Built to fight Russia: Is Sweden’s S37 Viggen the best plane to never see combat?
Saabwhich is best known in America for distinct car- designs, is also responsible for distinctive aircraft designs. One of Saab’s most distinctive aircraft was the S37 Viggen – a jet whose name ‘Viggen’ had two meanings. The first meaning of Viggen comes from “ash wigg”, which roughly translates to “thunderbolt”, but traditionally meant “thunder stones.” Thunderstones – ash vig – the Vikings called the stone axes they unearthed – they were prehistoric, from people who inhabited Scandinavia long before the Vikings. The Vikings developed a legend for the stone axes, believing that Thor, their god of thunder, had delivered the axes in lightning strikes that occurred while he was pursuing giants with Mjölnir, Thor’s war hammer. The Vikings believed that the thunderstones had magical properties, including protection against lightning. So the first meaning of the name Viggen is pretty awesome for a fighter plane. The second name, which refers to “vigg”, is the Swedish word for tassel.
The start of the S37 Viggen was in 1961, under the name Aircraft System 37. At the time, the Viggen program was the largest industrial project Sweden had ever undertaken. The concern over Russia, which was acute during Cold War, made Sweden put so much resources into the project. Remarkably, throughout the 1960s, Aircraft System 37 consumed ten percent of Sweden’s research and development budget; it was like their Apollo program in terms of government funds. Sweden is responsible for creating most of the jet’s systems – everything from the power plant to the ejector seat, reconnaissance systems, armament, ground service equipment, even the simulators that pilots used to prepare for flying the jet itself. All this was a significant undertaking for a country like Sweden.
1963, Saab had committed to a basic concept for the Aircraft System 37. Like the cars that would later appear on the American market, the Aircraft System 37 design was a little odd, a little different; the design incorporated aft-mounted twin delta wings and small, high-set canards. The canards in particular were remarkable – before the S37 Viggen, no aircraft with canards had ever been mass-produced; Viggen would be the first. Since the Viggen, canards have become a fairly routine feature of aircraft design. The Dassault RafaleIAI Kfir, Eurofighter Typhoonand the JAS 39 Gripen – which is Saab’s latest jet – all have canards.
The wig’s odd design wasn’t just a coincidence – there were reasons for everything. The canards plus delta wings were incorporated to meet the actual program requirements – many of which were conflicting – that the Swedish government demanded of the program. For example, the Viggen needed to be able to perform short take-offs and landings (STOL) – which would enable the Viggen to participate in Sweden’s smart Bas 60 deployment system. Base 60 was essentially the reuse of public roads as military airfields during wartime. The Swedish government also required that the jet should be able to surpass the sound barrier – and also achieve high maneuverability (with low turbulence sensitivity) in subsonic and low-altitude flight.
The design was intended for an attack aircraft – not an interceptor; Sweden already had an interceptor: the Saab 35 Draken. The Saab S37 Viggen, on the other hand, was created to consume less fuel in the high subsonic range that attack aircraft often operate. To this end, the Viggen was built around a licensed version of the Pratt & Whitney JT8D engine, Volvo-built and known as the RM8. The original JT8D was built for airlines but the Volvo RM8 was heavily modified, allowing it to run at Mach 2 speeds.
Accordingly, the RM8 had an afterburner (with variable nozzle). The commercial airline variant did not come with an afterburner. The Viggen also had a clever thrust reversal system that would help the aircraft slow down on landings (aiding the short field requirements). Thrust reversal could also be preset, while the jet was still airborne, to initiate at the moment the nosewheel stall compressed during landing.
Saab S37. Image credit: Creative Commons.
In service, during the 1970s and 80s, the jet would prove reliable and safe. The jet was also capable of performance – achieving 1,386 miles per hour, a rate of climb of 40,000 feet per minute and a service ceiling of 59,000 feet. However, although the S37 Viggen proved to be a competent jet fighter, it never saw much action; fortunately Swedish jets never do. The Viggen was removed from the front line in 1994 to make way for Saab’s latest – and still in service – jet, JAS-39 Gripen.
Harrison Kass is the Senior Defense Editor at 19FortyFive. A lawyer, pilot, guitarist and minor professional hockey player, he joined the US Air Force as a trainee pilot but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. He lives in Oregon and listens to Dokken. Follow him on Twitter @harrison_kass.