Saab 37 Viggen

Saab · Sweden · first flew 1967 · fighter

Sweden's advanced canard-delta multirole fighter, the Viggen was the first canard aircraft built in quantity and among the most sophisticated European combat aircraft of its era.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, delta
E — Engines	1 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Cheek intakes either side of the forward fuselage
T — Tail	No tailplane

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

Spot it by:

Large rear delta wing paired with a high-set foreplane canard
Tall single fin that folds for hangar storage
Cheek intakes either side of the forward fuselage

The big rear delta with a separate canard foreplane mounted high and forward is the giveaway. There is no conventional tailplane, just a tall folding fin.

Specifications

The Saab 37 Viggen has a length of 16.4 m (54 ft).
It has a wingspan of 10.6 m (35 ft).
Its maximum speed is 2231 km/h (1386 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

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

History

Saab's prototype first flew in 1967 and the Viggen entered Swedish Air Force service in 1971, combining a powerful afterburning turbofan with a delta wing and a lift-generating foreplane for short-field performance from dispersed bases. It was the first fighter to carry an integrated-circuit digital central computer.

Variants

The family spanned the AJ 37 attack version, the JA 37 all-weather interceptor with enhanced radar, the SF 37 photo-reconnaissance and SH 37 maritime-strike variants, and the two-seat SK 37 trainer.

Where you'll see it

The Viggen was operated solely by the Swedish Air Force, with no export customers, serving in strike, interception, reconnaissance and training roles until its retirement in 2007. It is a Swedish aircraft and is preserved chiefly in Scandinavian museums.

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