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Air Force
Museum Linköping Pictures from 2004, 2007 Link to official Air Force museum Consist of 2 parts. Page 1-19, 20-38 |
since 060105 Updated 2012-03-26 © Björn Bellander |
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Air Force
Museum Linköping Pictures from 2004, 2007 Link to official Air Force museum Consist of 2 parts. Page 1-19, 20-38 |
since 060105 Updated 2012-03-26 © Björn Bellander |
| page 21
SK-60 SAAB 105
Saab 105 in
Sw Air Force
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 Saab began to deliver the Dragon J35 1956 to the wings. Now it was time to put the successful Erik Bratt into work with something new. The Saab board had in mind something like a business or an air plane for the board. May be a sport air craft for the international market. Now Erik put out the old drawings for the Dragon and also the "Little Dragon", Saab 210. His suggestion became of course a small Dragoon but with 2 engines. This pilot study was ready 1958. At the same time KFF asked for a new trainer to replace the SK-61 Scottish Aviation Bulldog. KFF also wanted to combine this plane as a light attack air craft. This made that a "normal" wing plane and a high tail plane were designed. The order of this only Erik Bratt knows. The plane also got a fully closing acryl top. The real design work started when Saab knew that this type had the possibility to be sold and that was 1960. Several changes were done on the behalf of The Royal Flight Board (KFF). It is hard to please the KFF who has the money. 1963 a new stronger engine was inserted. This was done after the first test flight. Up to now the aircraft had been named Saab 105 but now it was changed to SK-60. The first serial copies were delivered 1965. The Swedish Air Force ordered 140 copies and they were delivered up to 1968. This type was built in totally 190 copies, from these, 40 were an export order to Austria. These 40 were equipped with a far stronger engine from General Electric. The Swedish type has after some updates of the French engines and lastly a changing to a far more modern type of engine, RM15 William-Rolls FJ44. Now the trainer is expected to do service up to 2015. |
| page 23
To main site
Pictures |
 Storch Fi-156 is another part of Gerhard Fieseler´s life. See SK-10. The time is now around 1935-36. Germany had a fast military development and RLM (Reichluftministerium) started a design competition about the best STOL airplane. Together with his designers, Mewes and Bachem, Fieseler Flugzeugbau brought out the Fi 156 and their competitors were far behind. They were Messerschmitt Bf-163 and Siebel Si 201. This plane should be built with a established standard but the latest knowledge about avionics. The wings should be able to turn backwards. In this way it was easy to transport the aircraft by train, on a lorry or towed. This construction got an air cold V8 engine from Argus which delivered 240 ps. The plane could land in less than 18 m and take off in 45 m depending on wind. By using all flaps it had the lowest speed of 50 km/h. Max speed was 180 km/h. It got manufacture order at once from RLM. Totally up to 1944 2900 copies were made. There are different figures. Fieseler´s plant got other jobs from RLM therefore they could not bring up the production to what was needed. That's why the production also started in Czechoslovakia by Mraz and in the occupied France by the Morane Sauliner. Post-war the French continued to produce it somewhat redesigned with a new engine as MS-500 and the Mraz as K-50 Cap. For the air craft carrier Graf Zeppelin Fieseler developed a special version of Messerschmitt Bf 109 named Bf-109T and also a torpedo airplane. These were stopped because the carrier should not be completed. What was not stopped was the development of the V1-bomb. Bechem did also a construction of a rocket for vertical start. The Storch aircraft became famous for the rescue of Mussolini 1943. Otto Skorzeny organized this. It was done this way. First the German landed a special commando group with the help of a glider on the mountain plateau of Gran-Sasso mountain in order to take control of the place. Then a Storch landed and brought Mussolini and Skorzeny away, despite of overload it succeeded to start. How the remaining soldiers succeeded to get away there are no notes. From the beginning it should have been the helicopter Focke-Wulf Achgelis 223, but it crashed during transportation. Sweden bought 2 Fi-156 1938 and totally in Sweden, included all those that were emergency landed in south of Sweden, 26 were in service. After the war Gerhard Fieseler was put in American prison. He was not free until mid 1946 and went back to Kassel. Here he changed his house to a hotel with 3 room. Later 1949 this was enlarged to 18. 1950 he got the rights to enter his old production area. This was totally plundered. In the still useful locals he started with friends to make small furniture and other things which was able to sell. When Kassel community decided to build their own hotel he had to close his. Gerhard later wrote a book about his life "Meine Bahn am Himmel". Gerhard Fieseler died in Kassel 1987 at the age of 91. G Fieseler grandfather was the General in the Prussian army August von Geoben. When he withdraw from the France-German war 1871, he met a woman who owned a hotel after her dead husband in Koblenz. With her he got a son. To give birth of this child she mowed in silence to Remagen. Here she gave birth of a boy. This child was christened after Goeben´s first name and her own surname, Gerhard August Fieseler. He was left as a baby to a midwife Mrs Jonen. The hotel widow died after a year in Koblenz. August became later foster child at a book printer´s house. This foster child had a hard growing time, but later he met Katharina born Marx. With her he got our Gerhard Fieseler and married her after one year. Our Gerhard had two children one girl and one boy. The girl died in cancer and the boy, Manfred, in the war as a fighter pilot was shot down by the Americans on invasion day. Gerhard Fieseler died in Kassel 1987 at the age of 91. Info from: "Meine Bahn am Himmel". |
