The Saab 29 Tunnan, more commonly known as ‘The Flying Barrel’, was the first Swedish aircraft specifically designed to use jet propulsion. Project 'JxR' was initiated in late 1945, leading to the requirements being drawn up in October. Two design proposals, R 101 and R 1001, were presented. R 1001 was chosen for its speed and agility, and it was given the nickname ‘the barrel’ early on. This design featured a barrel-like fuselage due to being powered by the recently developed de Havilland Ghost turbojet engine.
German aerodynamic research during the wartime aided in the design, with a relatively thin swept wing configuration adopted for its high speed qualities. The Swedish Air Force requested verification of performance and a production plan in February 1946. The first flight by a Saab 29 prototype took place on 1 September 1948, after which it was nicknamed ‘Flygande Tunnan’ or ‘The Flying Barrel’.
As the second turbojet-powered combat aircraft developed in Sweden, the Tunnan was the first Western European fighter to be produced with a swept wing after the Second World War, only being preceded as a whole by the Messerschmitt Me 262. It was relatively fast and agile, with the Swedish Air Force operating it in both fighter and fighter-bomber roles into the 1970s. The Tunnan saw combat in the Republic of Congo as Sweden's contribution to a UN peacekeeping mission.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
Discuss this with the author and others
No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation.