Copyright © Hans Högman 2022-06-12
Swedish Combat Aircraft -
Propeller Aircraft
Bombers
List of Bombers of the Swedish Air Force
•
B 1 - Fiat BR, 3 ordered 1923
•
B 2 - Fiat BR.I, 2 ordered 1924
•
B 3 - Junkers Ju 86K, 56 in Swedish service 1936 -
1958
•
B 4 - Hawker Hart, 45 in Swedish service 1934 -
1947
•
B 5 - Northrop 8A-1 (USA), 103 in Swedish
service 1938 – 1950
•
B 6 - Republic Seversky 2P-A Guardsman, 2 in
Swedish service 1940 - 1952
•
B 16 - Caproni Ca 313, 30 in Swedish service
1940 - 1945
•
B 17 - Saab 17, 263 between 1942 - 1952
•
B 18 - Saab 18, 181 between 1944 – 1957
Junkers Ju 86K, B 3
The Junkers Ju 86 was a German all-metal low-wing
twin-engined bomber that first flew on 4 November
1934, and was employed by various air forces on
both sides during World War II, including in Sweden
with the designation B 3.
On 30 June 1936, Sweden placed its first order for
the Junkers Ju 86K, B 3 medium bomber from
Germany. A total of 40 Junkers Ju 86Ks were
purchased for deployment at F 1 Västmanland Air
Wing in Västerås.
The aircraft was manufactured by Junkers Flugzeug
und Motorwerke AG in Germany but also under
license in Sweden by Saab in Trollhättan. The first B
3 manufactured by Saab was test flown in July 1939.
The image shows
bomber B 3 (Junker Ju
86K) in Swedish
service, 1940s. Image:
Flygvapenmuseum,
ID: FVMF.003489.
Bombs were carried
vertically in four fuselage cells behind the cockpit
that could hold a bomb load of 1,000 kg.
The landing gear was retractable and the propellers
were reversible. The bomber aircraft had a crew of
four; a pilot, navigator, radio operator/bombardier,
and gunner. Defensive armament consisted of
three machine guns, situated at the nose; at a
dorsal position; and within a retractable ventral
position. The gunners' placements were very
vulnerable.
The B 3 bomber was in service with the Swedish
Air Force from 1936 to 1958. The first 40 aircraft
were delivered from Germany, while another 40
aircraft were to be produced under license by Saab.
However, this production was discontinued after
the completion of 16 aircraft because the type was
considered obsolete by the Air Force and Saab
needed the workshop capacity to produce the B 5
bomber.
All B 3's were delivered to Västmanland Air Wing F
1 in Västerås from 1936 until production was
stopped in 1941. The B 3 was primarily used as a
bomber, but also as a long-range reconnaissance
aircraft. In 1948 a modification of the B 3 was
started and it was used for transport purposes until
it was withdrawn from service in 1958.
A modified B 3 was Sweden's first signals
intelligence aircraft.
The B 3 is the Swedish Air Force's largest fighter
aircraft of all time. A total of 56 B 3 aircraft in
various versions were added to the Air Force.
Saab, Svenska Aeroplan AB (Swedish Aeroplane
Company Limited), later just SAAB and Saab Group,
is a Swedish aerospace and defense company,
founded in 1937.
Variants:
•
B 3 - Junkers Ju 86 A-1/K-1. The first three
German-made aircraft were equipped with two
Pratt & Whitney Hornet S1-EG engines of 760 hp
each.
•
B 3A - Junkers Ju 86 K-4. These B 3As came from
a series of 37 German-made aircraft delivered
between 1937 and 1938. 18 of these were
equipped with Bristol Mercury III engines of 745
hp and were designated B 3A.
•
B 3B - Junkers Ju 86 K-5. The second series of
aircraft was equipped with Bristol Mercury XII
engines of 880 hp. Nineteen were ordered from
Germany.
