J29A
Contents
| This page is about the Swedish jet fighter J29A. For other versions, see J29 (Family). |
Description
The J29A Tunnan is a rank V Swedish jet fighter
with a battle rating of 8.0 (AB/SB) and 7.7 (RB). It was introduced in Update 1.95 "Northern Wind".
The J29A is a single-engine jet fighter, that was developed by the Swedish company SAAB in the late 1940s. One of the main design features of this aircraft is its swept-back wings, which was designed after that SAAB had managed to acquire German documents from the war, that proved that swept-back wings were necessary when trying to achieve higher speeds. The J29A also features a Swedish license-built version of the British de Havilland Ghost engine. The armament consists of four 20 mm akan m/47C, a license built copy of the British Hispano Mk V, but with a lower rate of fire. The first prototype flew in 1948, and the aircraft then proceeded to enter service in the Swedish Air Force, Flygvapnet in 1951. It remained in service until 1962 and never saw any combat use.
General info
Flight performance
The J29A has a great top speed, along with an effective rudder and reasonable roll rate. However, it turns poorly at all speeds, and bleeds energy rapidly when forced to do so. It also does not accelerate well.
| Characteristics | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | 994 | 962 | 13500 | 30.4 | 31.2 | 19.6 | 18.4 | 800 |
| Upgraded | 1,027 | 1,015 | 27.8 | 29.0 | 31.2 | 25.0 | ||
Details
| Features | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear | Drogue chute |
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | X |
| Limits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
| Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
| 1102 | 420 | 800 | 575 | 350 | ~12 | ~6 |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < 650 | < 640 | < 450 | N/A |
Engine performance
| Engine | Aircraft mass | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine name | Number | Empty mass | Wing loading (full fuel) | |||
| Svenska Flygmotor RM2 | 1 | 4,990 kg | 262 kg/m2 | |||
| Engine characteristics | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) | Max Takeoff Weight | ||||
| Weight (each) | Type | 6m fuel | 20m fuel | 21m fuel | ||
| 1,150 kg | Centrifugal-flow turbojet | 5,328 kg | 6,102 kg | 6,157 kg | 7,080 kg | |
| Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB) | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%) | |||||
| Condition | 100% | WEP | 6m fuel | 20m fuel | 21m fuel | MTOW |
| Stationary | 2,150 kgf | N/A | 0.40 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.30 |
| Optimal | 2,150 kgf (0 km/h) |
N/A | 0.40 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.30 |
Survivability and armour
Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.
Armaments
Offensive armament
The J29A is armed with:
- 4 x 20 mm Akan m/47C cannons, nose-mounted (180 rpg = 720 total)
Usage in battles
In RB and Sim modes, this plane struggles to get off the runway, spooling, pressuring your front landing gear right before you engage flaps, and using flaps are all essential to a safe takeoff in this plane.
Turning is generally a bad idea, the "Flying Barrel" loves to lose speed and hates to recover it so keep this in mind before pulling any sharp manoeuvres.
To engage in a primary dogfight you will either want to be well above it or at high speed to take advantage of the greatest strengths of this plane: its cannons and top speed.
Speed is life, but sometimes you won't have enough of it, keeping an eye on where your nearest teammate is is an excellent idea should you need support when engaged by a faster jet (Swift F.1/F.7 are common examples).
Flying with a squadmate in a more dogfight-suitable aircraft is highly recommended to make the most out of this plane, as they will often be able to setup a target for your B&Z runs.