| page 24
B3 Junkers Ju-86
Junkers engines
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 1933 Junkers design division started on behalf of RLM to plan for a 2 engineered bomber. Heavy bombers should be the main problem for Germany all through the war. Junkers had since earlier developed several different types of passenger planes. They had among others been used by the German Lufthansa and ABA in Sweden. Sweden had good contacts with Junkers in Dessau when in Limhamn planes had been mounted behind the back of war commission. The need for passenger planes were large. For this reason the engineers from Junkers tried to combine this, with Ernst Zindel as the design leader. It became Ju-86. Junkers had also an engine department which constructed several different airplane engines. Look in the web link. At the same time Junkers had an engine for the Ju-86. It was a 2-stroke (!) 2x6 cylinder diesel engine, Junkers Jumo 205, using 2 crankshafts an one cumbustion chamber for each cylinder couple. See picture. The disadvantages with this engine was that it had not enough power and worked best during constant effect output. It was no good for military warplanes. Because of this the license built Hornet at BMW was bought for Luftwaffe. This, from the beginning Pratt&Whitney engine became in different version to play an important role in Europe and also in Sweden. See BMW museum. BMW developed this engine to be used in Focke-Wulf 190 although it for this 14 cylinders. The Ju-86 started to be series produced 1936. It made its war debut in the Spanish Civil war and during the Polish campaign. At this point 1940 the aircraft was already out of date and an easy target for enemy fighters. Furthermore both Heinkel and Messerschmidt had brought out faster and better planes to be used against England. Me-110 and He-111. The problem for Germany was that the Air Board could not come to agree on long distance heavy bombers. See Heinkel 177 on the web. The different situation in Sweden was that the difficult negotiations about Ju-86 air craft turned out to be one of the only two different bombers able to be bought. See also Caproni. Junkers had storage several ready made planes and spare parts since RLM had stopped their series production 1939. These were allowed for export and license building. Furthermore Junkers was willing to do the changes Sweden wished. During a period before the Russian war, Barbarossa, several German engineers worked at SAAB in order to bring help with license building of the B3. Sweden ordered already 1936 2 copies and the first was flown home to Bromma Sweden by Nils Söderberg. On different rounds Sweden ordered 40 copies and at the same time SAAB started to mount the same amount. These SAAB B3:s became only 16 when Air Ministry understood that the type was hopeless out of date. Another important thing was that the mounting of B17 needed all labour that were available in Sweden. A parallel of this was when the Swedish Air Force had to pay SAAB to stop manufacturing SAAB Scandia in order to be able to produce J29 in time. Sweden changed engines several times on the existing B3:s, just to get a faster air craft. The strongest became the SFA (Nohab) license produced Bristol Mercury XXIV at 908 ps. B3, as this bomber was called in Sweden was settled at the wing F1 of Västerås. These bombers were almost come to war when Germany captured Denmark and Norway. This happened on the 11th of April 1940. Every B3 in Sweden were ready made for fight mission against the Germans. The military centre was sure that the Germans should invade the shores of Skåne. At this time Karlsborg was the crisis headquarters of Sweden. At 0300 after singing a well known Swedish hymn everybody were ready to fly. 1944 when B18 started to be delivered, the type B3 was rebuilt to a transport and education plane and was like this used till 1947. Some were sold to the Swedish map ministry. The last copy was flown to Kungsängen in order to be used as a object for fire education. One bomber is preserved at air museum in Linköping and is the only copy in the world. Several German museums want to buy it. |
| page 25
J9 Seversky
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 There were 2 Russians who moved to America after the WWI. Alexander Seversky and Alexander (!) Kartveli. Here they started Seversky Aircraft Cooperation and Kartveli became its designer. Seversky was a Russian pilot during WWI and was shot down by the German and lost one of his legs. In spite of this he was able to fly easily. Compare with Douglas Bader in England. In the beginning of the 30th there were air race competitions that were much popular. For this Seversky built an air craft. The design was ahead of what was normal at that time. They built an all metal plane with a covered cockpit. 1936 the USAAC made an inquiry for a fighter plane. Seversky announced their interest for their plane SEV-3. It was aimed to be used both as fighter reconnaissance and trainee plane. All depended on which engine was used and if it was done for one or two pilots. In order to manufacture this they hired premises at "Edo Aircraft Cooperation in New-York. When the plane was transported to Wright Field for evaluating it was damaged and the meeting was stopped. During the time when it was rebuilt it was changed to a one pilot type and retractable landing wheels. This because that they had seen their opponents. They also changed to a much more powerful 14 cyl. star engine. It was the later well known Twin Wasp. As time went on they got a contract of 70 planes for the American Air forces and it was named P35. To earn more money on export Seversky made a tour to Japan and Russia 1939 and on the way he home landed at Bromma air field in Sweden. This air craft was modern for its time but the progress went on very rapidly. It was now low powered, had bad armament for pilot and also the petrol tanks were not self sealed. Top speed was only 467 km/h. In spite of this it made success for the air craft thirsty Sweden. He got an order of 15 copies at once. It was for this reason that Bo Lundberg (the man with J22) was sent to America in order to control all orders Sweden had placed. Together Swedish Air Force ordered 120 P35 EP-1 (J9), 60 Vultee Vanguard (J10) and 60 Seversky 2P-A (B6). From this only 60 P35, J9, came to Sweden. There were hard transports because just before Germany invaded Norway, 16 was brought to Sweden when unloaded at Trondheim and some were taken by the Germans. Then by appointment with England and Finland the rest 44 were brought to Petsamo harbour. This was before the export embargo was settled by the American President. It is also notably that the rest of the Swedish planes were shipped to Philippines where they almost at once were shot down by the Japanese fighters. From Pestsamo Sweden arranged with lorry transports of the wooden boxes containing the air planes on almost nonexistent roads to nearest Swedish railway. About this venture there are books written. The nice wooden boxes was used all over Sweden for making small boxes. Often people could read the American text on the wood. CVM at Malmen got the task to assemble them. In spite of all disadvantages these fighter were for Sweden very modern. It is told that one J9 pilot got the task to show an American flying fortress were to land in south of Sweden, but he could not keep up the speed until the bomber slowed down. It was also a little sensible because the J9 had some similarities with Focke-Wulf 190. The J9 was taken out of first line 1945 and was out of active service 1946. Till 1952 it was used for training at Ljungbyhed Flying School. Only 3 aircraft from Seversky is known in the world and one in preserved at the Swedish Air Museum. About P35. This type was later developed to be the famous P47 Thunderbolt which became the American fighter before the P51 Mustang. |
| page 26
S31 Spitfire
Links New replicas at Flug Werk GMBH
Supermarine Spitfire
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 Now we have reach war end 1945. Sweden was on the way with J29 and a version of this for reconnaissance. Although the program was delayed for J29 fighter and the reconnaissance type should not be ready until 1955. Development programs are always delayed. For this reason the Air force needed a substitute. The possibility to buy used Spitfire planes by this type for a very low price in England. Sweden bought 50 copies. These were equipped with the latest engine Griffon with 2050 hp, and highest flying altitude of 14000 m and could reach 735 km/h. The plane was not armed but equipped with 3 cameras. All these flew with preinstalled exposure figures. With this plane Sweden was far ahead of the surrounding states. Even Russia had not yet come so far. They could not stop the Swedish spy photographing over the Baltic states and Kola regions. This was done till Soviet had developed fighters and robots in the early 50th. As a luck Swedish Air Force stopped in time but continued to fly outside the borders of the Baltic states with DC3 and Catalina against, I suppose, the Russians paid the early spying by shooting down one of each. This plane had the identification name of MKXIX and was equipped with a five blades prop made of wood. All Spitfires had this construction and even the remaining 40 today still are flying with wood props. Although to be mentioned that certain high speed development types had props of metal. This was for to test speeds near the sound limit. The reconnaissance plane in the museum is not one of those bought from England 1945. When J29 arrived 1955 all remaining S31 were scraped and the museum had no S32 on display. 1982 a museum enthusiast was able to buy one from Canada. It was in principle a scrap heap of a MKXIX. This plane was produce early in 1945 and was in service at RAF between 1945 and 1951. It was sold to India where it as time went on was put in India Air Force Museum. 1971 it was bought by a pilot organisation in Canada. This was near the end of this copy if it not had been bought for Sweden. In an extensive change business Sweden succeeded to buy it, but it was a costly bargain. For one DC3, one J34, one AD-4 Skyraider and 2 1/2 A32 Lance, Sweden got a MKXIX which lacked engine, the bubble hood, instrument dashboard, and complete landing gears. Compare this what Biltema got for the 14 millions Skr that Biltema paid for their complete renovated copy, okay only a MKXVI. Those who by coincidence have visited the Historical Collection of Cars in Köping Sweden may have seen the MKXIX dashboard (se picture). A very interesting and complete link telling most of the Spitfire story can be found to the left. 1955 all S31 in Sweden ended their active service in Swedish Air Force. Several planes were moved for target of practice shootings, the rest were scraped. With a sentence by the General secretary of FN about executions in Bosnia: "It was a sad time". |
| page 28
M1 Nieuport
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 In the beginning of the Swedish Air Force history it was a fight between the army and marine who should have the authority over this new weapon. The army formed their "Fälttelegrafkåren". This name was later changed to "Flygkompaniet". The army had their place at an infantry at Malmen outside Linköping. The marine with the name "Torpedkompaniet" had 2 main basis, Hägernäs outside Stockholm and Oskar Fredriks Borg at an old defence castle in the archipelago of Stockholm. Hindenburg is said to have laughed for the first and only time in his life, according to a story, when he sailed through this narrow channel in a war ship in when visiting Stockholm, when he saw this place. 2 airplanes could be bought 1913 through a gift of 30000 Skr from SAS, Scandinavian Aeronautics Society, later KSAK (Royale Swedish Air Club. One demand was that the Swedish government had to add the same amount for another planes. After much discussion an long time in true Swedish discussion spirit this money was allowed for 2 planes!. It became B1 (see page 29). At this time it was a general Swedish collection for war ships (Bishop Björkquist collection). This money was good enough to buy 3 sea planes. These went to "Torpedkompaniet" base at Oskars Fredriks Borg. There were three different types N1 Nieuport IVm, L1 Donnet-Lévêque and F1 Fahrman HF23. All supposed for reconnaissance. They were all sea planes from this time, dangerous to use, but they had to start with what was able to buy. von Porat, now place at Malmen, who had been in France, the leading country, and examined as the 7th Swede for air license got the doubtful order to take the M1 in the air for the first time. Captain Hamilton with license 2 had just before crashed the B1. The firm Nieuport was established 1902 by 2 brothers in France mainly for the production of engines, but was later changed 1909 to build airplanes. The firm was reorganized several times until an airplane constructer Schneider took over. This man meant that he had the patent for the synchronized machine gun and fought Anthony Fokker for a long time for this. Fokker designed this construction 1915 when a French fighter with Rolando Garros as pilot (compare the tennis stadium in Paris) got engine trouble and landed behind German lines. This plane had only covered the prop with plates for protection of the bullets. This gave Fokker the impulse to synchronize the machine gun with the prop. Picture. (From the book Flying Dutchman) This secret was held for 6 months until a German fighter by mistake landed behind French lines. After Schneider came Gustavo Delage as design manager and now things started to happen. Note he has nothing to do with the car Delage. They rapidly built Nieuport 10 and 11 all these types were common in France. The machine gun was placed on the top of the wing, gave certain difficulties to change for a new magazine. Later it was placed on the main fuselage sides. During this hectic times when fighters was changed and set in production every 6 month. It was like a frog race. The Germen came with a better fighter and the French and English must follow. The type numbers of Nieuport was changed up to 28. This became the plane that AEF (American Expeditionary Forces) got. This because the better plane Spad XXIII production not was high enough. The 28th could not match the Fokker DVII. After the war the Nieuport firm went backwards and lost their designer Delage. When Sweden formed the Air Force fusion 1926 there were only 9 fighters by the type of Phönix. They were out of date and worn out. The first chief of Air Forces, K.M. Amundsen, always named as KAMAB, ordered 10 Nieuports 29 C1 without having the money. In Sweden named J2, for a cheap amount of money, 17500 skr/each. For this it was naturally large rumour, but what to do? He got the money. This fighter had good handling characteristics, but didn't like the Swedish weather, when it was fully built of wood. The wings fell of by itself because of damp and temperature differences. Already 1930 the saga of Nieuport 29 was ended in spite of big efforts to remain it in flying condition. Both the earlier Nieuports were taken out of service 1918 and 1919. |
| page 29
B1 Breguét
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 Sweden had 1912 only one air force flying officer. This was Captain Henrik Hamilton. He had on his own cost gone to France in order to get flying education 1911. At that time Bréguet was the type on every lips. He became the natural leader when Sweden was going to buy two planes for building up a Swedish Air Force. Money came of course from the Swedish government and a gift from SAS (Swedish Aeronautical Sience). They put 30000 Skr in a fond in order to buy a Nieuport IV monoplane. This was from the pressure of K. A. Amundsen. At that time big efforts was made to stop this waste of money. The meaning was that flying was only of short time interest and could never be used in military campaigns. Compare the debate against the space race during the early time. But as everybody now know that both flying and space development has given mankind good opportunities to come closer to each other. Hamilton had the meaning that Bréguet was the best plane at that time. The other plane that was bought became the monoplane Nieuport IV. For learning to handle these planes Gösta von Porat and Jungner and a few more mechanics were sent to France for education. Porat got the Nieuport, later named M1 and Jungner the Bréguet, later named B1. These planes was chosen because they had place first and second in a flying competition in France. Jungner was educated at Bréguet's air field near Douie and Porat at Pau in south of France. Everything has a connection. This was 1912 when Antony Fokker just had succeeded with his third plane with great success at Johannisthal. Later during WWI Douie was the area where Immelmann and Boelcke made life hard to survive for the French and English pilots with their Albatrosses and Fokkers. These early air reconnaissance planes were delivered 1912 to The Swedish first place for fly training Axvalla Moor. Here they were put together and the first tests started. It was not easy for the Swedish enthusiasts when the B1 crashed immediately and the M1 had problems with the engine. As time went on Porat, Hamilton and Jungner succeeded to bring the planes up in the air. Hammilton crashed later seriously so he had to stop flying. When studying there flying scheme they had not so much time in the air. Some efforts to work with the troops on ground became often a failure because of weather or engine troubles. 1913 this wing was moved to Malmen outside Linköping where under Fogman´s forceful leadership a new place for Swedish Air Force was built. B1 crashed several times and 1915 it was heavily damaged and was set out of service. The rests of the plane were spread out to Södertelge Workshop, Thulin in Landskrona and several museums. Renovation started 1977 and a heroic work was done in order to find as many parts as possible. This renovation was ready 1989 and now this airplane, the one and only in the world can be seen at Air Force Museum. |
| page 31
Macchi M7
Hydroplanes in
Austria
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 Now I will tell you how the Jacob Lohner company in Wien, Ferdinand Porsche and Macchi have connections with each other, more or less, with the Swedish hydroplane Macchi M7. 1918 the Swedish "Armefälttygkåren" (the part of the army that handled their air forces at that time ahead to 1926) searched for an aeroplane to defend the fortress of Boden. When they didn't had any airfield there it had to be a hydroplane. After WWI Italy had several such a planes that could be sold. As a goodwill and hoping to sell other planes, they decides to give away a few planes of this kind. Italian pilots flew to Sweden with Macchi M7 for demonstration. They offered 4 or 5 (there are different numbers). Sweden said thank you at placed them in Boden up in the north. The type could not stand the climate so they where instead placed at the lake Roxen outside Linköping. They were equipped with 2 8 mm machine guns and a 250 hp Isotta Fraschini engine. They were almost as fast as the Phönix fighters in Sweden and could be handled as them too. The engines was of course not trouble free. These planes were in service between the years 1919 to 1927. In the beginning of 1900 there was a company Jacob Lohner in Wien. They produced horse carriages for the European kings and noblesse. Among them the Swedish, Norwegian and Denmark. At a museum outside the Town of Malmköping you can see an impressing collection. Ferdinand Porsche took the train to start his first work at Lohner. He was going to design electric wheels for cars. They had designed an inbuilt electric motor in the wheel. Later he installed an petrol engine for charging. That made the first hybrid car. Porsche stayed here for 5 years. Lohner, which was a large concern, started to deliver balloons and went over to fighter airplanes. They designed lots of types up to 1923. Among them it was an hydroplane with a pushing prop. It was Lohner L-type. Such a plane emergency landed or was force to land in Italy during the Trieste conflict. Italy had a long coast which had to be guarded and they, very well, knew about this type. It was a successful plane for it's time. Italy copied and made some changes through the manufacturer Macchi. They put in a new engine and change the wings which was a copy of Nieuport biplane. This first model was called M5. Later it got yet another engine, Isotta Fraschini. This became the M7. Later Sweden bought the M8. These Swedish Macchi types were used very rarely by the best pilots up to 1927 when they were scraped. Only one copy is still existing in the world and that is the one at Air Force Museum in Linköping. Note. Read the book