•
B 3C - Junkers Ju 86 K-13. In the ambition to set
up a further medium bombing wing equipped
with the B 3 (which became F 7 in Såtenäs), the
right to license production of the Ju 86 K-13 was
acquired. The newly formed Saab in Trollhättan
was appointed to produce these. An order for
forty aircraft was placed but after 16 aircraft
production was canceled in March 1940.
•
B 3D - Junkers Ju 86 K-13. Seven of the Saab-
manufactured aircraft were equipped with
Polish-made Mercury XIX engines of 905 hp and
were designated B 3D. Some of these saw service
as torpedo aircraft during the 1940s as a stopgap
measure.
Specifications :
•
Crew
4
•
Length
17.87 m
•
Wingspan
22.5 m
•
Height
5.06 m
•
Wing area
82.0 m²
•
Empty weight
5,150 kg
•
Max takeoff weight
8,200 kg
•
Max. flight altitude
5,900 m
•
Maximum speed:
325 km/h
•
Range:
1,500 km
•
Engines
2
•
B 3
2 x Pratt & Whitney Hornet S1-EG
engines, 760 hp
•
B 3A
2 x Bristol Mercury III engines,
745 hp
•
B 3B
2 x Bristol Mercury XII engines,
880 hp
•
B 3D
2 x Mercury XIX engines, 905 hp
•
Armament
B 3A, B, C, D: 3 × 8 mm machine
guns m/22-37R
Bombs:
B 3A, B, C:
•
2 × 500 kg general-purpose bomb
•
4 × 250 kg general-purpose bomb m/37B
•
4 × 250 kg general-purpose bomb m/40
•
16 × 50 kg general-purpose bomb m/37A
•
16 × 50 kg high-explosive bomb m/42
•
64 × 12 kg high-explosive bomb m/37
•
64 × 6 kg incendiary bomb m/39
Images:
Swedish Militry Aircraft - 3
Hawker Hart, B 4
In the early 1930s, the Swedish Air Force was looking
for a replacement for the S 6 Fokker reconnaissance
aircraft.
The choice was the popular Hawker Hart,
manufactured by Hawker Aircraft in the UK. The
Swedish Air Force ordered three Hawker Hart
aircraft, which were first used as reconnaissance
aircraft with the designation S 3. Tests showed that
the aircraft was more suitable for dive-bombing. As a
bomber, it received the designation B 4. In addition to
the three aircraft purchased from England, 42
Hawker Hart B 4s were produced under license in
Sweden.
The image shows a
Hawker Hart B 4B. The B
4B was equipped with
the more powerful
Bristol Perseus XI engine
and a new engine
cowling. Image: Wikipedia.
The Hawker Hart was a two-seater biplane bomber
aircraft used as a dive bomber in Sweden. It was
originally designed for the British Air Force as a light
bomber. The prototype flew as early as June 1928
The fuselage consisted of a skeletal structure of steel
and aluminum tubes which were then covered with
canvas. One variant of the aircraft was the Hawker
Osprey S 9 (seaplane with folding wings for ship
basing), which Sweden acquired for the seaplane
cruiser HMS Gotland.
In total, over 900 Hawker Hart were produced in all
variants.
Between 1934 and 1947 Hawker Hart was part of the
Swedish Air Force as a bomber and was designated B
4x.
In 1933, the licensed production of 9 Hart aircraft with
the designation S 7 (reconnaissance) began, to be
manufactured by CFM, Centrala Flygverkstaden, in
Malmslätt, Sweden. Flight tests in the summer of
1934 showed that the aircraft was also suitable for
dive-bombing. In April 1937, the three original
Hawker Hart aircraft imported from England were
designated B 4, while the Swedish licensed aircraft
were designated B 4A (instead of S 7A).
Between 1938 and 1941 the B 4A was tested with a
more powerful Bristol Perseus XI engine of 775 hp in
two Hawker Hart. These aircraft were designated B
4B. It had a new modern engine cowling.
