Saab 37 Viggen

Saab 37 Viggen
Country	Sweden
Role	Attack, fighter, reconnaissance
First flight	8 February 1967
Built	329

The Saab 37 Viggen (“Thunderbolt”) is a retired Swedish single-seat, single-engine, short-medium range combat aircraft. Development work on the type was initiated at Saab in 1952 and, following the selection of a radical delta wing configuration, the resulting aircraft performed its first flight on 8 February 1967 and entered service in 21 June 1971. The Viggen holds the distinction of being the first canard design to be produced in quantity. The Viggen was also the most advanced fighter jet in Europe until the introduction of the Panavia Tornado into operational service in 1981

Source: Saab 37 Viggen on Wikipedia

SAAB AJ.37-1 prototype Walk Around
Photographer	Vladimir Yakubov
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	85

SAAB AJ.37 01

SAAB AJ.37 02

SAAB AJ.37 03

SAAB AJ.37 04

SAAB AJ.37 05

SAAB AJ.37 06

SAAB AJ.37 07

SAAB AJ.37 08

SAAB AJ.37 09

Click on a photo and use the mouse scroll to view all photos

Wait, Searching Saab 37 Viggen for you…

SK 37 Viggen proto Walk Around
Photographer	Unknow
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	64

The “Roadway” Fighter

The SAAB AJ 37 Viggen (Thunderbolt) was a revolutionary multi-role combat aircraft designed to fulfill Sweden’s unique “Bas 60” defense doctrine. In the event of a Soviet invasion, the Swedish Air Force planned to operate from dispersed road bases—standard highways converted into temporary runways. The Viggen was engineered for STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) performance, allowing it to land on a 500-meter stretch of road and be refueled and rearmed by conscripts in less than 20 minutes.

Attribute	Technical Specification (AJ 37)
Role	Attack Fighter (Attack-Jakt)
Crew	1 (Pilot)
First Flight	February 8, 1967
Powerplant	1 × Volvo Flygmotor RM8A (Licensed Pratt & Whitney JT8D)
Afterburning Thrust	115.7 kN (26,015 lbf)
Maximum Speed	Mach 2.1 (2,231 km/h at altitude)
Landing Speed	220 km/h (Incredible for a Mach 2 jet)
Hardpoints	7 (Up to 7,000 kg of ordnance)

Revolutionary Aerodynamics: Canards and Reversers

Canard Configuration: The Viggen was the first mass-produced fighter to utilize a fixed canard wing with flaps. This created extra lift at low speeds, allowing the aircraft to maintain a high angle of attack for short landings without stalling.
Thrust Reverser: To stop on short, icy Swedish roads, the Viggen was equipped with a massive thrust reverser (similar to commercial airliners). The pilot could engage it just before touchdown, allowing the jet to stop in roughly 500 meters. It could even “back up” on its own power.
Double Delta Wing: The main wing used a double-delta shape to provide stability at supersonic speeds while maintaining the lift needed for low-altitude attack missions.
The RM8 Engine: Volvo Flygmotor took a civilian airliner engine (from the DC-9/727) and added a massive, Swedish-designed afterburner, creating one of the most powerful fighter engines of its era.

The Electronic Frontier

CK37 Computer: The Viggen was the first aircraft in the world to use an integrated circuit-based central computer. This handled navigation, fire control, and fuel monitoring, allowing a single pilot to perform the work usually requiring two.
Head-Up Display (HUD): To help pilots land on narrow roads in bad weather, the Viggen featured a sophisticated HUD that projected a “virtual runway” or landing pole for the pilot to follow.
The “Splinter” Camouflage: Perhaps the most iconic paint scheme in aviation history, the four-color “M90” splinter pattern was designed to hide the aircraft against the Swedish forests when viewed from above by Soviet satellites or aircraft.

Variants

While the AJ 37 was the ground-attack version, the airframe evolved into the SF 37 (Reconnaissance), the SK 37 (Two-seat trainer), and the ultimate version, the JA 37 Jaktviggen (Interceptor), which featured a more powerful engine and a built-in 30mm Oerlikon KCA cannon.