Photo Credit: Collings Foundation

The folks at the Collings Foundation have kindly shared with us, some recent photographs of the SAAB SK-37 VIGGEN being shipped to the United States from Sweden.There were previously some delays on getting this aircraft transported, but now that has been resolved.

Once all of the parts have been received, the Collings Foundation will be piecing them together and will eventually have it up for display at their museum in Stow, Massachusetts!

Here’s hoping the delays are over and we’ll see this historic Viggen jet stateside this year.

Photo Credit: SAAB

I recently received an e-mail from the folks in Stow, Massachusetts that have been eagerly awaiting the SAAB SK-37 VIGGEN Jet since this past fall.

Apparently, there have been some major issues with customs not allowing the aicraft even in parts, to come into the United States.

I hope that they can get that resolved by the summer perhaps, in the meantime, here is their note:

Hello Ryan,
The SK-37 has not arrived here in the country yet. We have had some major issues with customs allowing us to bring the static aircraft into the
country. At this time we do not have a date for when we will be allowed to bring the aircraft into the US. The aircraft is sitting disassembled in
Sweden waiting for clearance to put it onto a boat to come to the US. Collings Foundation

The film you are about to see is certainly a unique mix featururing footage of Scania, SAAB Aerospace as well as SAAB Automobile. The variety of footage of these industries that were all a part of Saab-Scania AB at the time include manufacturing, testing, development, design, promotional clips, out takes and a number of other bits that I think you will find particularly unique and rather interesting.

Please enjoy the film and post your comments below.

Saab-Scania – 22 Minutes & 22 Seconds, 1979

Photo Credit: SAAB

The super rare SK-37 SAAB Viggen that I mentioned this past September, has arrived in the United States at the Collins Foundation in Stow, Massachusetts.

This one of 18 produced two-seater SAAB Viggen, was the last jet used by the Swedish Air Force in 2007 when they were all decomissioned.

The SAAB SK-37 Viggen Jet will apparently be ready sometime in the spring of 2009

Please read the press release below:

Collings Foundation receives a unique fighter jet from the Swedish Air Force

The Collings Foundation is excited to announce a new one-of-a kind addition to its aircraft collection. After extensive footwork by Else-Marie Lindgren, member of the Swedish Parliament, the donation of a Swedish Air Force fi ghter aircraft popularly known as the Viggen was fi nalized in the spring of 2007. (Viggen translates to Thunderbolt in English) During the Cold War, Sweden pursued a policy of neutrality between East and West. A major component of this strategy was a series of combat aircraft built by SAAB. One of the most impressive of this series was the SAAB 37 “Viggen,” a multi role combat aircraft that was the backbone of Swedish air power from the 1970’s to the end of the century. Our new Viggen will be the fi rst on United States soil ever!

In 1964, the Swedish Government ordered the development and construction of a robust new aircraft. It was to have good short fi eld performance and be easily operated from specially prepared roads or highways. Other requirements included supersonic ability at low altitude, Mach 2 performance at high altitude, and ease of repair and service. Responding to plans for the Viggen, the U.S. National Security Council, led by President Eisenhower,
formulated a military security guarantee for Sweden. The United States promised to provide military aid to Sweden if the country was attacked by the Soviet Union. Both countries signed a military technology agreement called the “37-annex”, in which Sweden was allowed to access U.S. technology making made it possible to design and produce the SAAB 37 Viggen much faster and cheaper than would otherwise be possible. According to the doctoral research of Nils Bruzelius at the Swedish Defence College, the reason for this offi cially unexplained U.S. support was the need to protect U.S. Polaris submarines deployed just outside the Swedish west coast against the threat of Soviet anti-submarine aircraft.

The first prototype of the Viggen was flown in 1967 and the fi rst production airplanes were delivered in 1971. To accomplish the strict criteria established by the Swedish government, the SAAB 37 was equipped with a Pratt & Whitney turbo fan engine built in Sweden by Volvo. At the time, it was the largest engine in a fi ghter aircraft. Unique for this engine was the capability of thrust reverse, something entirely new for fi ghter aircraft, which allowed the Viggen to operate comfortably in and out of 1500 foot-long airfi elds. (Th e U.S. F-4 Phantom needs a runway length of 7000 feet or longer). The aircraft required very little support; it could be started with an internal battery and could be re-fueled and re-armed within 10 minutes. It had a tail fin that could be folded so the aircraft could be deployed in small units to operate from bunker like structures along designated highways throughout the Swedish countryside. Unique capabilities of the Viggen were it’s ability to land, use reverse thrust, back up, turn around and take off in the other direction – all in under one minute!

The SAAB 37 that has been gifted to the Collings Foundation is of the SK 37 variant which is the two seat training version. Of the 329 Viggen aircraft that were produced only 18 were of the two-seat kind. The SK37 carried less internal fuel and was not equipped with radar, limiting the weapons load to gun pods and unguided rockets. The Collings Foundation’s SK 37 (serial number 813), served the Swedish Air force from 1975 to 2003 as a training aircraft and was thereafter converted to a SK 37E. The SK 37E 813 was equipped for electronic warfare participated for many years at the largest military joint training exercise in Europe called Elite. SK 37E 813 was commissioned to the Swedish Air force base F21 in Lulea in northern Sweden until 2007 when all the SK 37E’s were decommissioned. This represented the end of an era for the Viggen aircraft, as the SKE 37’s were the last Viggen aircraft to be operational in the Swedish Air force. SK 37E 813 was transferred to FMV- the Defense Material Administration Flight Test Center where it was used in a radar development program. On June 26, 2007 SK 37E 813 fl ew its last flight into Halmstad Air force Base in southern Sweden where it has been prepared for the shipment to the United States. During its time of service, SK 37E 813 accumulated 2287.6 flying hours. The aircraft will be on display in the Stow facility sometimein the spring of 2009! For more information on the Viggen see our web site.

Specifications:

Take off run: 1300 ft.
Landing run: 1500 ft.
Length: 53 ft.
Height 19 ft.
Wingspan: 34 ft.
Engine thrust: 26000 lbs.
Max Speed: Mach 1.2
(Low altitude)
Max Speed: Mach 2.0+
(High altitude)
Armament: one ventral 30-mm
Oerlikon KCA cannon w/ 150
rounds. Up to 6 Rb 71 Sky Flash
and Rb 74 (AIM-9L) AAMs. Air-

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile AB

As many of us have heard during the Saturday night banquet at the 2008 Saab Owners Convention, there will be an original SAAB SK-37 Viggen (two-seater) arriving in the United States this fall.

The aircraft will be upon arrival, located in Stow, Massachusetts, the same state where SAAB Motors Inc, had their first port of origin at the Collings Foundation.

The SAAB SK-37 Viggen, based off of the attack version of the JA-37 Viggen, was a two-seater version of the Viggen with some other modifications that were made to accomodate the new seating arrangement, including a periscope for the co-pilot.

Viggen means The Thunderbolt in Swedish, derived from the Norse god Thor’s warhammer Mjölner.

The SAAB Viggen, one of SAAB’s most famous jets was celebrated at the turn of this century by Saab Automobile when they launched a car to create a spiritual link to the performance and safety and aerodynamic characteristics of the jet, now on the ground.

The Saab 9-3 Viggen Automobile debuted in 1999 and ran its course until 2002 when the hatchback model lineup ended. Much like the VIGGEN SK-37 and JA-37, the Saab 9-3 Viggen came in both three and 5-door variants.

It is my hope that this SAAB SK-37 Viggen that will be arriving (in parts), will be put back together and readied in time for Swedish Car Day 2009 this October, however after receiving an e-mail this morning from the future home of the aircraft, the Collings Foundation, this will not be the case as indicated below.

To read and experience more, including some great videos about both the SAAB JA-37 VIGGEN Jet and the Saab 9-3 Viggen Automobile, please read both respective sections here on Saab History linked here.

