The Saab 32 Lansen is a two-seat, transonic military aircraft designed and manufactured by the Swedish company Saab AB. Its development began in the aftermath of World War II, drawing upon materials obtained from Switzerland, including designs on Messerschmitt’s P.1101, P.1110, P.1111 and P.1112 projects. The Lansen first flew on 3 November 1952 and series production began in 1953.
Deliveries to the Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) took place between 1955 and 1960. It was the service's first twin-seat jet aircraft and the first equipped with an integrated search radar. Three principal variants were produced for attack (A 32A), fighter (J 32B), and reconnaissance (S 32C) missions.
During its lengthy operational life, the Lansen also served in secondary roles, including as an electronic warfare platform, target tug, and research aircraft. The majority were retired during the 1990s following the end of the Cold War. Development of the project involved more than 2,000,000 man-hours in total.
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.