about Carl Cederström. He opens a flying school at Malmen 1913. For this he bought among others one Donnet-Lévècque sea-plane. This plane is now in the hands of the Museum. About the origin of this type I found a contribution in theaerodrom.com/forum which informed this: Hi friends, It may be interesting to note that some of the very the first seaplanes built by the A-H Navy' Arsenal were copies of the French Donnet-Levecque type A and C flying-boats (which the KuK Marine purchased four original examples of in 1912). The general configuration of these aircraft (pushers, hull seaplanes with pilot and observers seated side by side etc.) influenced very deeply the trend of all following A-H seaplane designs. The first Italian seaplanes from L1 to L3 were therefore copies of a machine which was the evolution, albeit with much indigenous talent in it, of a French design. But that's not still all. Infact also the FBAs which were also employed by the Italians and the French in the Adriatic were derivative *projects of the original design of François Denhaut and as a consequence the vast majority of all the seaplanes employed in the Adriatic in WWI bore the same general configuration with consequent strong resemblance at distance. |
| page 32
J1 Phönix
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 1919 the Daily News paper in Stockholm invited an Austrian fighter plane designer to Sweden in order to show the type Phönix. This man and his mechanics should make deep profound during the building of the Swedish Air force. He was an air craft designer and named Edmund Sparmann. He brought 2 fighters of the type Phönix. One single seat (D.1)and one 2 seater (C.1). This type got a slight influence of the school plane "Tummelisa". See page 27. The C1 hade a special design of the rear fuselage. The body was designed like a full rear end. The usual design was not needed. This was high fashion at this time. It got later the nickname "Dront". Sparmann flew around in Sweden to demonstrate his fighter. Soon The Swedish "Flygkompaniet" bought them and the licenses to manufacture copies. This little fighter was officially named J1 or Phönix fighter. The meaning was to copy but the chief of Malmslätt Flogman could buy 20 direct from a seller in Berlin. They were bought over a telephone talk. It was later copied at the workshops of Malmslätt (even called Malmen for short). When most of the planes kept their original qualities. This was not the case of the reinforced Swedish built. These fighters became the only planes to defence Sweden during the 20th. Porat tells us that at this time 1920 a German Captain came to Malmen in a Fokker DVII. No one less than Herman Göring. He was extremely poor and earned money as a show flyer. Just for feeling sorry for him the Flygkompaniet bought his DVII for a cheap sum of money. The Fokker fighter which was the next last from Fokker and the best had the chief staff no time for, and it disappeared in the fog in the story of Malmen. I think that Henry Kjellson, the designer of Sweden, was fully busy with "Tummelisa", Ö1. At this time Anthony Fokker sat in Holland with several hundred of Fokker fighters and Mercedes 160 hp engines, far more modern than the Dronts and for a lesser price. Give it the thought that Flogman´s telephone call had been to Fokker instead? Göring as everybody know? became Reichmarshall of Germany and boss of the German Air Force. The last J1 placed at Ljungbyhed was taken out of service 1933. Edmund Sparmann ended up with 100000 Skr and a 3 years of employee at SAAB in the end of 1930. For this he was very disappointed. Mikael Carlsson tells about Göring's Fokker DVII, that it was used at Malmen as a service plane for transport of pilots. Later the engine was moved to the above Phönix type. There is more to tell about this, which I should like to know about. |
| page 34
Tp 83 Pembroke
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 Sweden was on the way to buy Hawker Hunters 1954 in the time between J29 Barrel and A32 Lance. 120 Hunter were ordered, but the English meant that if Sweden wanted these Hunters they had also to buy a plane which was more difficult to sell. They offered Hunting Percival Pembrokes transporter. Sweden had nothing against this because transporters were needed. Several different types had been discussed in Sweden, among them DH Beaver, DH Otter and DC 3. In addition an offer had been asked for from MFI in Malmö. This former company AFI had designed a glider in the end of the 40th named Fi-3. MFI offered this plane rebuild with 2 Lycoming 190 hp engines named MFI Fi-8. This construction had though too small capacity for the Air Force so it was refused. Pembroke was the military version of Prince which was the same type. It was equipped with 2 Alvis Leonides 570 hp 9 cyl. star engines. 14 days after the order of Hunter a new order of 16 Pembrokes was written. It became much talk about this because 2 planes were supplied as VIP types. Of this reason they were called the banqueting room of the Air Force. They were also nice painted. The Pembrokes were mainly used for education of aeronautical radio navigation. A flying classroom for Mosquito night fighters and A32 Lance navigators. 2 of this 16 were destroyed in a hangar fire and a crash. Compensations were bought from Denmark. The first Pembroke was delivered 1954 and the last which was taken out of service was 1977. This copy is preserved at Air Force museum. Another plane is to be seen at Svedino Museum at Ugglarp Sweden. |