Below is the news from Peter Gilbert, Saab Enthusiast and million mile SPG owner and recipient of a free Saab 9-5 Aero Wagon.

Below Peter’s news, is an update today from the Collings Foundation, very interesting indeed!

From: Peter Gilbert
Subject: [saab_viggen] SK-37 Viggen to move to USA!
Date: Saturday, August 30, 2008, 9:46 PM

It is with great pleasure to announce to the group, that one of the very last SK-37 Two-Seater Viggens is to retire in Stow, MA, USA.

When I drove the millionth mile in my 1989 Saab 900 SPG, my second goal was to have the Swedish Air Force, save a Viggen from being
re-cyled into beer cans. So last year, when I participated in the 60th Anniversary of Saab, in Trollhattan, I also spent a day at the Flygvapenmuseum, in Linkoping. I also contacted the FMV.

About six months ago, the FMV sent me a DVD on the developement of the Viggen, together with an encouraging letter.

In a parrallel universe The Collings Foundation, in Stow, MA, near Boston, was also seeking the plane as they have a lot more hangar space, than my garage. Because I was at the US Saab Car Convention last week, I went down the road to meet the plane’s new owners. The plane will be shipped by sea, as the cost of insurance is prohibitive. So number 813 will be kept in a beutiful private hangar, that will be
open to the public on a limited basis.

Three years ago, I flew in the only B-24 Liberator Bomber, that takes passengers. The Collings Foudation offers tours during the summer, all
over the USA, and collingsfoundation. org has a great website with video of their collection. I could not think of nicer people or an organization to accept our group’s favorite plane. I would like to propose that they join our group.

I shall keep you posted with events, and we are trying to have The Saab Club greet the arrival.

Sincerely,

Peter G. Gilbert, Glendale, WI. USA

——————————-

Update 9.2.2008 From The Collings Foundation to Saab History

Collings Foundation wrote:

Hello,

Your information about the Viggen coming to Stow is correct except for the timing. We are still working on setting up the shipment via ship from Sweden, so I do not think that it will be here by the end of this month. Getting space large enough for the aircraft reserved on a ship, can sometimes take weeks to get. Once it arrives here in the US, it will have to be cleared through customs (which can take weeks if they want it to) then trucked either from Boston (if we can get it shipped to there) or New York. That will require oversize load permits, and most likely travel only at night because of the size. Once it does arrive here in Stow it will take at least a month to get it put back into pieces. The timing of that will depend on crane rental to lift the wings and fuselage off of the shipping racks, and to mate them back together.

I do not think the aircraft will be ready for display by those dates in mid-October. We will be in touch with those groups that you have mentioned when we have a better timeline of when the aircraft will be ready for display. Most likely a public display event here is unlikely to happen this fall. With the other events that we have here, the weather will most likely push any event like that back to next spring at the earliest. We were given the aircraft 16 months ago, so this is not a process that happens quickly.

- Collings Foundation

Photo Credit: Saab of Hunterdon

Saab of Hunterdon, a site sponsor of Saab History, has recently taken the “Born From Jets” ad slogan to a whole new meaning by showcasing a SAAB JA37 VIGGEN fighter jet for service in their “hangar”.

This goes to show you that Saab of Hunterdon’s service department has more than enough training to work on their jets on the ground, they are now reaching to new heights by servicing those jets in the air.

If you find yourself an owner of a SAAB jet whether on the ground or in the air, and need servicing, please give them a call, I am sure they will be more than happy to take care of your SAAB service needs.

By the way, will your service department be in need of a SAAB JA37 VIGGEN Haynes workshop manual anytime soon to repair that $45 million dollar SAAB?

For more information on Saab Service at Saab of Hunterdon, please visit their website directly. http://www.hunterdonsaab.com/

SAAB Aircraft celebrated their 70th anniversary at their home of Linköping, Sweden at the end of August and I have just received their press release and photographs that describe this celebration.

