Saab 210

Saab 210
Country	Sweden
Role	Experimental aircraft
First flight	21 January 1952
Built	1

The Saab 210 Draken (the Dragon or the Kite) is a scaled-down testbed for the double-delta concept in the development of the J 35 fighter. Although never officially named anything but Draken by Saab, it soon became known by its unofficial nickname Lilldraken (the Little Dragon or the Little Kite) after the first flight of the prototype of the Saab 35. Its first flight was on 21 January 1952.

Source: Saab 210 on Wikipedia

SAAB 210 Lilldraken Walk Around
Photographer	Unknow
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	29

SAAB 210 Lilldraken 01

SAAB 210 Lilldraken 02

SAAB 210 Lilldraken 03

SAAB 210 Lilldraken 04

SAAB 210 Lilldraken 05

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SAAB 210 Lilldraken 09

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General Characteristics and Role

The SAAB 210 Lilldraken (“Little Dragon”) was a revolutionary Swedish experimental aircraft designed and built by Saab in the early 1950s. It was created purely as a one-third scale research platform to test the novel and complex double delta wing configuration proposed for the supersonic Saab 35 Draken fighter. The Lilldraken was a critical step in the Draken’s development, as the double delta design—characterized by a small, highly-swept inner delta wing and a larger, less-swept outer delta—was entirely new and its aerodynamic properties needed real-world validation, especially at low speeds. Its unique profile and small size made it one of the most distinctive and important experimental aircraft of its era.

Property	Typical Value (SAAB 210)
Role	Experimental/Aerodynamic Testbed
National Origin	Sweden
Manufacturer	Saab AB
First Flight	21 January 1952
Crew	1 (Pilot)
Configuration	Low-wing monoplane, double delta wing, tricycle landing gear
Length	6.1 m (20 ft 0 in)
Wingspan	4.79 m (15 ft 8 in)
Max Speed	Approx. 340 km/h (211 mph)

Design Innovations and Performance

Engine: 1 x Armstrong Siddeley Adder turbojet engine (non-afterburning).
Thrust: Approx. 475 kgf (1,047 lbf).
Key Innovation: The primary purpose was to test the double delta wing, which was necessary to give the subsequent Draken fighter both high-speed performance (via the inner delta) and low-speed stability (via the outer delta).
Air Intakes: The Lilldraken featured large lateral air intakes on either side of the cockpit, which were also representative of the intended design for the larger Draken.
Test Program: The aircraft successfully performed numerous flights, validating the stability, control, and general handling characteristics of the radical double delta configuration before the full-scale fighter was finalized.

Legacy and Final Status

Successor: The knowledge gained from the Lilldraken program was directly applied to the full-scale development and successful deployment of the Mach 2-capable Saab 35 Draken fighter.
Operational Status: Only one example of the SAAB 210 was ever built.
Preservation: The single prototype is now preserved and displayed at the Flygvapenmuseum (Swedish Air Force Museum) in Linköping, Sweden.