Saab 29
The Saab 29 Tunnan was Sweden’s first swept-wing jet fighter and looked so round that it was nicknamed ‘the Flying Barrel’. Despite its stubby fuselage, it was a capable transonic fighter and one of the first Western European jets with swept wings. Tunnans served with Sweden and Austria, and Swedish aircraft flew reconnaissance missions for the United Nations in the Congo. Its barrel-like body makes it one of the most distinctive fighters of the 1950s.
Did you know?
A Saab 29 set a world speed record over a closed circuit in 1954, proof that its stubby 'Flying Barrel' shape didn't limit performance.
Specifications
| Length | 10.2 m (34 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Height | 3.8 m (12 ft) |
| Persons on board | 1 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 7.5 t |
| Range | 600 NM (1,111 km) |
| Maximum speed | 560 kt (1,037 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 50,000 ft (15,240 m) |
| Rate of climb | 6,320 ft/min (32.1 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 800 m (2,625 ft) |
| Engines | 1x de Havilland Ghost |
| Units built | 661 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Saab 29 starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Saab, the 29 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
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