Saab 105

History of the Saab 105

The Swedish state has always been keen to develop military solutions from within, developing its own jet trainer/light attack platform in the early 1960s. The aircraft, called the Saab 105, is a private company used by the Swedish Air Force for various missions.

Austria became the only other global operator of the product, with a total of 192 units built. Despite its Cold War origins, the Saab 105 series is still flying today (2016).

Two prototypes were completed during the testing phase and the first flight was recorded on June 29, 1963. The Swedish Air Force then ordered 130 of them, designated "Sk 60". The order was later changed to 150 aircraft, and the first production quality table was issued in 1965.

The service was launched in 1967.

In terms of design, the aircraft adopts a conventional layout. A unique quality is the side-by-side seating of students and teachers. The cockpit is located under a large one-piece canopy, behind a flat nose cone assembly. A split air intake is used to draw in the twin-engine configuration buried in the fuselage.

The engines were exhausted on the sides of the fuselage in front of the tail. The tail contains a vertical stabilizer and a high-mounted horizontal plane. The landing gear is in a typical short-legged tricycle configuration, giving the Saab 105 a very low profile on the ground.

The wings of the main aircraft are mounted straight and high.

The Sk 60A was the original production model, completed as a two-seat trainer. These were delivered without the expected hard points of later models and were only added after the fact, allowing the aircraft to be used as attack aircraft in addition to jet training. The Sk 60B was designed from the ground up to be attack capable and operate as a ground attack and weapons training platform.

Installed new weapon sights. The aircraft was equipped with a Fairchild KB-18 reconnaissance camera to form the Sk 60C production version that was unable to function in an attack reconnaissance role. A prototype led 29 modified Sk 60A models.

The Sk 60D becomes the four-seater contact model for the Sk 60A stock. The Sk 60E is similar in form and function, but incorporates more commercial instrumentation in the cockpit.

A 1993 program retrofitted 96 Sk 60A, -B and -C series aircraft with Williams Rolls FJ44 turbofan engines to produce the Sk 60W standard. The aircraft flew for the first time in 1995 and was refitted in 1998.

The Saab 105XT was developed as an export demonstration car and is essentially an improved version of the production Sk 60B model. These carry General Electric's J85 turbojet, prototyped from the original prototype of the Saab 105 program. The Saab 105XT became the Austrian model Saab 105O, with a total of 40 aircraft. Updated avionics, improved range through increased fuel capacity, strengthened wing main aircraft and upgraded engines set this model apart from its predecessors.

For a while, the Austrian Saab 105O model was used in anti-aircraft roles.

There are other forgotten entries in the Saab 105 series: The Saab 105D is a proposed business jet that failed to find a customer. The Saab 105G is an improved Saab 105XT, but only one prototype has been completed (from the existing Saab 105XT).

The Saab 105H was a variant proposed for service with the Swedish Air Force, but was not adopted. The Saab 105S is another suggested shape that might be sold to Finland as a coach. This model was passed to BAe Hawk.

The Saab 105 can be replaced by a more modern jet trainer due to its age in Swedish service. The Department of Defense has issued a formal Request for Information (RFI) to consider a successor. Saab has teamed up with Boeing to bid on the U.S.

Air Force's T-X trainer program, and the outcome of this competition could affect future designs of replacement aircraft in Sweden - especially as pilots become more familiar with fighter types from 4th to 5th generation fighters transition.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes