Saab 18

infobox Aircraft
name = SAAB 18
type = Bomber
manufacturer = SAAB



caption = Saab B 18B at the Swedish Air Force Museum
designer =
first flight = 19 June 1942
introduction = 1944
retired = 1959
status =
primary user = Swedish Air Force
more users =
produced =
number built = 240
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles =

The SAAB 18 was a twin-engine bomber designed for the Swedish Air Force.

Design and development

Although designed in the 1930s, changes in requirements delayed the first flight until June 19, 1942.

Operational history

The aircraft entered service in 1944 and remained one of Sweden's frontline ground attack and reconnaissance platforms until it was replaced by the jet-powered Tunnan and Lansen in 1958-1959. Around 240 SAAB 18s were built.

Variants

;Saab 18A:Two prototypes only.;B 18A:The first production version, bomber aircraft powered by two Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp radial piston engines.;S 18A:Photo-reconnaissance version of modified B 18A with PS-18/A (license-built AN/APS-4) radar.;Saab 18B:One prototype only.;B 18B:Dive bomber version, powered by two Daimler-Benz DB 605B piston engines. First flight June 10, 1944.;T 18B:Ground attack version with 2 × 20 mm and 1 × 57 mm cannons, fitted with Rb 302 anti-ship missiles on an experimental basis.

Operators

;SWE
* Swedish Air Force

pecifications

B 18A

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= prop
ref=
crew= Three
capacity=
length main= 13.2 m
length alt= 43 ft 4 in
span main= 17.0 m
span alt= 55 ft 9 in
height main= 4.4 m
height alt= 14 ft 5 in
area main= 43.8 m²
area alt= 471.3 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 5,550 kg
empty weight alt= 12,100 lb
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 8,200 kg
max takeoff weight alt= 18,040 lb
more general=

engine (prop)=STWC-3 (Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp)
type of prop=
number of props=2
power main= 795 kW
power alt= 1,065 hp
power original=

max speed main= 465 km/h
max speed alt= 250 kts, 288 mph
cruise speed main= 400 km/h
cruise speed alt= 217 knots, 250 mph
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 2,200 km
range alt= 1,188 nm, 1,370 mi
ceiling main= 8,000 m
ceiling alt= 26,250 ft
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
* 2 × 13.2 mm fixed machine guns
* 1 × 7.9 mm machine gun on a flexible mount
* Up to 1,400 kg (3,080 lb) of bombs or 12 unguided rockets and LRMs (Long-range missiles)
avionics=

B 18B

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= prop
ref=
crew= Three
capacity=
length main= 13.2 m
length alt= 43 ft 4 in
span main= 17.0 m
span alt= 55 ft 9 in
height main= 4.4 m
height alt= 14 ft 5 in
area main= 43.8 m²
area alt= 471.3 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main=
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=Daimler-Benz DB 605B
type of prop=
number of props=2
power main= 1085 kW
power alt= 1,475 hp
power original=

max speed main= 575 km/h
max speed alt= 310 knots, 357 mph
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main= 9,500 m
ceiling alt= 31,168 ft
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
avionics=

References

* Kopenhagen, W. (ed.) "Das große Flugzeug-Typenbuch." Stuttgart: Transpress. 1987, ISBN 3-344-00162-0.
* Donald David and Lake Jon (eds.). "Encyclopedia of World Military Aircraft." London: AIRtime Publishing, 1996. ISBN 1-880588-24-2.

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=
Dornier Do 17 - Petlyakov Pe-2

sequence=
Saab 17 -
MFI-15 Safari-
B 16/Sk 16 -
B 17 -B 18 -
J 19 -
J 20 -
Saab 21 -
Saab 21R -
Saab 29 Tunnan-
Saab 32 Lansen-
J 35 Draken-
Saab 37 Viggen-
Saab 39 Gripen

lists=
* List of bomber aircraft

see also=