Saab 32 Lansen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_32_Lansen

The Saab 32 Lansen (English: Lance) is a two-seat, transonic military aircraft
designed and manufactured by Saab from 1955 to 1960 for the Swedish Air Force
(Flygvapnet). Three principal variants of the Lansen were built for attack (A
32A), fighter (J 32B), and reconnaissance (S 32C). During its long operational
life, the Saab 32 also served as an electronic warfare platform and target-tug
aircraft.

The Saab 32 Lansen had a simple general arrangement, being one of the first
aircraft in the world to be specifically developed to fly attack missions.

Its basic design features it was designed from came from Switzerland. It
included drawings on Messerschmitts Messerschmitt P.1101, Messerschmitt P.1110,
Messerschmitt P.1111 and Messerschmitt P.1112. SAAB's project manager Frid
Wänström retrieved these secret papers from Switzerland to Sweden in 1945. The
documents came from engineers from Messerschmitt who fled to Switzerland at the
end of the Second World War. Among them were the engineer and aerodynamicist
Hermann Behrbohm, who came to be part of Saab's core in the team around Saab 29
Tunnan and upcoming aircraft types like the The Saab 32 Lansen and Saab 35
Draken.

From the outset, it was designed to provide good support for the installation of
electronic warfare and weapons systems. The aircraft could be armed with a total
of four 20 mm cannon, as well as wing pylons for various calibers of rockets and
assorted bombs. The J 32 variant carried four 30 mm ADEN cannons while the A 32
("A" stands for attack) had an armament of four 20 mm Bofors m/49 cannon hidden
under flaps in the nose. The J 32 differed substantially from the other variant,
Saab describing it as "to all intents a new aircraft", being fitted with a more
powerful engine and newer armaments and different radar.

The fuselage of the Lansen was produced with a sleek, streamlined airframe with
clean lines. The Lansen was the first aircraft on which every mould line had
been a result of mathematical calculation, made possible via an early
application of computer technology. The wing had a 10 per cent laminar profile
and a 35° sweep. hydraulically-boosted ailerons and large Fowler flaps on the
wings comprised the main flight control surfaces, as did the
hydraulically-assisted elevators of the powered tailplane; a total of four
airbrakes were also present on the sides of the rear fuselage. The Lansen had a
tricycle undercarriage with a single wheel on all of the landing gear. Other
wing features include one-section stall fences on the outer-thirds of the wing,
a pitot tube on the right wingtip, and three underwing hardpoints. To test the
35° sweepback design of the Lansen's wing, a half-scale wing was mounted on a
Saab Safir, designated Saab 202 Safir.


Role
Attack aircraft, Fighter aircraft, Reconnaissance aircraft

Manufacturer
Saab

First flight
3 November 1951

Introduction
1956

Retired
1997

Primary user
Swedish Air Force

Produced
1954–1960

Number built
450

On 25 October 1953, a SAAB 32 Lansen attained a Mach number of at least 1.12
while in a shallow dive, exceeding the sound barrier. In December 1955,
deliveries of the A 32A attack variant formally commenced, allowing the swift
retirement of the last piston-powered B 18 bomber from Swedish service shortly
thereafter. According to Bill Gunston and Peter Gilchrist, the A 32A proved to
be extremely effective, both in terms of serviceability and the accuracy of its
armaments Between 1958 and 1960, a total of 54 S32 C reconnaissance aircraft
were manufactured. The last Lansen to be built was delivered to the Flygvapnet
on 2 May 1960.

Accidents destroyed a third of all Lansens during 25 years of service, killing
100 crew along with 7 civilians in Vikbo. The accidents were due to a
combination of technical faults, the aircraft not being ready for service, and
training deficiencies in regards to flying at night and in adverse weather. In
the 1960 Vikbo crash, pilot Uno Magnusson's A 32A suffered an engine outage, and
ejected before crashing into a farmhouse, killing all seven civilian occupants.
The crash was due to a known fault which occurred when a drop tank was fitted;
the J32 B had been forbidden from using the drop tank. Replacement parts to
correct the fault were available at the base but had not yet been fitted. The
crash's causes were suppressed from the public by the Flygvapnet press office;
as the victims were civilians, they were not included in official accident
statistics.

The A 32 Lansen was Sweden's last purpose-built attack aircraft. The replacement
of the A 32A formally began in June 1971, the more advanced Saab 37 Viggen being
slowly used to take over its attack responsibilities. As the type was gradually
being replaced by more modern types, the Saab 32 continued to be operated into
the late 1990s as target tugs and electronic warfare platforms, a total of 20 J
32Bs having been converted for these duties. By 2010, at least two Lansens were
still operational, having the sole task of taking high altitude air samples for
research purposes in collaboration with the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority;
one of these collected volcanic ash samples in mid 2010. By 2012, a total of
three Lansens reportedly remained in active service.

Specifications (J 32B)

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 14.94 m (49 ft 0 in)
Wingspan: 13 m (42 ft 8 in)
Height: 4.65 m (15 ft 3 in)
Wing area: 37.4 m2 (403 sq ft)
Airfoil: NACA 64A010
Empty weight: 7,500 kg (16,535 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 13,500 kg (29,762 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Svenska Flygmotor RM6A afterburning turbojet engine, 47 kN
(11,000 lbf) thrust dry, 65.3 kN (14,700 lbf) with afterburner

Performance
Maximum speed: 1,200 km/h (750 mph, 650 kn)
Range: 2,000 km (1,200 mi, 1,100 nmi)
Service ceiling: 15,000 m (49,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 100 m/s (20,000 ft/min)

Armament

Guns: 4 × 30 mm ADEN cannons 90 rounds each
Rockets: 4 × 75 mm air-to-air rocket pods
Missiles: 4 × Rb 24 air-to-air missiles



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