And that's the reason it's structural top speed is unknown/theoretical, it's fuel tanks can't hold enough to reach it, because it only needed enough range to cross the Baltic sea and return, with relatively short time over target as it expended it's payload in an Alpha strike at the soviet invasion fleet escorts while A-32 pilots did the same at the transport ships.
If you ever get the chance, experience it. Grew up with regular low altitude spotings, and one of my earliest memories was a pair of Viggen passing just above my house. To bad no JA is flying, that thing realy made the ground tremble at take of.
I'm American,54 yo, born and raised in Southern California around navy pilots out of Miramar. I have few regrets in life....one being never able to see my all time favorite jet fighter, THOR 's Thunderbolt up close and personal just like that. 😍😘
There are still two flying, they often go to airshows in Europe, I last saw them flying at the airbase F-16 in Uppsala in 2018. Once corona is over, I am sure they will restart the herritage flights here, I still have many more photos of all of SAABs planes flying together in formation. There are still airworthy examples of allmost all SAABs fighters, Tunnan, Lansen, Draken, Viggen and lets not forget the current trainer of the Swedish Air Force, the SK60.
This is ajs viggen. 65 000 hp without afterburner. The later ja version for aircombat had a extra turbin stage producing 95 000 hp without afterburner. JA 37 Viggen giving it all with full afterburner makes an ateist deeply religious! A life changeing experiance, I mean. Chears!
I was fortunate to live in Farnborough when I was younger and the Viggen was always the highlight of the Airshow for me. Used to fly over my home on the downwind landing leg and made a sound as it throttled back which I'd never heard before or since. I miss the Viggen....
@@SpeakerPolice Sure is, the JT8D-1 to be even more specific. I worked for Volvo Aero for a few years in the JT9D/PW4000 maintenance department and right next door from the JT8D department. But the RM12 in Viggen is, by definition of the authorities, its own engine type separate från The JT8D.
The sound is hard to grasp...best video that give you a scens of it is "Viggen shoots for the moon from Färila AB 2004" or "Viggen takes off from Färila AB 2004". You have to fight the urge to go and hide.
If you have a chance to see the Draken or Viggen at an airshow just go, they're beautiful and impressive planes. And they sound mightily impressive on full afterburner.
It is indeed marvelous to look at, and even more impressive in the air! If you haven't already, have a look at the other SAAB-produced fighters. J29 Tunnan, the J35 Draken and of course, the JAS 39 Gripen.
Still one of the most striking-looking jet fighters of all time (as was the Draken before it). Convergent evolution has made modern planes very dull....
Want to learn something mysterious? Take a stopwatch. Time that from start to takeoff. Observe what the Viggen does immediately as it's airborne - steep climb and turn. Now do the same with a F-16, F-15, F-35, doesn't matter. Time from start to takeoff. Observe what it does immediately as airborne. No how the H* does that old plane do it? Is there a secret take off thrust from that engine? 50,000 lbf? With Coanda effect from that tailpipe?
Trelleborg tisdag den 28 april 2020. To MI Q. No. A rocket carries the oxidant with itself and therefore has trust even in space. Viggen needs air for its jet engine. (vigg = tufted duck, a seabird. Viggen = the vigg. ) Med vänlig hälsning / TomasGidlof.se
Might be the fighter who brought down the most russian fighters during the "cold-war". There are loads of stories of swedish pilots playing "follow the leader" with russians over the baltic sea. Since the swedish pilot-training at the time focused on low-level flying (some say 15m over sea and 30m over land at mach1) they lured the opponents to down their planes into the sea.
Wouldn't surprise me. Sweden lost literally hundreds of pilots during the Cold War era without a single shot (alledgedly) being fired, simply due to EXTREME training scenarios. The Viggen pilots flew like maniacs.
@@thehoogard They truley were maniacs. Although Swedish AF lost about 550 pilots during the cold war only 18 of them were viggen-pilots. Remakable figures taking into account that every technichan have stories about cleaning the belly and wings from tree-branches.
@@thehoogard Most of those pilots were early J-21R and J-29 pilots that weren't trained on jet operations during training and only got to fly jets when they graduated as pilots, as the Swedish airforce didn't have jet trainers until the early 70's. In addition the green pilots were being ordered to fly close enough to the ground that they returned to base with broken off spruce top twigs stuck to their rocket racks.
@@TheOtherGuys2 Well yes, as the Viggen rips the air around the airport apart it's quite common to hear car alarms. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-b_sk6lgNEUk.html for example.
When i was a kid these jets always passed over our house that bang it made when they passed and the sonic boom .. Good ol 1982.. The Dragon was a cool plane to.
