Saab J 35 Draken

Saab Draken tai Saab 35 on ruotsalaisvalmisteinen hävittäjälentokone, jota Saab valmisti vuodesta 1955 vuoteen 1974. Draken valmistettiin korvaamaan Saab J 29 Tunnan. Drakenin seuraajaksi tuli Saab JA 37 Viggen. Sana draken tarkoittaa joko leijaa tai lohikäärmettä. Kirjain "J" mallinimessä merkitsee Jakt, hävittäjää. 

Draken oli 1990-luvulle saakka Suomen ilmavoimien päähävittäjätyyppi yhdessä MiG-21:n kanssa. Ensimmäinen Suomen ilmavoimien lennosto, joka sai Drakenit oli Hämeen lennosto. Koneet osoitettiin Hämeen lennoston Hävittäjälentolaivue 11:lle. Hämeen lennoston kalustona oli 1958 hankittuja Folland Gnateja ja myös kuusi 1966 hankittua MiG-21F-16 hävittäjää.

                  
----
Saab J 35A Draken 
Alkuperäinen malli (A=Adam). Ensimmäiset J35A:t toimitettiin Ruotsin ilmavoimien (Svenska Flygvapnet) F13 lennostolle Norrköpingiin 8.3.1960. Viimeiset A-mallin koneiden toimitukset tapahtuivat vuonna vuonna 1962. Koneita rakennettiin kaikkiaan 90 kpl (valm no:t 35001..35090). Tyyppi oli palveluskäytössä F16 -lennostossa aina vuoteen 1976.

Suomessa DK-200 (cn 35026). Saatiin lahjoituksena Rovaniemelle lentomekaanikko- koulutus koneeksi elokuussa 1976. Sai runkonumeroin DK-200, mutta ei koskaan lentänyt Suomessa.
-----
Saab J 35B Draken 
(B=Bertil) Parannettu ja takarungoltaan pidennetty versio, jossa oli ranskalaisen tulenjohtotutkan sijasta ruotsalainen PS07-tutka ja S6:sta parannettu S7-tähtäin sekä lisenssivalmisteisia Sidewinder-ohjuksia. Ensimmäiset B-mallin koneet toimitettiin vuonna 1961 F16 -lennostolle Upsalaan sekä F18 -lennostolle Tullingeen ja F10 -lennostolle Ängelholmiin. Valmistusmäärä oli 73 konetta. Tyyppi poistui palveluskäytöstä vuonna 1976.

Suomen ilmavoimat vuokrasi 6 B-mallin konetta Ruotsin ilmavoimilta vuonna 1972 ja ne ostettiin vuonna 1976. Käytössä Suomessa harjoitushävittäjänä tyyppimerkinnällä J35BS Draken (S=Suomi) 1972-1995 ensin Tikkakoskella Hämeen lennostossa ja myöhemmin Lapin Lennostossa Rovaniemellä.
-----
Saab Sk 35C Draken (C=Cesar) 
J 35A:sta muunneltu aseistamaton ja tutkaton kaksipaikkainen harjoituskone. Kaikkiaan 26 A-mallin monetta muutettiin kaksipaikkaiseksi C-mallin koneeksi. Koneet saivat uudet valm. no:t 35800..35826. Käytössä Suomessa 2-paikkaisena harjoitushävittäjänä tyyppimerkinnällä J35CS Draken 1978-2000 Lapin Lennostossa Rovaniemellä ja 1984-1997 Satakunnan Lennostossa Pirkkalassa.

----
Saab S 35E Draken 
(S = spaning eli tiedustelu, E=Erik) oli kuudella kiinteällä kameralla varustettu tiedustelukone. E-mallin 60:stä koneesta 31 oli uusia ja 29 muunnettiin käytetyistä 35D-koneista. Neljän lisäsäiliön ansiosta sillä oli hävittäjiä pitempi toimintasäde. Tyyppi palveli F11 ja F21 -lennostoissa vuosina 1964-1979.

Suomen ilmavoimille ostettiin aiemmin hankittujen Draken -koneiden täydennykseksi Ruotsista käytettyjä F1 -tyypin koneita 6 kpl vuosina 1976-1978 (DK-261..271, parittomat numerot) ja 18 kpl vuosina 1984-88 (DK-225..259, parittomat numerot). Koneet olivat palveluskäytössä 1976-2000 Lapin lennostossa Rovaniemellä (Hävittäjälentolaivue 11) ja 1985-1997 Satakunnan lennosto Pirkkala (Hävittäjälentolaivue 21). 

F-mallin virallinen viimeinen lento Suomessa tapahtui Rovaniemellä 16.8.2000 (DK-241) DK-juhlassa, minkä jälkeen koneet poistettiin palveluksesta. Joitain siirtolentoja tehtiin vielä tämänkin jälkeen. 