When the Finnish Winter War against the Soviets
broke out on 30 November 1939, the Swedish
government decided on 30 December to transfer four
B 4As from F 4 Jämtland Air Wing, Frösön, to the
newly established Swedish Volunteer Air Wing F 19
in Finland. The aircraft could be winter-equipped with
ski racks, which were used extensively during service
in Finland.
See also: Swedish Air Wing F 19 in Finland.
Already in 1940 the B 4 was considered completely
obsolete and from 1941 the B 4 started to be used
more and more for target acquisition, target practice,
and liaison flying. In October 1942, the Air Force
stopped using the B 4 as a bomber.
In total, the Air Force had 45 B 4s of all versions.
Variants:
•
B 4: 3 built in the UK with Bristol Pegasus IM2
engine (590 hp)
•
B 4A: 42 made in Sweden with Nohab Pegasus
VIIA engine (675 hp)
•
B 4B: 2 rebuilt B 4As with a more powerful Bristol
Perseus XI engine (775 hp) and new engine
cowling
Specifications:
•
Crew
2
•
Length
8.56 m
•
Wingspan
11.35 m
•
Height
3.15 m
•
Wing area
32.5 m²
•
Empty weight
1,400 kg
•
Max takeoff weight
2,300 kg
•
Max. flight altitude
6,950 m
•
Maximum speed:
•
S 7/B 4:
260 km/h, maximum 400 km/h
when dive-bombing
•
S 7A/B 4A:
262 km/h, maximum 400 km/h
when dive-bombing
•
B 4B:
270 km/h, maximum 400 km/h
when dive-bombing
•
Range, S 7, B 4, B 4B:
800+ km
•
Range, S 7A, B 4A:
835 km
Sweden:
Crew:
2 st; pilot and gunner/radio
operator.
Maximum speed:
298 km/h.
Engine:
1 x Bristol Pegasus IM2 of 590 hp.
Armament, machine guns: 1 fixed synchronized
forward-firing 8 mm machine gun m/22Fh and 1
flexible 8 mm machine gun m/22R in the rear cockpit.
Bombs, Swedish Air Force: (224 kg max):
•
4 × 50 kg general-purpose bomb m/37
•
2 × 50 kg general-purpose bomb m/37 +
•
12 × 12 kg high-explosive bomb m/37 or
•
12 kg high-explosive bomb m/39G or
•
6 kg incendiary bomb m/39
Air wings with B 4s: F 1, F 4, F 6, F7, F 8, F 9, F 10, F 11,
F 12, F17, F 21.
Images:
Northrop Model 8, B 5
Northrop Model 8, Northrop A-17, Northrop A-33-DE,
was an American bomber, which was a low-winged
all-metal monoplane manufactured by Northrop
Corporation. The aircraft was a single-engine aircraft
with a fixed landing gear.
The image shows the American bomber Northrop
Model 8, B 5, in Swedish service. Photo: Lennart
Sandberg. Image: Länsmuseet Gävleborg, ID:
XLM.LS0152-1.
The aircraft, Model 8A-1, was manufactured under
license in Sweden by AB Svenska
Järnvägsverkstäderna (ASJA) in Linköping and by Saab
in Trollhättan with a Swedish-built Bristol Mercury of
980 hp under the designation B 5.
In April 1940 the first aircraft was delivered and a
month later the Swedish Air Force ordered 38 more
aircraft, this time of the B 5C variant (Saab B 5C). In
total, the Air Force ordered 102 B 5s of all variants.
The Swedish Air Force used the B 5 as a dive bomber.
The B 5 was withdrawn from front-line service when
the Swedish Air Force received the Saab 17 bomber,
and the B 5 was then modified by Saab into a trainer
and target-bowing aircraft until 1950.
Swedish variants:
•
B 5 - Original Northrop 8A
•
B 5A - New name for B 5
•
B 5B - ASJA manufactured B 5 with Nohab MyXXIV
engine
•
B 5C - Saab manufactured with modified bomb
mount B 5B
•
B 5D - Equipped with a hook for flight towing
Specifications:
•
Crew
2
•
Length
9.7 m
•
Wingspan
14.55 m
•
Height
3.76 m
•
Wing area
33.75 m²
•
Empty weight
2,435 kg
•
Max. takeoff weight
4,250 kg
•
Max. flight altitude
6,900 m
•
Max. speed
335 km/h
•
Range
800 km
Arial bombs:
The B 5 could carry a heavy bomb in the weight class
of 250-500 kg in a bomb fork between the landing
gear and 4 lighter bombs in the weight class of 50 kg
under the wings. The B 5 also carried up to five 50 kg
bombs between landing gear which increased its
ability to take out more targets overall with a greater
number of number bombs.
Armament: 4 × fixed 8 mm machine guns m/22 and 1
× flexible 8 mm machine gun m/22-37 R.
Caproni Ca 313, B 16
The Caproni Ca 313 was an Italian twin-engine
bomber and long-range reconnaissance aircraft.
Between 1940 and 1945, Caproni Ca 313 was part of
the Swedish Air Force and was the first aircraft to be
assigned a designation in the 1940 designation
system. In this system, aircraft models were assigned
an aircraft number, here Aircraft 16, instead of
different type designation numbers depending on
their assigned role. This meant that the aircraft model
retained its number regardless of its function, here B
16, T 16, S 16, and Tp 16.
The image shows a Caproni Ca 313, S 16, marked
number 31 of F 11 Air Wing in Nyköping. Image:
Flygvapenmuseum, ID: FVMF.002216.
Sweden ordered 84 aircraft in 1940, which were
modified to fit the Italian air-cooled inverted V12
engine from Isotta Fraschini. The Swedish Royal Air
Administration chose to buy complete aircraft as there
were no Swedish engines available for the aircraft, but
the aircraft had both design and material defects and
suffered several serious accidents fairly immediately,
and were therefore known as "the flying coffin".
In total, some 20 aircraft crashed, leading to a flight
ban. Three of the planes were shot down by the
German Luftwaffe. After being rebuilt, the Caproni
was used mainly for reconnaissance. The S 16 flew for
the last time just before the end of the war and none
of the Caproni planes were preserved. However, the
Swedish Air Force Museum in Linköping has a full-size
replica made from original drawings and some
original parts. It was originally made for the Swedish
TV series “Tre kärlekar” in 1989.
Swedish variants:
•
B 16A, 30 bombers 1940 - 1945 stationed at F 7
Wing.
•
S 16A, 67 reconnaissance aircraft 1940 - 1945
stationed at F 3 and F 11 Wings.
•
T 16A, 14 torpedo planes 1940 - 1945 stationed at F
7 Wing.
•
Tp 16, 14 transport aircraft 1940 - 1945 stationed at
F 8 and F 11 Wings.
The B 16A was a medium-heavy high-altitude bomber
equipped with two internal bomb bays and the
possibility of two external bomb racks. The maximum
allowable bomb load was just over 800 kg but
theoretically, the aircraft could carry up to 1,000 kg.
Despite its technical problems, it was an excellent
bomber with good flight characteristics. It was fast
and had a good load capacity for its size and engine
power. The aircraft was initially used as a dive
bomber, which it was not intended for.
The S 16 was a B 16 equipped for reconnaissance
with cameras and extra fuel tanks, which reduced the
bomb load.
The T 16 was one of the Swedish Air Force's torpedo-
dropping aircraft evaluated during World War II.
When the plan to use the T 16A as a torpedo aircraft
was scrapped, the purchased T 16As were modified
into reconnaissance aircraft similar to the S 16A, now
designated S 16B.
The Tp 16 was intended as a staff transport aircraft
and was a converted S 16 where the bomb rack and
the upper mobile machine gun and camera
equipment were replaced by four chairs, a table, and
lighting.
