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:''This article is about a Swedish fighter aircraft. For the fictional cartoon character, see Doctor Drakken.''
The 'Saab 35 Draken' ("Draken" is Swedish for "The kite", but can also mean "The Dragon") 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. The indigenous J 35 was an effective supersonic Cold War fighter that was also successful as an export product. Although out of service today, the Draken was influential as the first in a line of highly-sophisticated Saab fighters.

Contents

Design and development

Operational history

Variants

Proof of concept

Full-size Drakens

Operators

Specifications (J 35F Draken)

References

External links

Related content

Design and development

As the jet era started, Sweden foresaw 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 same period, Saab "Draken" would have to undertake a combat role unique to Sweden. Other demanding requirements were the capability to operate from public roads, used as temporary airfields and for refueling/rearming to be carried out in no more than ten 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.

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 double-delta shape was so revolutionary that it warranted the only sub-scale test aircraft built in Sweden: the Saab 210, unofficially nicknamed "Lilldraken" (the little kite.) 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, on its first flight, unintentionally broke the sound barrier 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-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 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 Saab 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 and Finland. In 1985, the Austrian Air Force purchased 24 Saab-Scania reconditioned Drakens.
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. Danish F-35 aircraft were retired in 1993.
Finland updated its 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 35XD s and one RF 35XD are operational, based at the Mojave Spaceport.

Variants

Proof of concept

;Saab 210 Draken: (also known as 'Lilldraken'; "the little kite") - A scaled-down, "proof of concept" 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. This forced the installment of a retractable tail wheel. The modification added extra thrust when the afterburner was used. The two versions were nicknamed ''Adam kort'' (Adam short) and ''Adam lång'' (Adam long).
;J 35B: Fighter version, built and delivered between 1962-1963, total production: 73. This variant had a better radar, better gun sights and was also fully integrated into the Swedish STRIL 60 system, a combat guidance and air surveillance system. A number of J 35As were rebuilt into J 35B standard.
;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, the fuel ran out before it stopped accelerating.
;S 35E: Reconnaissance version, total production: 60. The radar and the armament had been removed and several cameras (of ortho and oblique types). 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 robot systems. The aircraft variant could be armed with more types of weapons and more efficient weapons, but one of the cannons was removed to give space for electronics. The 'J 35F2' was a modified J 35F, equipped with an infra red sensor, a so-called IR seeker.
;J 35J: Between 1987 and 1991, 77 J 35Fs were given a longer lifespan through the upgrading of the aircraft to J 35J standard. This version had more modern electronics, a modernized cannon, more fix-points for missiles and more fuel capacity. The final operative J 35J flew for the last time in 1999. This aircraft was 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 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.
The total number of Drakens produced and delivered: 644.

Operators

Saab 35 Draken was withdrawn from military use in 2005.
;: Austrian Air Force

★ Fliegerregiment 2

★
★ Staffel 1

★
★ Staffel 2
;: Royal Danish Air Force

★ No. 725 Squadron

★ No. 729 Squadron
;: Finnish Air Force

★ HavLLv 11

★ HavLLv 21
;: Swedish Air Force

★ F 1

★ F 3

★ F 4

★ F 10

★ F 11

★ F 12

★ F 13

★ F 16

★ F 17 Kallinge

★ F 18

★ F 21
Although withdrawn from military use, several aircraft today fly in the civil circuit, mainly in USA.

Specifications (J 35F Draken)

Orthographically projected diagram of the Saab J 35 Draken.

References

1. Erichs, Rolph, Hammerich, Kai, Rapp, Gudmund et al. ''The Saab-Scania Story''. Stockholm: Streiffert & Co., 1987. ISBN 91-7886-014-8.

External links

★ Draken

★ The SAAB 35 Draken

★ Saab J35 Draken

★ (English & German) Saab J-35 Oe Draken Mk.II

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