Saab 17

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B 17
Saab 17A.jpg
SAAB B 17A.
Role Bomber, reconnaissance
Manufacturer SAAB
First flight 18 May 1940
Introduction 1942
Retired 1955, Sweden
1968, Ethiopia
Status Retired
Primary users Swedish Air Force
Ethiopian Air Force
Finnish Air Force
Austrian Air Force
Produced 1941-1944
Number built 323

The SAAB 17 was a Swedish bomber-reconnaissance aircraft.

Development and service

The project first started at the end of the 1930s as the L 10 by ASJA, but after the merger with SAAB in 1937 it was renamed SAAB 17. The wings were reinforced to make it possible to use it as a dive bomber. Since there was a shortage of engines the aircraft were flown to the destination where the engines were removed and returned for use by the next delivery. The aircraft was also made in three versions with different engines.

Two prototype L-10 aircraft were ordered, the first was powered by a 880 hp (660 kW) Nohab-built Bristol Mercury XII and the second by a 1,065 hp (794 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp.

The production B 17A used a Swedish built Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp, the B 17B a British Bristol Mercury XXIV licence-built in Poland, and the B 17C an Italian Piaggio P.XI.[1] The aircraft could be fitted with wheels, skis or floats. A unique feature of the Saab 17 was its use of the extended landing gear assembly, with its large covers, as dive brakes.

Operational history

The first test flight was on 18 May 1940 and first deliveries to the Flygvapnet (Swedish Air Force) were in 1942. However, the development of the turbojet meant it had a short service history. When the B17 ended service in 1947-1950 46 were sold to Ethiopia, remaining in service until 1968. Two B 17As were sold to Finland in 1959 and 1960, serving as target tugs for the Finnish Air Force, both succumbing to accidents fairly quickly.

Variants

  • B 17A - Bomber version with 1,050–1,200 hp (780–890 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S1C3G Twin Wasp engine; production: 132
  • B 17B - Bomber version with 980 hp (730 kW) Svenska Flygmotor Aktiebolaget (SFA)-built Bristol Mercury XXIV engine; production: 55
  • S 17BL - Reconnaissance version on landing gear; production: 21
  • S 17BS - Reconnaissance version on floats,production: 38
  • B 17C - Bomber version with 1,040 hp (780 kW) Piaggio P.XIbis R.C.40D engine; production: 77

The SAAB 17 had a total production run of 323 aircraft.

Operators

Saab B 17A
Saab S 17BS
 Austria
 Ethiopia
 Finland
 Sweden

Survivors

Five SAAB 17s are known to be in existence today. The Swedish Air Force Museum in Linköping have two aircraft in their collections, one S 17BL and one B 17A, the latter is kept in airworthy condition. Another B 17A is on display at the Danish Museum of Science and Technology in Helsingør. Two former Ethiopian B 17A were recovered in the 1990s and purchased by a South African collector. These are last known to have relocated to Lithuania but their current status is not clear.[2]

Saab S 17BL 17005 on static display at Flygvapenmuseum

Specifications (B 17C)

Data from Saab Aircraft since 1937[3]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 10 m (32 ft 10 in)
  • Wingspan: 13.7 m (44 ft 11 in)
  • Height: 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
  • Wing area: 28.5 m2 (307 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 2,680 kg (5,908 lb)
  • Gross weight: 3,870 kg (8,532 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Piaggio P.XIbis R.C.40D 9 cyl. air-coiled radial piston engine
  • Propellers: 3-bladed Piaggio P.1001 variable pitch propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 435 km/h (270 mph; 235 kn)
  • Cruising speed: 370 km/h (230 mph; 200 kn)
  • Landing speed: 125 km/h (78 mph; 67 kn)
  • Range: 1,700 km (1,056 mi; 918 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 9,800 m (32,152 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 10 m/s (2,000 ft/min)
  • Wing loading: 139 kg/m2 (28 lb/sq ft)
  • Power/mass: 0.220 kW/kg 0.14 hp/lb

Armament

  • Guns:
  • 2× 8 mm (0.315 in) (Kulspruta) Ksp m/22F machine gun machine guns, fixed forward-firing
  • 1× 8 mm (0.315 in) Ksp m/22R machine-gun flexibly mounted in the rear cockpit
  • Bombs: Lua error in Module:Convert at line 272: attempt to index local 'cat' (a nil value). of bombs

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
Related lists

References

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  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Andersson, 1989, pages 59-65

Bibliography

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Further reading

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