Saab 18

Saab · Sweden · first flew 1942 · bomber

The Saab 18 was a Swedish twin-engine medium bomber and reconnaissance aircraft that served the Swedish Air Force during and after World War II. It was one of the most capable aircraft of its type in the region during the mid-1940s.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	13.23 m fuselage
T — Tail	Twin fin

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Twin-engine twin-boom Swedish medium bomber of World War II era
Glazed nose with bomb aimer position
Distinctive twin-tail boom configuration common to Swedish wartime designs

Identified by its twin-boom tail, mid-mounted tapered wings with two radial or inline engines, and a fully glazed nose for the bomb aimer.

Specifications

The Saab 18 has a length of 13.23 m (43 ft).
It has a wingspan of 17 m (56 ft).
Its maximum speed is 570 km/h (354 mph).
Typical crew: 3.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Development began in the late 1930s as Sweden sought to build an indigenous bomber capability to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers. The B18A first flew in 1942 with Pratt & Whitney radial engines, while later B18B variants used Swedish-built Daimler-Benz inline engines captured as war booty. A ground-attack variant, the T18B, was armed with a 57mm cannon.

Variants

The B18A was the initial bomber variant; the B18B used more powerful inline engines; the T18B was a dedicated ground-attack and torpedo variant with a heavy nose cannon.

Where you'll see it

Served exclusively with the Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) from 1944 until the mid-1950s, providing Sweden's main medium bombing capability during a critical period of Swedish neutrality.

Related aircraft

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