| page 35
Tp 47 Catalina
Tp 47 Catalina history
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 Sweden controlled it's borders, specially in the Baltic Sea towards Russia, during the last part of WWII. At that time it was the Caproni planes that faithfully!? flew and informed about what happened. From these planes 3 were shot down. How many that crashed into the water are not official. After the war this guarding was reduced. During the cold war this guard was up to level again. When the incident with the DC3, that had replaced the Capronis, happened the guarding was resumed. Now with J29 and S31 under the name incident guarding. The cause was the shot down of DC3 and the reconnaissance Catalina, Tp 47. Sweden realized that this reconnaissance were necessary after WWII and financed it with exchange of information with NATO, mainly USA. For this purpose DC3 were used and 1948 3 surplus Catalina planes. These aircrafts came from Canada and were also produced there. They were equipped with 2 radial engines at 1200 hp each. These strong engines were of course needed to be able to lift from water. They were also equipped with landing gears so the possibility to land on water was only for emergency. Also one Catalina was shot down, 47002, when searching for the DC3. This plane succeeded to land on water and a German freighter, Münsterland, saved the pilots. The Catalina sank of course. The Russians denied a long time but a confession came in Moscow when Tage Erlander, prime minister 1956, were there to discuss the Raoul Wallenberg affair. 1964 Chrustjov visited Sweden and was out on the lake outside Harpsund Manor. This was later called "the Rowing Boat Diplomacy". At that time they might have had discussed the question. This confession was never made official and when Russia 1991 admitted everything a storm of indignation was released in Swedish press and from closed families to the pilots, against the government. This affair made that Sweden started a 100% guarding over the Baltic. Now with much more modern planes as A32 Lance and J35 Dragoon. Catalina, Tp47 flew several years in Sweden and was out of service, 47001, officially after 6000 flying hours 1960, but was still used up to 1966. 47003 was used as part donator. 47001 can be seen outside Air Force Museum. |
| page 36
B18
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 There is late 1938. The Swedish Air Board has sent an inquiry to all producers of air aircrafts in Sweden. There were ASJA, (had earlier bought Sparmann), AFF (AB Förenade Flygverkstäder), Götaverken (GV), Bofors/Nohab=SAAB and a few others. This was about a bomber. Earlier this year the Board had sent an inquiry about a dive air aircraft (B17). An overhead organisation had been created, AFF. This had the purpose to handle the manufacturing logistic between ASJA and Bofors/Nohab. AFF had also the task to make the design (Alfred Gassner). Now it showed up that these firms handled as separate companies. They all presented their own suggestions. The board now understood that AFF had no function. Saab (Bofors/Nohab) was reorganized as a new company when they merged with ASJA and got a common director of the board in Axel Wenner-Gren. Götaverken stepped out of this and went back to their ship yard. GV has an interesting history but this is mostly bound to J22. After the quotation for the bomber had been studied, the Air Board choose the proposition of ASJA. Of course no bid without changes. The most important change for ASJA was changing nose wheel to tail wheel. This became B18 which later was inherited by Saab. The base unit for B18 had been designed by an American designer Carl Haddon and the Swede Frid Wänström under the supremacy of Anders Johan Andersson (see Svenska Aero). Now it went quickly forward, but for a while the whole project was stopped in favour for B17. The war progress forced this as it was important to be ready with the B17. This stop didn't last for more than 7 months. The work was distributed between the workshops in Trollhättan and Linköping. The first aircraft was brought in the air 1942 by test pilot Claes Smith and delivery started 1944. Already from the beginning the test pilot was sufficient with the behaviour of the bomber. The engine was from the beginning aimed for Bristol Taurus. This was not possibly because of the situation in England. The Board had for a long time tried to get license for Daimler-Benz DB601, but the Germans took good time for this. For the time being Saab had to mount the Swedish built Twin-Wasp. It was short off this engine so for a while aircraft for delivery got an engine that had to be dismounted at the air wing for mounting in the next delivery. In this way several aircrafts were standing without engine. At last Sweden got the license from Germany and it showed up that they got the latest model DB605 which gave 1475 ps. The production of this engine started at once and when the first engines were mounted the B18 became 100 km/h faster than before. The Air Board had big trust in B18 to be a one of a kind aircraft. This was of course impossible. Testing ended with that bombing changed to more like diving aircrafts and the number of crew was changed from 3 to 2. This diving was made possible by a new sight designed by Wilkinsson at Saab. The main idea for this sight came from a emergency landed German aircraft in Sweden. B18 was produced between year 1944-48 with 243 copies and was in service up to 1959 when A32 Lance started to deliver. |
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J26 Mustang
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 North American P51 Mustang has a marvellous history. The bad situation for England during "the Blitz" days forced them to order to an American aircraft producer to design a modern fighter. It was during 1940 that the English authorities asked some producers in America to deliver a fighter aircraft. They had several inquiries, but most of them were filled up with deliveries to the American Air Force. North American was interested, but they didn't want to follow the English specifications. Instead they offered a fighter of there own, which they earlier had started to design. The first prototype should be shown after 120 days. This aircraft rolled out after 102. Everybody were happy and no one thought about the fact that the experimental model had no engine, no wheels and no guns. A new type of wing design had been constructed which allowed laminar air flow. This gave the aircraft the possibility to make tighter turns. After this it delayed until October 1940 before the aircraft was ready for test flight. The engine was decided to be Allison V-1710 V12 at 1140 ps. This aircraft was rapidly in production and started to be delivered end of 1941. It was soon shown that the engine was not powerful enough to fly at a normal fighting level. Instead the aircraft had to be used for ground attacks. It was easy to see that the fighter needed a stronger engine which had better characteristics in a high flying level. The English Merlin engine had a more powerful compressor which was what to be needed. This engine was allowed for licence production in America. It was developed for mass production and gave in the beginning 1475 pHs and called Packard-Merlin. This was just the same power as the German Bf-109 had. The fighter could now speed more than 100 mph than with the Allison engine. The further development gave the engine up to 2000 ps. Although it was only 500 built of this model P-51H before the war was over. Later it was this version that Sweden partially bought. The situation in Sweden was catastrophic even if no one talked in these terms. 3 of 4 fighters from Italy, J20 Falco, in Sweden were not available and were forced to be on ground because of hard wear and lack of spares. In Sweden the government told people that "Our military preparedness is good"! 1943 contact was taken with the American embassy about buying modern fighters like P-47 Thunderbolt or P-51 Mustang. The American government did not adopt a negative attitude towards this. This was because of the good progress of the war and the enormous production capacity in America. 1944 the Swedish air force commander Bengt Nordenskjold was sent to England in order to make a deal. It went well and Sweden ordered 50 ex. P-51 and this was allowed with great speed by the Swedish government. The air force contact in government had told them that Sweden almost had no flying fighters at this time. The cost was 35 million Skr. American pilots flow the aircrafts from Liverpool to Bromma outside Stockholm. A funny notice with this is that the Swedish Air Force had to pay 5 million for custom fee. One pilot celebrated the arrival at Stockholm by flying under a bridge. This was an action that later was added to a Swedish air movie. Sweden had also 5 force landed P-51 standing in Skåna, south of Sweden. These were also bought and flown to Bromma and Barkarby by the interned pilots. They were later allowed to go home. One of them was a wild one and flew the aircraft in such a way that it crashed and the pilot died. Later, after the war, Sweden bought more aircrafts from surplus storage for only 3500$ a piece. This was only 5% of there cost new. From the beginning the aircrafts were placed at Ärna airfield outside Uppsala and Östersund in north of Sweden. The fighters that was bought after the war came from storage in Germany. Totally Sweden bought 165 aircrafts. P-51 was produced in 15386 ex. during the war. Note that Bf-109 was produced in over 32000 and only a handful are left and no flying original one yet (2006). J 26 had made it's job in 1953 and 93 aircrafts were sold to Israel, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The propeller epoch was over in Sweden. There are lots of links for P-51 on internet. I give you some that I think might be of interest.  |
| Facts about these airplane are gathered from: Gösta von Porat - Flyget blev mitt liv. Historien om Breguét. Max Immelman's papers. Anthony Fokker - The Flying Dutchman. Ernst Heinkel - Stormy Life. Gehard Fieseler - Meine Bahn am Himmel. Torsten Gullberg - Svenska Vingar. Nils Söderberg - Med Spaken i Näven. Lennart Andersson - Svenska Flygplan. Info plates from Air Museum and lots of links found in internet. |
| Pictures
from the following owners have been used in bjorns-story.se with the
necessary permission: Reference 1: © Björn Bellander bjorn.bellander(at)telia.com Reference 11: © Goleta Air & Space Museum Brian Lockett Reference 12: © Roy Fröjdh Reference 13: © Sten Hjalmarsson Reference 20: © Gunnar Fahlgren |
Website deals with Air
Force Museum Linköping Sweden cover 38 pages in 2 sites. © Björn Bellander |