It is important to note that while all SAAB aircraft were present during the celebration, there was one exception which was the SAAB Scandia 90 commercial airliner. The last remaining SAAB Scandia 90 resides at a museum in Bebedouro, Brazil, South America. SAAB tried to buy this for their 50th anniversary in 1987, their 60th in 1997 as well as their recent 70th anniversary this year, but the owners continue to ask for a figure that is deemed unreasonably high time and time again.

Aside from the airplanes, the Saab Performance Team as well as legendary rally champion, Erik “On The Roof” Carlsson were also present amongst other notables for this very special event as you will see in the photographs above.

Here is a press release that describes a segment of this 70th anniversary celebration.

Guests celebrated Saab’s 70th anniversary
8/31/2007

A flyby of Saab’s aircraft started the customer day that is part of Saab’s 70th anniversary. Around 700 customers, partners, suppliers, analysts and media came to join the celebrations.

The VIP day took place at the Saab compound in Linköping, Sweden, on Friday August 31. Åke Svensson, President and CEO of Saab wished everyone a warm welcome.

“It is fantastic to have you here today. I am so proud of this company” he said by way of introduction. A short film about the history of Saab was shown and Åke Svensson spoke about Saab’s development from 1937 to the present day.

”Focus has changed. Previously the emphasis was on one large Swedish customer, today we have broadened our horizons and the internationalisation has increased.”

Saab in the future

The emphasis of the seminar that followed was on the future and what Saab might be working on at the time of the 100th anniversary in 2037. The seminar discussed what the future might hold within civil security and air (unmanned aircraft), sea (naval command and control systems) and land areas (multistatic radar).

Lennart Sindahl, business unit manager for Saab Aerosystems, and Michael Franzén, project manager for UAV operations in the business unit, spoke about the possibilities of unmanned aircraft. In their vision of the future we will be flying with unmanned passenger aircraft several years before Saab celebrates 100 years.

Lars Tossman, business unit manager for Saab Underwater Systems, and Richard Colling, point of contact Sea, spoke about the importance of flexible, autonomous underwater vehicles in the future.

Air show with all still flying Saab planes

The day was rounded off with a flying display featuring nearly all Saab’s aircraft that are still flying: Saab B17, Saab 32 Lansen, Saab 91 Safir, SK60, Saab 35 Draken, Saab 37 Viggen, Saab 39 Gripen and Saab 2000.

Photo Credit: Saab History

On Saturday, June 9th, en-route to Läckö Slott (Castle) in Lidköping, Sweden after the ANA Trollhättan, I headed North in a 2007 Saab 9-3 SportCombi in Silver that I rented from AVIS at Landvetter Airport in Göteborg, Sweden. On route 44 between Trollhättan and Lidköping, Sweden you will pass through a town called Grästorp where alongside the road there is SAAB JA37 Viggen mounted on the ground at least a good 25 feet in the air. At this information booth I managed to uncover the following information below about how this section of highway amongst many others in Sweden doubled as aircraft runways for takeoffs and landings.

The waretime bases

The waretime bases between the two lakes Vänern and Vättern played an important role during the Cold War. One way to protect the aircraft was dispersion and regular roads were used for taking off and landing. In this region there was a great number of war bases. The precise location and infrastructure was highly restricted.

Viggen was constructed to be able to take off and land from short runways. A strong engine (about 80,000 hp) together with delta wing and a canard wing made it possible for the aircraft to take off from a short distance. To be able to stop quickly the aircraft was equipped with a highly effective thrust reversing system.

In the early eighties road number 44 was rebuilt to contain four short runways (17 x 800 meters). Along the road a large number of turn-around-sites for reaming and refueling were built. These short runways are still used today for training, landing and taking off with Gripen and Hercules as preparation for international operations under adverse conditions.

For more information on the Viggen-X project for use in the X-plane simulator software program, please visit http://www.viggenxfiles.se/

The Saab 9-3 Viggen was first put into production in 1999, most notable for its lightening blue paint, and production ran until 2003.

Again, the Viggen has to be without question the best example of a Saab Automobile that was 100% “born from jets”.

“The Viggen was created for performance seeking Saab enthusiasts and remains very desirable among Saab enthusiasts.”

For more information about the SAAB JA 37 Viggen jet that the automobile is inspired by, please visit this link here

The SAAB JA 37 Viggen was had it’s first maiden run in 1967, with production starting in 1970 and ending in 1990.

Since we’re on the topic of great SAAB aircraft, the Viggen was one that had such a great following, an automobile was created from it. In a way, the Viggen idea parallels that of the history of Saab in that the Viggen automobile was “born from jets”. I have provided some quotes, photos and videos for your enjoyment.

“The name ‘Viggen’ has a mythological background: it is the clap of Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer.”

For more information about the SAAB JA 37 Viggen, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_Viggen

Mr Norberg is a former chief systems engineer of the JA37 Fighter Interceptor and actually flew the two seater viggen once. Mr. Norberg has about 25 hours in a real viggen simulator and as far as he knows, his flight characteristics are good and accurate.

Here is a quote about how he put together the Viggen-X simulator model.

“We use source material orginiating from government or SAAB as well as sharp eyes and and cameras.”

Here are some additional pieces of information from Mr. Norberg.

I’m in my late 30′s, I practiced at the production line of SAAB 340 Aircraft in -88 and -89,
at the avionics test unit.

I did my examimation work from royal institute of technology at SAAB. I
constructed a rudder force and position meassuring system for the JAS39
Gripen Aircraft.

I Worked with the RADAR systems for all Viggen versions then, at
Swedish Defence Materiel Administration.

I was the chief systems engineer of the Viggen between -96 and -00,
responsible for mid-lif update.

I have done production test flights with SAAB 340, and flew the Viggen
once (SK37). I have about 25 hours in a JA37 simulator and also
projected an upgrade for it.

I have had four SAAB automobiles.

I love SAAB’s and currently my SAAB is a corporate car equiped with
infotainment system and an integrated phone. I used to own the other cars.

My father had a metallic green SAAB 900 -94 until hist last breath.

I probably will own a SAAB to my last breath too…

Best

/E

For more information on their project visit http://www.viggenxfiles.se/

For photos and videos of the Viggen-X project on this site, please visit http://www.saabhistory.com/2006/11/21/saab-viggen-x-plane-project/

For more info on the X-Plane project, visit http://www.x-plane.com/ or

http://www.x-plane.org/

Here are some recent photos Erik Norberg has gratiously provided saabhistory of his Saab Automobile.

Thank you Mr. Norberg for sharing your wonderful background with the Saab brand.

Their dedicated project is a long time coming that includes materials and resources from some notable authorities on the subject. It appears that as of now, Saab Enthusiasts can choose to virtually race a number of Saab automobile models in Need For Speed 4 as well as SAAB Airplane and Jet models in X-plane 8.

- Original Viggen flight manual
- Original painting drawings (Splinter version)
- Original geometry drawings
- SAAB JA-37 Viggen Performance Assessment, John McIver B.Eng.(Aero), Temporal Images

Then a lot of information is provided by people at:

- FMV – Defense Material Administration on a non-official basis.
- SAAB Aerospace on a non-official basis.
- Various research and test establishments.
- Swedish Air Force Museum, Linköping

For more information on their project visit http://www.viggenxfiles.se/

For more info on the X-Plane project, visit http://www.x-plane.com/ or

http://www.x-plane.org/

I have provided a photo of their latest Viggen design, complete with the “Splinter” camoflage as well as two recent promotional videos. I like the first one with the “Top Gun” music, enjoy them!

I have provided three of my most favorite advertising photos from the archives featuring a SAAB JAS 39 Gripen, a SAAB JA 37 VIGGEN and a J 35 DRAKEN respectively. Enjoy the vintage photography, I certainly do.

This television advertisement done in 1988 uses this campaign slogan as you will see. Please post your thoughts in the comments below.