The fastest Lansen around - the supersonic SAAB J32F

[Pellson]

As the J32B Lansen interceptor entered service, SAAB engineers were already looking at improving their design. While the J35A Draken was soon to follow, it was realised that the new Drakens initial non-visual interception capabilities would be marginal at best while the more dark-weather capable J32B Lansens already in service were somewhat on the slow side, admittedly being able to break the sound barrier in a shallow dive, but no more than that. And the fast Tu-16 bombers were already on the horizon.

Several designs were evaluated, but not much came out of it until about 1963 when the existing RM6A/Avon mk 48 engine could be supplanted by the much more powerful RM6C/Avon mk 60, the same engine used in the J35D Draken variant, able to let the Draken hit M2.2 on a good day. While those speeds never were to be expected from the bigger Lansen, a healthy M1.4 was hoped for when a new team went to work.
The result  was a Lansen whose main aerodynamics were revised rather thoroughly. The wing profile, as well as those of the fin and stabilators, were thinned and refined, and the tail was made all flying to allow for supersonic manoeuvring. Also the wing was given more sweep, the angle increasing from 35 degrees to 40.
While mathematically able to reach even M1.6 the J32U (U for Utveckling/Development) was cancelled as the J35F variant now was in the cards, finally featuring a semi active radar guided missile, the AIM-26B Falcon, thereby being able to shoot blind with a reasonable chance of hitting its target.

But what if the Lansen development had continued? A fast enough Lansen with its much bigger nose could have accommodated a significantly much larger and more capable radar, operated by the Lansen WSO thus leaving the pilot to just fly the aircraft, allowing for much more confident radar intercepts regardless of weather or visibility.
This is what I have been looking at, actually for some time, and slaughtering no less than three Heller Lansen kits in the process. However, I have never been entirely pleased with the results, so here we go again, but this time with a proper Lansen interceptor kit, the Tarangus J32B/E.

You cannot view this attachment.

[Pellson]

The Tarangus kit is not as elegant as the old Heller kit, but it does feature a somewhat more detailed cockpit, and more importantly, the slightly bulbous ADEN cannon installation is there from the start. But casting is less exact, and being a short run kit, there is a good deal of cleaning up to do to ensure proper fitting. If you can understand where things are to go, that is. From time to time, the instructions are less than obvious. So it the kit is to an extent fighting me. Well - you can't just give up, can you..?

You cannot view this attachment.

This is where I'm at right now, and as you can see, there has been no major modifications yet. But the wing sweep has to change, and I also plan to replace the blunt radome with one of a pointier variety. And the we'll take it from there.
Luckily, the plastic is rather soft, meaning it should be reasonably easy to cut up the pieces I need to modify.

Yes, there is a missile manufacturing process going on in parallell. There are a number of SAAB Rb05 air-to-ground missiles to be completed for the different attack Lansens, both TV/IR Rb05B/C's and anti-radar Rb05D's, but also the Active Skyflash/Rb71B missiles for the J34C Super Hunter and for the Draken trio. And eventually, probably four more for this Lansen build. I hope.

But more on that later, and in respective project thread.

[Rheged]

This modification of the Lansen is logical and totally believable . 

  It's 58 years since I last saw one; taxiing out of woodland onto the main road near Vasteras, but I can clearly remember that it was a BIG aeroplane!

[Dizzyfugu]

Curious what becomes of this one. I have seen a pic of a Lansen with a pointed nose (IIRC a FC test vehicle for the Viggen's systems) and it looked ...interesting. 

[Pellson]

Curious what becomes of this one. I have seen a pic of a Lansen with a pointed nose (IIRC a FC test vehicle for the Viggen's systems) and it looked ...interesting. 

That's one of the two aircraft in the middle below, right?

You cannot view this attachment.

The no 2 from the top was used to test the Draken radar and combat management system. Interestingly , the French made a very similar conversion of a Vautour when developing the Mirage IIIC systems.

The no 3 from the top is the ugliest Lansen ever, the famous 32 Gamma. That got not only the radome, but also a good piece of the nose from an AJ37 Viggen, obviously testing that aircraft's systems.