Osa koneista romutettiin, osa siirrettiin museoille ja koulutuskäyttöön.
-------------------------------------------

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 15.35 m (50 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 9.42 m (30 ft 10 in)
Height: 3.89 m (12 ft 9 in)
Wing area: 49.22 m² (529.82 ft²)
Empty weight: 7,865 kg (17,340 lb)
Loaded weight: 11,400 kg (25,132 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 16,000 kg (35,273 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Volvo Flygmotor RM 6C afterburning turbojet
Dry thrust: 56.5 kN (12,787 lbf)
Thrust with afterburner: 78.4 kN (17,637 lbf)
Performance

Maximum speed: Mach 2.2
Range: 3,250 km (2,020 mi) with external drop tanks
Service ceiling: 18,000 m (59,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 175 m/s (34,450 ft/min)
Wing loading: 231.6 kg/m² (47.4 lb/ft²)
Thrust/weight: 0.70
Takeoff roll: 800 m (2,623 ft)
Armament

Guns: 1x or 2x 30 mm M-55 ADEN cannon with 100 rounds per gun (in Saab 35F left cannon omitted to fit Avionics needed for Falcon missile integration, earlier variants and export variants retained twin guns.)
Hardpoints: for fuel tanks or ordnance with a capacity of 2,900 kg (6,393 lb) and provisions to carry combinations of:
Rockets: 2× 75 mm air-to-air rocket pods ventrally or 12× 135 mm rockets on six underwing pylons
Missiles: Rb 24, Rb 27 and Rb 28 air-to-air missiles
Bombs: 55, 220, 500, and 1,000 pound bombs
---------------------
The Saab 35 Draken (English: "Kite", ambiguous with ‌"Dragon") was a Swedish fighter aircraft manufactured by Saab between 1955 and 1974. The Draken was built to replace the Saab J 29 Tunnan and, later, the fighter variant (J 32B) of the Saab 32 Lansen. The indigenous J 35 was an effective supersonic Cold War fighter that was also successfully exported to Austria, Denmark and Finland.

As the jet era started, Sweden foresaw the need for a jet fighter that could intercept bombers at high altitude and also successfully engage fighters. Although other interceptors such as the US Air Force's F-104 Starfighter were being conceived during the same period, Saab's "Draken" would have to undertake a combat role unique to Sweden. Other demanding requirements were the capability to operate from reinforced public roads used as part of wartime airbases, and for refuelling/rearming to be carried out in no more than ten minutes, by conscripts with minimal training. In September 1949, the Swedish Defence Material Administration issued a request for a fighter/interceptor aircraft, and work began at Saab the same year.

A line-up of J 35As.
Draken's design incorporated a distinctive "double-delta" configuration, with one delta wing within another larger delta. The inner wing has an 80° angle for high speed performance, while the outer 60° wing gives good performance at low speeds. Propulsion was provided by a single Svenska Flygmotor RM 6B/C turbojet (Rolls-Royce Avon 200/300). A ram turbine, under the nose, provided emergency power and the engine had a built-in emergency starter unit. The Draken could deploy a drag chute to reduce its landing distance.

The double-delta shape was so revolutionary that it warranted the only sub-scale test aircraft built in Sweden: the Saab 210, unofficially nicknamed "Lilldraken" (the little draken). The Saab 210 tested the concept of the double delta, first flying on 21 January 1952. The 210's successful testing results led to an order for three full-size Draken prototypes. The first prototype, not fitted with an afterburner, made its maiden flight on 25 October 1955. The second prototype, equipped with an afterburner, unintentionally broke the sound barrier on its first flight while climbing.

Although the J 35 Draken was not designed to be a dog-fighter, it proved to have a good quick turn capability, and it was a capable fighter plane. It entered service with the Swedish Air Force in 1960. A total of 651 Saab Drakens were manufactured.[4][page needed] Sweden's fleet of Drakens came in six different versions and two other models of the Draken were offered for export. The early models were intended purely for air defense. The last model built was the J 35F, the final version to remain in Swedish service. These aircraft were retired in the 1990s, and they were replaced by the Saab JAS 39 Gripen.

The J 35 Draken design underwent several upgrades. The last was the J 35J version, made in the late 1980s, although by then, the Draken had been almost replaced by the Saab 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force. The J 35J was a service-life extension program because the delivery of the new Saab JAS 39 Gripen was suffering delays. The extension program was intended to keep the Draken flying into the 2000s, but due to cutbacks and high maintenance costs, the Draken was eventually phased out of service. The Sedish Drakens were officially retired in December 1998, although the aircraft remained in limited numbers in both military and civilian roles.[Its export customers included Denmark and Finland. In 1985, the Austrian Air Force purchased 24 J 35D s reconditioned by Saab, re-designated the J 35Ö.

All Drakens are interceptors with limited air-to-ground capability, with the sole exception of the Danish Drakens, which are strike aircraft capable of carrying AGM-12 Bullpup missiles, electronic countermeasures, and increased internal and external fuel storage. The Danish Drakens are so far the heaviest of the series to have flown. Danish J 35 aircraft were retired in 1993.

Finland updated its 35XS fleet with new avionics, cockpit displays, navigational/attack systems, and electronic countermeasures during the 1990s, but these were finally retired in 2000 to be replaced by F/A-18 Hornets.

Austria was the last country to keep the Draken in military service. The Austrian Air Force bought refurbished J 35Ds. This was the last Austrian Air Force fighter plane with internal cannons for their lone air-to-air armament because of the restriction in the Austrian State Treaty of 1955. This forbade their carrying air-to-air missiles. This restriction was dropped in 1993 because of violations from the nearby Yugoslavian air combat services. American AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles were purchased. These Drakens were retired in 2005, when they were replaced by former Swiss Air Force F-5 Tiger IIs, while waiting for new Eurofighters.

In the United States, the National Test Pilot School (NTPS) owns six Drakens that were formerly in Danish service; of these, two TF-35XD s and one RF-35XD are operational, based at the Mojave Spaceport.


A small number of Drakens are still with civilian owners mainly in the United States, many former-operational aircraft have been preserved in the operating nations.