Specifications:
•
Crew
3
•
Length
11.8 m
•
Wingspan
16.65 m
•
Height
3.70 m
•
Wing area
38.9 m²
•
Empty weight
4,300 kg
•
Max. takeoff weight
5,672 kg
•
Max. flight altitude
8,500 m
•
Max. speed
445 km/h
•
Range
1,700 km
•
Engines
2 × Isotta Fraschini Delta RC35
•
Engine power
2 x 750 hp
Armament:
The armament was either 2 x 8 mm machine guns
m/22 or 2 x 13,2 mm automatic cannons m/39
armament in the wing roots and 1 x 8 mm machine
gun m/22Fh in the turret and 1 x 8 mm machine gun
m/22-37R in the nacelle.
Bombs:
Internal bomb bays:
•
8 x 50 kg bombs
•
32 x 12 kg bombs
External bomb racks:
•
4 x 50 kg bombs
•
2 x 250 kg bombs
•
1 x 500 kg bomb
•
1 x 850 kg torpedo (only T 16B)
•
1 x 400 kg GP bomb (only T 16B) (GP = General
Purpose)
•
1 x 900 kg GP bomb (only T 16B)
Maximum 900 kg
Images:
Saab 17
At the outbreak of World War II, the Swedish Air Force
needed a new modern light bomber. The aircraft was
to be built in Sweden and had the working name L 10.
The aircraft was to become the Saab 17.
Saab 17 is a Swedish bomber and reconnaissance
aircraft designed and manufactured by SAAB
(originally developed by ASJA prior to its merger with
Saab) with the
designation B 17.
The image shows a
Saab B17A. Image:
Wikipedia.
The Saab 17 was
available in three basic variants based on engine
options:
•
17A with a Swedish-made Pratt & Whitney Twin-
Wasp engine
•
17B with a licensed British Bristol Mercury XXIV (980
hp)) engine
•
17C with an Italian Piaggio P XI (1.045 hp) engine
The variants were landing gear with wheels or skis, or
fixed floats.
The aircraft was very versatile and was used for a
number of roles in the Air Force;
B 17 as a bomber and dive bomber and S 17 as a
reconnaissance aircraft. At the end of the service the
aircraft was used as a target tow aircraft.
The first flight of the Saab 17 took place on 18 May
1940 and deliveries to the Air Force began in 1942.
A total of 325 aircraft were produced in all versions.
The aircraft began to be withdrawn from service in
1947 and by 1948 had been completely withdrawn
from the war organisation. But the aircraft remained
in the Air Force until 1952 as "other aircraft".
The Saab 17 was a low-wing aircraft and the wings
were made extra strong, so that the aircraft could
function as a dive bomber. This meant that the
landing gear folded straight back on the underside of
the wing, and to protect the landing gear legs, they
were built into large cowls. The result was that when
the pilot folded the landing gear out, it acted as an
effective dive brake.
The Danish Brigade, which was trained in Sweden
1943-1945, consisted of 15 Danish pilots trained by
the Swedish Air Force in addition to the Army force. In
1945, Sweden lent fifteen B 17C aircraft to the Danish
Brigade and they were painted in the Danish colors.
The idea was that on 5 May 1945 they would be flown
over to Denmark together with the rest of the brigade,
which landed in Helsingör. However, the air squadron
was never allowed to land in Denmark.
Variants:
•
Type:
Total
Period
Use
•
B 17A
132
1942–1947
Light bomber
•
B 17B
54
1942–1947
Light bomber
•
B 17C
77
1943–1947
Light bomber
•
S 17BS
54
1942–1948
Naval
reconnaissance aircraft with floats
•
S 17BL
56
1942–1948
Reconnaissance
aircraft for army interaction
Specifications:
•
Crew
2
•
Length
9.80 m
•
Wingspan
13.70 m
•
Height
4.00 m
•
Wing area
28.5 m²
•
Empty weight
2,650 kg
•
Max. takeoff weight
4,200 kg
•
Maximum speed:
•
B 17A:
444 km/h
•
B 17B:
395 km/h
•
B 17S:
345 km/h
•
Range
1,800 km
•
Rate of climb
10 m/s
Armament: 2 fixed 8 mm machine gun m/22 and 1 st
flexible 8 mm machine gun m/22-37R.
