Saab J29F Tunnan (Barrel)

From The Air Combat Wiki

Contents 1 Quick Link 2 Fighter Ace Screenshots 3 Fighter Ace Ratings 4 Fighter Ace Performance 5 Historical Statistics 6 Strengths 7 Weaknesses 8 History 9 Sources 10 Quick Link

Quick Link

• Fighter Ace Flight Museum: WWII US / GB / SU / GE / JP / Jets and Post WWII // Planes Inventory (text list)
• Fighter Ace Plane Physics: Speeds / Accelerations / Climb Speeds / Star Ratings
• Fighter Ace Weapons: Guns / Rockets / Bombs / Torpedoes

Fighter Ace Screenshots

Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ
Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ

Fighter Ace Ratings

Durability: 4

Speed: 10

Maneuverability: 3

Firepower: 8

Climb Rate: 9

Ground Attack: 3

Fighter Ace Performance

Top Speeds						Climb Rates
	Sea Level	4921' 1500m	9843' 3000m	19685' 6000m	Best Speed	Best IAS	to 1000m	to 3000m	to 6000m
mph	659	654	649	633	659@ sea level	273 mph	0:47	1:59	4:05
kph	1060	1052	1044	1018	1060@ sea level	439 kph

Historical Statistics

Service Date: January 1954

Primary Guns: 2x 20mm Hispano V cannons with 180 rpg in nose

Secondary Guns: 2x 20mm Hispano V cannons with 180 rpg in nose

Ordnance: 2x 500 lb bombs or 8x 5" air-to-ground rockets or 2x 700 lb drop tanks

Engine(s): 1x Svenska Flygmotor RM2B after-burning turbojet rated for 6173 lbs (2800 kg) thrust

Int Fuel Capacity: 4,409 lbs (2,000 kg)

Ext Fuel Capacity: 2x 700 lb (395 kg) drop tanks

Maximum Speeds: 659 mph (1060 kph)

Climb Rate: 6,320 ft/min (1,926 m/min)

Ceiling: 50,850 ft (15,500 m)

Loaded Weight: 13,360 lb (6,060 kg)

Wing Area: 259.96 sq ft (24.15 sq m)

Wing Loading: 51.39 lbs/sq ft (641.8 kg/sq m)

Strengths

Climb Rate: The afterburning Volvo engine gives the Tunnan an incredible rate of climb.

Durability: Built like a tank, the Tunnan is one of the most durable of the early jet fighters.

Weaknesses

Maneuverability: The relatively high wing-loading means that the Tunnan is ill-suited to turn-fighting.

History

Designed under the direction of Lars Brising, the Saab J29 Tunnan was the first swept-wing jet fighter produced in Western Europe to reach squadron service. The first of three prototypes flew on 1 September 1948 and was powered by a British de Havilland Ghost turbojet rated for 5000 lbs (2268 kg) thrust.

The first production Saab J29A fighter was delivered to the Flygvapnet on 10 May 1951 and was powered by the RM2 turbojet rated at 5005 lbst (2270 kgf), which was a de Havilland Ghost built under license by Svenska Flygmotor A.B. (SFA). The J29A was armed with four 20mm cannons and a total of 224 J29As were produced between 1951 and 1954 when production was switched to the upgraded J29B variant. The J29B had increased internal fuel capacity and was capable of carrying drop tanks and external ordnance. A total of 360 J29Bs were built and an unarmed photo-reconnaissance version was produced as the S29C.

In December 1953 a J29A was experimentally fitted with "dog-tooth" wing extensions and in March 1954 another J29A was flown with an afterburning version of the RM2 turbojet as the J29D. Twenty-nine J29Bs were retroactively fitted with the "dog-tooth" wing extensions and redesignated the J29E. The definitive version of the Tunnan was created when 308 J29Bs and J29Es were retrofitted with the "dog-tooth" wing extensions and the afterburning RM2B rated for 6173 lbst (2800 kgf) and redesignated J29F.

Production of the J29 ended in March 1955 after 661 airframes had been built. However, the plane continued in service with the Flygvapnet until it was finally retired on 29 August 1976. Between 1961 and 1965, thirty-six ex-Flygvapnet Tunnans were sold to Austria, where they continued to serve until about 1972.

Sources

Angelucci, Enzo; The Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft 1914 to the Present; Crescent Books, New York; 1980.

Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon; The Complete Book of Fighters; Smithmark Publishers, Inc., New York; 1994.

Taylor, Michael J.H.; Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation; Crescent Books, New York; 1993.

Quick Link

• Fighter Ace Flight Museum: WWII US / GB / SU / GE / JP / Jets and Post WWII // Planes Inventory (text list)
• Fighter Ace Plane Physics: Speeds / Accelerations / Climb Speeds / Star Ratings
• Fighter Ace Weapons: Guns / Rockets / Bombs / Torpedoes