SAAB 21

The SAAB 21 is a Swedish single-seat low-wing monoplane fighter and attack aircraft designed and manufactured by SAAB.

It used a relatively unorthodox twin boom fuselage with a pusher engine, giving the aircraft an unusual appearance.

Variants

J 21A-1

First production series of fighter version.

54 built between 1945 and 1946, retired in 1949.

J 21A-2

Second and third production series of fighter version (62 aircraft each built between 1946 and 1947).

Aircraft had better avionics and was armed with a Swedish 20 mm (0.79 in) gun.

Retired between 1953 and 1954.

J 21A-3 (later designated A 21A)

First and second production series of attack version.

Aircraft was a J 21A-2 equipped with a bomb aiming sight and had pylons for bombs and rockets.

It was later upgraded to be able to use two RATO rockets.

Specifications

Crew

1

Length

10.45 m (34 ft 3 in)

Wingspan

11.6 m (38 ft 1 in)

Height

3.97 m (13 ft 0 in)

Wing area

22.2 m2 (239 sq ft)

Airfoil

Saab laminar airfoil

Empty weight

3,250 kg (7,165 lb)

Gross weight

4,150 kg (9,149 lb)

Max take-off weight

5,200 kg (11,464 lb)

Fuel capacity

510 l (130 US gal; 110 imp gal) internal

2x 160 l (42 US gal; 35 imp gal) drop tanks J 21A-1 & J 21A-2 

2x 400 l (110 US gal; 88 imp gal) drop tanks J(A) 21A-3

Powerplant

1 × Daimler-Benz DB 605B, built by SFA. V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engine, 1,085 kW (1,455 hp)

Propellers

3-bladed constant-speed pusher propeller

Performance

Maximum speed

650 km/h (400 mph, 350 kn) J 21A-1 / J 21A-2

560 km/h (350 mph; 300 kn) J(A) 21A-3

Cruise speed

495 km/h (308 mph, 267 kn) J 21A-1 / J 21A-2

425 km/h (264 mph; 229 kn) J(A) 21A-3

Landing speed

145 km/h (90 mph; 78 kn)

Range

750 km (470 mi, 400 nmi)

Ferry range

1,190 km (740 mi, 640 nmi) J 21A-1 / J 21A-2

1,650 km (1,030 mi; 890 nmi) J(A) 21A-3

Service ceiling

10,200 m (33,500 ft) J 21A-1 / J 21A-2

7,500 m (24,606 ft) J(A) 21A-3

Rate of climb

15 m/s (3,000 ft/min)

Armament

Guns

J 21A-1

1× 20 mm (0.79 in) akan m/41A with 60 rounds in the nose

2x 13.2 mm (0.52 in) akan m/39A with 350 rpg in the nose

2x 13.2 mm (0.52 in) akan m/39A with 325 rpg in the wings

J 21A-2 & A-3

1× 20 mm (0.79 in) akan m/45 with 140 rounds in the nose

2x 13.2 mm (0.52 in) akan m/39A with 350 rpg in the nose

2x 13.2 mm (0.52 in) akan m/39A with 325 rpg in the wings

J(A) 21A-3 700 kg (1,543 lb) maximum

Inner wing mount

(the inner wing mount was only used for rockets until the outer racks were developed)

4x 50 kg (110 lb) minbomb m/37 general-purpose bombs, or sprängbomb m/42 or m/47 fragmentation bombs or bombkapsel m/43 cluster bombs

4x 8 cm (3.1 in) pansarraket m/46 Armour-piercing RP-3 rocket

4x 15 cm (5.9 in) sprängraket m/46 High-explosive semi-armour-piercing (SAP) RP-3 rocket

Outer wing mount

8x 8 cm (3.1 in) pansarraket m/46 Armour-piercing RP-3 rocket

8x 14.5 cm (5.7 in) Bofors pansarsprängraket m/49A & B High explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rocket

8x 15 cm (5.9 in) sprängraket m/46 High-explosive semi-armour-piercing RP-3 rocket or Bofors sprängraket m/51A & B high-explosive rocket

2 x 18 cm (7.1 in) Bofors halvpansarraket m/49A & B Armour-piercing high-explosive anti-ship rocket (later used against general targets.)

Belly

1x 250 kg (550 lb) minbomb m/37 general-purpose bomb

1x 250 kg (550 lb) minbomb m/40 general-purpose bomb

1x 250 kg (550 lb) minbomb m/50 general-purpose bomb

1x 500 kg (1,100 lb) minbomb m/41 general-purpose bomb

1x 600 kg (1,300 lb) minbomb m/50 general-purpose bomb

Wingtips

2 x drop tanks which could be armed in flight as incendiary bombs, and were tested with napalm.