Saab 105

Infobox Aircraft
name=Saab 105


caption= Swedish Air Force Saab 105 in Payerne, 2004
type=Military trainer aircraft
manufacturer=Saab
designer=
first flight=1963
introduced=1967
retired=
status=
primary user= Swedish Air Force
more users=Austrian Air Force
produced=
number built=
unit cost=
developed from=
variants with their own articles=The Saab 105 is an aircraft developed in the early sixties as a private venture by Saab for the Swedish Air Force . It is a high-wing, twin engine trainer aircraft. The Swedish Air Force designation is Sk 60. It first entered service in 1967 to replace the De Havilland Vampire.

Originally, it featured two Turbomeca Aubisque low bypass turbofan engines, licence-manufactured by Volvo Flygmotor as the RM 9. An updated version is equipped with the Williams International FJ44, designated RM 15.

A total number of 150 aircraft were bought by the Swedish Air Force, and another 40 were exported to Austria, designated Saab 105Ö.

The Saab 105 is also the aircraft used by Swedish Air Force display team Team 60.

Variants

* Saab 105 : Prototype.
* Sk 60A : Two-seat jet trainer, liaison aircraft for the Swedish Air Force.
* Sk 60B : Two-seat attack version for the Swedish Air Force.
* Sk 60C : Two-seat attack, reconnaissance version for the Swedish Air Force.
* Sk 60D : Saab had also designed the Saab 105 for use as a four-seat liaison transport: the two ejection seats could be removed and quickly replaced with four airline-type seats, with no provision for wearing a parachute; or four more austere seats that allowed the wearing of parachutes. In the mid-1970s, ten Sk 60A aircraft were permanently configured as transports and given the designation of "Sk 60D". Some were painted in the relatively flashy light green / dark green / tan "splinter" camouflage associated with the SAAB Viggen fighter.
* Sk 60E : This variant was a similar four-seat Sk 60A conversion, but featured commercial-type instruments, including an instrument landing system. It was used to help train Flygvapnet reserve pilots in flying commercial aircraft. The Sk 60E machines were eventually used as Sk 60D liaison transports.
* Sk 60W : In 1993, another upgrade program was initiated to modernize the Sk 60, the most important improvement being fit of twin Williams Rolls FJ44 turbofans with 8.45 kN (861 kgp / 1,900 lbf) each and digital engine controls. The new engines not only provide more thrust, but are much quieter, cleaner, and easier to maintain. The first Williams-powered Sk 60 -- known informally as the "Sk 60(W)" -- performed its initial flight in August 1995. A total of about 115 conversions of Sk 60A, 60B, and 60C aircraft were performed in the late 1990s. No conversions were performed of the Sk 60D/E, with all such aircraft grounded and used as spares hulks. There was consideration of upgrading the increasingly obsolete cockpit instrument system to feature two multifunction displays (MFDs), but it is unclear if this was ever implemented.
* Saab 105XT : Export demonstrator; improved version of the Sk 60B.
* Saab 105D : A refined business jet variant was considered, but the idea was out of date and there were no takers.
* Saab 105G : Prototype, demonstrator aircraft. One built.
* Saab 105H : Proposed version for the Swiss Air Force. Never built.
* Saab 105Ö : Variant of the 105XT for the Austrian Air Force, first delivered to Austria in July 1970. 40 built.
* Saab 105S : In the mid-1970s, Saab proposed yet another demonstrator, the "Saab 105S" for a Finnish trainer requirement, but the Finns decided to buy the BAe Hawk instead.

Operators

;AUT: Austrian Air Force.;SWE: Swedish Air Force.

pecifications (Saab 105Ö)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=jet

crew=2: student and instructor
length main=10.8 m
length alt=35 ft 4 in
span main=9.5 m
span alt=31 ft 2 in
height main=2.7 m
height alt=8 ft 9 in
area main=16.3 m²
area alt=175.45 ft²
empty weight main=2,849 kg
empty weight alt=6,281 lb
loaded main=
loaded alt=
max takeoff weight main=4,635 kg
max takeoff weight alt=10,218 lb

engine (jet)=General Electric J85-17B
type of jet=turbojet
number of jets=2
thrust main=7.49 kN
thrust alt=1,638 lb

max speed main=970 km/h
max speed alt=603 mph
range main=2,300 km
range alt=1,242 mi
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=

armament=
* 6 hardpoints, AAMs, ASMs, gun pods, bombs, rockets

ee also

aircontent
related=
similar aircraft=

* Aermacchi S-211
* Aermacchi MB-326
* Aermacchi MB 339
* Aero L-29
* Aero L-39 Albatros
* Aero L-59 Super Albatros
* Aero L-159 Alca
* ATG Javelin
* A-37 Dragonfly
* BAC Strikemaster
* BAE Hawk
* Bede BD-10
* CASA 101
* Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet
* EADS Mako
* FMA IA 58 Pucará
* FMA IA 63 Pampa
* Fouga Magister
* HAL HJT-36
* Hispano HA-200
* Hongdu JL-8
* Jet Provost
* Kawasaki T-4
* Mikoyan MiG-AT
* Northrop T-38 Talon
* PZL TS-11 Iskra
* PZL I-22 Iryda
* Soko G-2 Galeb
* Soko G-4 Super Galeb
* TT Pinto
* T2V/T-1 SeaStar
* T-2 Buckeye
* TA-4F/J Skyhawk
* T-45 Goshawk
* Yakovlev Yak-30 (1960)
* Yakovlev Yak-130

External links

* [http://www.doppeladler.com/oebh/luftfahrzeuge/saab105.htm Saab 105Oe (Austrian Air Force)]
* [http://www.tigerstaffel.at/en Tigerstaffel AUSTRIA (Austrian Air Force)]