Modules
| Tier | Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Fuselage repair | Offensive 20 mm | ||
| II | Compressor | Airframe | ||
| III | Wings repair | New 20 mm cannons | ||
| IV | G-suit | Engine | Cover | |
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Decent cannons with plenty of ammunition
- Can turn well at speed
- High max speed
Cons:
- Inadequate versus its opponents at 8.7 which it faces often
- Very sluggish acceleration
- Dumps speed in turns
- Rudder locks up at higher speeds
History
Initial development
During WWII Sweden had effectively fallen behind in the development of military aircraft. This was largely due to a severely underdeveloped aircraft-engine industry in Sweden which meant that there were no high end engines available for aircraft production. Thus Sweden was still projecting propeller driven fighter aircraft in 1945 equivalent to fighters projected by other nations 1-3 years prior. Since it was obvious by 1945 that jet aircraft was the future the Swedish air force decided to scrap all propeller driven fighter projects and instead make the jump to a jet fighter immediately. Sweden's leading aeronautical firm SAAB, who was already actively working with the Swedish air force on the previously mentioned propeller fighters, was tasked with projecting this new jetfighter. Several designs were looked at but by mid 1945 it was decided that a mid-high wing aircraft with a central air intake would be best option. Due to the mid-high wing it was not possible to house the landing gear in the wings. Instead it was decided to house the landing gear in the fuselage of the aircraft. This concept got the project name R1001, R standing for "reaktionsmotor" (reaction engine) which is the Swedish military term for jet engines.
The original specifications for the R1001 called for a radar range finder, four Bofors 20 mm akan m/45 cannons with 180 rounds per gun in the nose, external fuel tanks and a top speed of 1000 km/h. The engine was originally supposed to be an indigenous design by the company STAL but by late 1945 Sweden had gotten the green light for acquiring the new top modern de Haviland Ghost engine which was being developed at the time. There are several reasons why Sweden was allowed to buy this top of the line engine even before it was Finished but the two main factors were the economic state of Britain after the war and Sweden's good relations with the company de Haviland. The engine was however not the only thing which changed at an early stage. Originally the R1001 featured straight wings, as was common at the time. However by pure luck Sweden was via a Swiss source able to acquire some German WWII research papers regarding swept wings on aircraft and their increased performance at high speeds. Thus it was decided to change the R1001 design to feature swept wings. The first blueprints of the R1001 featuring swept wings was finished already by late 1945 and within 3 years a prototype had been constructed and was ready for flight testing. During these 3 years the design would change even further from the original concept. The radar range finder was dropped for unknown reasons and the Bofors cannons were switched for Hispano designs due to delays at Bofors. By 1947 the aircraft had also received the type-designation J29.
Testing and production
The J29 prototype flew for the first time on the 1st of september 1948 and immediately showed incredible performance. The test pilot chosen for this flight was Englishman, Squadron Leader Robert A. "Bob" Moore. The test flight lasted for a half of an hour and after a successful landing, Moore commented on the aircraft, stating that "on the ground, it's an ugly duckling, but in the air it's a swift." Like many aircraft which pick up a nick-name due to a specific feature or shape, the J29 would fairly quickly receive the nickname "Flygande Tunnan" (The Flying Barrel) or just "Tunnan" (The Barrel) for short. Initially thought of as degrading, the nick-name Tunnan would not only become the official name for the aircraft but it would also start the SAAB tradition of naming to their combat aircraft, a tradition which persists to this day.
After correcting a few production errors the prototype would not only achieve the specified top speed of 1000 km/h but it would even surpass it, achieving a sustainable speed of 1060 km/h at one point. The design of the J29 showed a lot of promise for the future and talk of future variants would begun even before production had started. In fact just a month after the prototype had taken to the air there was talk of implementing attack-rockets and deflatable internal fuel tanks.
Production of the first J29 variant, the J29A, would commence in 1950 and deliveries to the air force would start in early 1951. It was quickly realized that the internal fuel capacity of the J29A was too limited and work began on implementing the previously discussed internal deflatable fuel tanks. This would be realized in a new version of the J29, designated J29B, which entered production and service in 1953. The J29B's new internal fuel tanks gave it a 50% increase in fuel capacity compared to the J29A. The J29B would be followed by an unarmed reconnaissance version called the S29C which had been planned at an early stage. The S29C was to be followed by a J29D, featuring increased armament and an afterburner, but due to a variety of reasons the J29D never entered production. Instead a modified version of the J29B, called the J29E, would enter service. The E-variant featured a new dog toothed wing which increased maneuverability at high speeds. The J29E was soon followed by the J29F which was an upgrade-program for 210 J29B and E aircraft, increasing their performance and allowing them to serve throughout the 1960's.
