SAAB 17

The Saab 17 is a Swedish single-engine monoplane reconnaissance dive-bomber aircraft of the 1940s originally developed by ASJA prior to its merger into Saab.

It was the first all-metal stressed skin aircraft developed in Sweden.

Variants

Company designations

L 10

Internal ASJA/Saab designation

Two produced

L 10A

Internal ASJA/Saab designation for 17A, B, and C

L 10BL

Internal ASJA/Saab designation for S17BL

L 10BS

Internal ASJA/Saab designation for S17BS

Flygvapnet designations

P 7

L 10 development prototypes

B 8

Preliminary designation for bomber version of L 10, not used

B 17A

Bomber with 1,065 hp (794 kW) Svenska Flygmotor Aktiebolaget (SFA)-built STWC-3 (Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S1C3G Twin Wasp) radial engine; 132 built

B 17B

Bomber with 980 hp (730 kW) SFA-built Bristol Mercury XXIV radial engine; 55 built

B 17C

Bomber with 1,060 hp (790 kW) Piaggio P.XIbis R.C.40D radial engine; 77 built

S 15

Preliminary designation for reconnaissance version of the L 10, not used

S 17BL

Reconnaissance version of B 17B with wheeled or ski landing gear; 21 built

S 17BS

Reconnaissance version of B 17B with floats, powered by a Bristol Mercury XXIV engine; 38 built

A total of 326 Saab 17 aircraft of all types were produced, and some bombers were converted into reconnaissance aircraft.

Specifications

Crew

Two

Length

10 m (32 ft 10 in)

Wingspan

13.7 m (44 ft 11 in)

Height

4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)

Wing area

28.5 m2 (307 sq ft)

Empty weight

2,680 kg (5,908 lb)

Gross weight

3,870 kg (8,532 lb)

Powerplant

1 × Piaggio P.XIbis R.C.40D 9 cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 790 kW (1,060 hp)

Propellers

3-bladed Piaggio P.1001 variable pitch propeller

Performance

Maximum speed

435 km/h (270 mph, 235 kn)

Cruise speed

370 km/h (230 mph, 200 kn)

Minimum control speed

125 km/h (78 mph, 67 kn)

Range

1,700 km (1,100 mi, 920 nmi)

Service ceiling

9,800 m (32,200 ft)

Rate of climb

10 m/s (2,000 ft/min)

Wing loading

139 kg/m2 (28 lb/sq ft)

Power/mass

0.220 kW/kg (0.134 hp/lb)

Armament

Guns

2 × fixed forward-firing 8 mm (0.315 in) Flygplanskulspruta Ksp m/22F (M1919 Browning AN/M2) machine guns

1 × rear cockpit flexible 8 mm (0.315 in) Flygplanskulspruta Ksp m/22R (M1919 Browning AN/M2) machine gun

Bombs

700 kg (1,500 lb) of bombs could be carried.

Racks were provided under the wings, in an internal bomb bay and externally on the fuselage centreline.