As for my J32F, some project development activities has commenced, resulting in a top view plan drawing detailing the planned wing layout and fuselage extension. Under that view, there's a comparative view of the "standard" J32B interceptor. Note however that

a) it is a tad difficult to spot the fuselage extension point, but it's about in the middle of the wing root chord, and

b) the nose is still blunt here. I don't need to sketch that as I know how to make that work directly in plastic.

You cannot view this attachment.

You cannot view this attachment.

I like what I see, and I have started to cut up the wing. Always a nervous task, as you really, really don't want to c@&k up here.. 
But so far, so good. Even if there are many wing parts to align in the end.

[PR19_Kit]

I like what I see too Mr. Pellson, that looks very promising. 

[The Rat]

The no 3 from the top is the ugliest Lansen ever, the famous 32 Gamma. That got not only the radome, but also a good piece of the nose from an AJ37 Viggen, obviously testing that aircraft's systems.

If not for those intakes, everything forward of the wing looks like a Phantom. That droopysnoot is the main ingredient.

[Mossie]

The no 2 from the top was used to test the Draken radar and combat management system. Interestingly , the French made a very similar conversion of a Vautour when developing the Mirage IIIC systems.

The British did similar things with Canberras for testing the Buccaneer and Lightning radars and a Meteor NF for TSR.2.

[Captain Canada]

Great idea !

[Dizzyfugu]

Yes, I had the Gamma Lansen in mind, recognize the black/white paint scheme! 

Seeing the top views with the alternative wing shapes: What would be REALLY cool on a supersonic Lansen would be some area ruling on the fuselage! That's daring, but would look great on the tubby aircraft. Hmmm, I still have a(nother) Heller Lansen somewhere... 

[zenrat]

The no 3 from the top is the ugliest Lansen ever, the famous 32 Gamma. That got not only the radome, but also a good piece of the nose from an AJ37 Viggen, obviously testing that aircraft's systems.

If not for those intakes, everything forward of the wing looks like a Phantom. That droopysnoot is the main ingredient.

Put me in mind of...

[Weaver]

The no 2 from the top was used to test the Draken radar and combat management system. Interestingly , the French made a very similar conversion of a Vautour when developing the Mirage IIIC systems.

The British did similar things with Canberras for testing the Buccaneer and Lightning radars and a Meteor NF for TSR.2.

And then the Buccaneer, in it's turn, got to test TSR.2 and Tornado radars.

[Pellson]

The no 2 from the top was used to test the Draken radar and combat management system. Interestingly , the French made a very similar conversion of a Vautour when developing the Mirage IIIC systems.

The British did similar things with Canberras for testing the Buccaneer and Lightning radars and a Meteor NF for TSR.2.

And then the Buccaneer, in it's turn, got to test TSR.2 and Tornado radars.

I was thinking of the almost uncannily resemblance between the Swedish and French installations..

You cannot view this attachment.

[Pellson]

And while here - I've started to reassemble the wing. Fiddly work, that is, and I'm not anywhere near out of the woods yet. Stay tuned.

[Pellson]

Some cutting later.

You cannot view this attachment.

And some more cutting later, plus some plasticard triangles attached to some of these parts. And a split fuselage on top of that.

You cannot view this attachment.

There are a few bits and bobs to align, I tell you.

The sharp eyed will notice that the seats are painted and prepped, as is the engine exhaust and the new radome. Most of that won't go in until the wing mess is sorted, but it was a bit fun laying them out and taking a pic, so.. 

Anyway - the new exhaust needed some shimming in to fit properly. That is prepared for, as are the fuselage extension pieces even if they're not in the shot above. These are cut out from a previous unsuccessful attempt towards the same goal, built from a Heller kit. Interestingly, they do fit very well indeed, as does the Heller canopy! As the Heller clear part has a somewhat crisper feel to it - plus the windshield wiper the Tarangus version lacks - I think I'll scavenge the canopy too from that old corpse.

Another interesting inconsistency is that all documentation I can find is referring to the original Lansen wing sweep being 35 degrees, but all available drawings, photos of actual aircraft and the kits measure up to exactly 40 degrees, which, incidentally is the sweep given for the J32U!
I suspect, however, that the documentation is five degree off, and from that follows that the developed supersonic interceptor wing sweep should probably be 45 degrees, which is what I'm aiming for. My added leading edge dogtooth is to be seen as a further improvement. 😉