: 644.

Operators

The Saab 35 Draken was withdrawn from military use in 2005. Several aircraft fly in the civil circuit, mainly in the USA.

  • Austrian Air Force
    Austrian Air Force
    The Austrian Air Force is a component part of the Austrian armed forces .-History:The Austrian Air Force was formed in May 1955 by the victorious Allied powers, subject to restrictions on its use of guided missiles...

    , 24 aircraft:
    • Fliegerregiment 2
      • Staffel 1
      • Staffel 2

  • Royal Danish Air Force
    Royal Danish Air Force
    The Royal Danish Air Force is the air force of Denmark with the capability to undertake homeland defense and homeland security roles as well international operations.-History:...

    , 51 aircraft:
    • No. 725 Squadron
    • No. 729 Squadron

  • Finnish Air Force
    Finnish Air Force
    The Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...

    , 50 aircraft:
    • Fighter Squadron 11
    • Fighter Squadron 21
      No. 21 Squadron, Finnish Air Force
      Fighter Squadron 21 is a Finnish fighter squadron located in Pirkkala, near Tampere. It is the operational part of the Satakunta Wing.-Organization:...


  • Swedish Air Force
    Swedish Air Force
    The Swedish Air Force is the air force branch of the Swedish Armed Forces.-History:The Swedish Air Force was created on July 1, 1926 when the aircraft units of the Army and Navy were merged. Because of the escalating international tension during the 1930s the Air Force was reorganized and expanded...

    • F 1 Hässlö
      F 1 Hässlö
      F 1 Hässlö, Kungliga Västmanlands Flygflottilj, Royal Västmanland Air Force Wing, or simply "F 1", is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located at Hässlö Flygplats near Västerås in central Sweden.- History of the airbase :...

    • F 3 Malmslätt
      F 3 Malmslätt
      F 3 Malmslätt, Kungliga Östgöta Flygflottilj, Royal Östgöta Air Force Wing, or simply "F 3", is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located at Malmen air base near Linköping in south-eastern Sweden.- History of the airbase :...

    • F 4 Frösön
      F 4 Frösön
      F 4 Frösön, Kungliga Jämtlands Flygflottilj, Royal Jämtland Air Force Wing, or simply "F 4", is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located at Åre Östersund Airport outside Östersund on Frösön in the middle of Sweden....

    • F 10 Ängelholm
      F 10 Ängelholm
      F 10 Ängelholm, Skånska Flygflottiljen, Scania Air Force Wing, or simply "F 10", is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located in southernmost Sweden.- History of the airbase :...

    • F 11 Nyköping
      F 11 Nyköping
      F 11 Nyköping, Södermanlands Flygflottilj, Södermanland Air Force Wing, or simply "F 11", is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located in south-east Sweden.- History of the airbase :...

    • F 12 Kalmar
      F 12 Kalmar
      F 12 Kalmar, Kalmar Flygflottilj, Kalmar Air Force Wing, or simply "F 12", is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located on the south-east coast of Sweden.- History of the airbase :...

    • F 13 Norrköping
      F 13 Norrköping
      F 13 Norrköping, Bråvalla Flygflottilj, Bråvalla Air Force Wing, or simply "F 13", is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located near Norrköping in south-eastern Sweden.- History of the airbase :...

    • F 16 Uppsala
      F 16 Uppsala
      F 16 Uppsala, Upplands Flygflottilj, Uppland Air Force Wing or simply "F 16" is a Swedish air force base located just north of Uppsala on the east coast of Sweden...

    • F 17 Kallinge
      F 17 Kallinge
      F 17 Kallinge, Blekinge Flygflottilj, Blekinge Air Force Wing, or simply "F 17", is a Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located near Ronneby in southern Sweden. It is one of the three remaining wings in Sweden and currently has two squadrons of multirole aircraft. F17 in the south and F21...

    • F 18 Tullinge
    • F 21 Luleå
      F 21 Luleå
      F 21 Luleå, Norrbottens flygflottilj, Norrbotten Air Force Wing, or simply "F 21", is a Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located in Luleå in northern Sweden.-External links:*...


  • National Test Pilot School
    National Test Pilot School
    The National Test Pilot School is a civilian test pilot school located at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California. The school attracts students primarily from commercial aircraft manufacturers and military air forces...

     (6)

Survivors

  • J 35J, 35556 in the Swedish Air Force Museum
    Swedish Air Force Museum
    The Swedish Air Force Museum is located at Malmen Airbase in Malmslätt, just outside of Linköping, Sweden. Malmen is where Baron Carl Cederström, nicknamed the "Flyer Baron" founded his flying school in 1912. Malmen Airbase is home to the Royal Swedish Airschool operating SAAB 105 jettrainers...

     at F 14 Halmstad, Sweden Only airworthy Saab J 35 in Sweden
  • J 35J, 35630 at the at the Angelholms Flyg Museum on the former Scandia Air Force Wing F 10 Ängelholm
    F 10 Ängelholm
    F 10 Ängelholm, Skånska Flygflottiljen, Scania Air Force Wing, or simply "F 10", is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located in southernmost Sweden.- History of the airbase :...


Specifications (J 35F Draken)


See also

External links

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