All in all 661 J29's would be produced for the Swedish air force, the largest production run by SAAB ever and the last of these would serve until the late 1970's.
Legacy
The J29 was a truly historical wonder for its time. After being stranded for the duration of the war, Sweden managed to not only catch up with modern aircraft development in a short amount of time but it was also able to lead jetfighter development in Europe for the time and arguably even into modern times. The J29 was the first swept wing jetfighter to be mass-produced in Europe and together with the Soviet MiG-15 and American F-86 it set the bar for how the next generation of fighter aircraft should be. It was extremely fast for its time and actually managed take home two closed circuit world speed records during the mid 1950's.
Besides it's international legacy the J29 is the first Swedish-designed aircraft to see combat. In September 1961, as part of the Congo-crisis, five J 29Bs were stationed in the Republic of Congo to contribute to a UN peacekeeping mission (ONUC) in the region. This lead to the forming of air wing F 22 which exclusively served in Congo. F 22 was later reinforced by four more J 29Bs and two S 29C reconnaissance planes in 1962. F 22 would quickly take air superiority in the area which in turn lead to them primarily performing attack-missions during the conflict. No aircraft were lost during the ONUC despite large amounts of ground fire. When the ONUC was terminated in 1964, the aircraft-type had been decommissioned in Sweden and thus it was decided to only send home a select few J29's to Sweden. Majority of the F 22 J29's were blown up on the spot in Congo when the Swedish left the area.
J29A
Between 1950 and 1953 SAAB would produce 224 J29A's. These were delivered to the Swedish air force between the 10th of May 1951 and the 22nd of April 1953 and would come to serve in the Swedish air force until the early 1960's.
As mentioned previously it lacked the internal deflatable fuel tanks that was fitted to the later models and thus had a fairly limited range. It could however equip two under wing drop tanks weighing up to 600 kg each. This increased the range to acceptable levels. Interestingly the drop tanks could also be armed as incendiary bombs via a switchbox in the cockpit. Beyond drop tanks the aircraft were also capable of carrying a wide variety of rockets for different missions.
The J29A came to serve in the Swedish air force until late 1962 when they were taken out of service. Decommissioned J29A's were either scrapped or used as shooting targets. One J29A survives to this day and is owned by the Swedish air force museum.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the aircraft;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
- other literature.
| Swedish Aeroplane Company Ltd. (SAAB) | |
|---|---|
| Pre-SAAB: SA / ASJA | |
| SA 'Jaktfalken' | J6B |
| SAAB 17 | B17A · B17B · S17BS |
| SAAB 18 | B18A · B18B · T18B · T18B (57) |
| SAAB 21 | J21A-1 · J21A-2 · A21A-3 · J21RA · A21RB |
| SAAB 29 'Tunnan' | J29A · A29B · J29D · J29F |
| SAAB 32 'Lansen' | J32B · A32A · A32A Röd Adam |
| SAAB 35 'Draken' | J35A · J35D |
| SAAB 37 'Viggen' | JA37C · JA37D · JA37DI · JA37DI F21 · AJ37 · AJS37 |
| SAAB 39 'Gripen' | JAS39A · JAS39C |
| SAAB 105 | SK60B · SAAB-105G |
| License Production | B3C (Ju 86K) |
| Export | SAAB-105OE · J35XS · ▄JAS39C · ◔JAS39EBS HU C |
| Sweden jet aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | J21RA |
| J29A · A29B · J29D · J29F | |
| J32B | |
| J34 | |
| J35A · J35D | |
| JA37C · JA37D · JA37DI · JA37DI F21 | |
| JAS39A · JAS39C | |
| Strike aircraft | A21RB |
| A32A · A32A Röd Adam | |
| A28B | |
| AJ37 · AJS37 | |
| SK60B · SAAB-105G | |
| Export | SAAB-105OE |
| Finland | ▄Vampire FB 52A · ▄MiG-21bis · Saab J35XS |