Bombs, Internal bomb bays:
B 17A, B 17B & B 17C:
•
8 x 50 kg GP bomb m/37 or high-explosive m/42
(GP = General Purpose)
•
2 x 250 kg GP bomb m/37 or high-explosive m/40
•
1 x 500 kg GP bomb m/41 or high-explosive m/4?
SB 17BS: 5 x 50 kg GP bomb m/37 or high-explosive
m/42
Bombs under the wings:
B 17C & S 17BS: 4 x 50 kg GP bomb m/37 or high-
explosive m/42
Images:
Saab 18
Under the 1936 Swedish defense act, the air force was
to be equipped with, among other things, a medium
twin-engine bomber with a crew of three. In 1939, the
Air Force ordered a test aircraft with the designation P
8. The first flight took place on 19 June 1942. Serial
deliveries began in
1944. The Air Force
designation became
Saab B 18A.
The image shows
bomber Saab B 18A.
Image: Wikipedia.
The Saab 18 was a
twin-engine bomber
and ground-attack aircraft originally designed by ASJA
and later manufactured by Saab and used in Sweden
during World War II. The Saab 18 saw service in 4
primary variants. These were designated B 18A, B 18B,
S 18A, and T 18B in the Swedish Air Force. During its
early years, the Saab 18 was a very modern combat
aircraft compared to foreign types. The aircraft was
built entirely of metal. The Saab 18 was manned by a
crew of three; pilot, navigator/gunner, and
bombardier.
The Saab 18 was intended to replace the Junkers Ju 86,
B 3.
The A variant was equipped with Swedish-made Pratt
& Whitney TWC radial engines from SFA while the B
variant was equipped with Daimler-Benz DB605b
inline engines. This made the engine cowls look
completely different on these two variants.
Initially, the B 18A was delivered to Västmanland Air
Wing (F 1) in 1944. Halland Air Wing (F 14) was the first
to receive the B 18B in 1945. In 1946, the Air Force
replaced all B 18As with B 18Bs as reconnaissance
aircraft with the designation S 18A.
The Saab 18 had several armored shields spread over
the aircraft to protect the crew and vital parts from the
enemy fire such as shrapnel from anti-aircraft guns
and aircraft.
By the late 1940s, the third crew member's position
had been eliminated, reducing the crew of the aircraft
to two; the provision of air-to-ground rockets and
improved bomb-sights had removed the requirement
for a bombardier. By this time the Saab 18 was also
outfitted with ejection seats for the pilot and
navigator/gunner.
Used in trials of early Swedish air-to-surface missiles,
the Saab 18 remained one of Sweden's front-line
ground attack and reconnaissance platforms until the
late 1950s.
Variants:
•
Type
Total
Period
Use
•
B 18A
62
1944–1946
Bomber
•
B 18B
120
1945–1953
Bomber
•
T 18B
62
1947–1958
Attack aircraft
•
S 18A
62
1946–1959
Reconnaissance aircraft
Specifications:
•
Crew
3
•
Length
13.16 / 13.26 m
•
Wingspan
17.04 m
•
Height
4.35 m
•
Wing area
43.8 m²
•
Empty weight
6,093 kg (B 18B)
•
Max. takeoff weight
8,793 kg (B 18B)
•
Maximum speed:
•
B 18A / S 18A:
470 km/h
•
B 18B:
590 km/h
•
T 17S:
600 km/h
•
Range
2,600 km (B 18B)
•
Max. flight altitude
9,800 m (B 18B)
•
Load capacity
1,500 kg
Armament: 1 × fixed 13,2 mm automatic gun m/39, 2
or 1 × flexible 13,2 mm automatic gun m/39
Bombs, Internal bomb bays:
•
1 × 1 000 kg bomb
•
2 × 500 kg bombs
•
3 × 250 kg bombs or
•
10 × 50 kg bombs
Bombs under the wings: 8 × 50 kg bombs
Images:
