DONE @p.2 +++ 1:72 Saab ASH 90B, Swedish Air Force, winter 2010/11

[buzzbomb]

That is a really neat scheme.

[kerick]

Very cool! Looking forward to more pics! 

[Wardukw]

Very cool! Looking forward to more pics! 

Definitely     

[Dizzyfugu]

Finally, here we are, with more pics than expected, and a loooong background story which recaps the ASH 90's origins as the SK 90 trainer:


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Some background:
In July 1967, the first Swedish Air Force student pilots started training on the Saab 105, a Swedish high-wing, twin-engine trainer aircraft developed in the early sixties as a private venture by Saab AB. The Swedish Air Force procured the type for various roles and issued the aircraft with the designation SK 60.
In the late Eighties, Saab suggested to replace the Saab 105's Turbomeca Aubisque engines with newly-built Williams International FJ44 engines, which were lighter and less costly to operate, but this was only regarded as a stop-gap solution. In parallel, Saab also started work for a dedicated new jet trainer that would prepare pilots for the Saab 39 Gripen – also on the drawing boards at the time – and as a less sophisticated alternative to the promising but stillborn Saab 38. This project (also known as B3LA or A 38/SK 38) was a single-engine jet trainer and attack aircraft planned by Saab during the 1970s and actually a collaboration between Saab and the Italian aircraft manufacturer Aermacchi (the aircraft resembled the AMX a lot. However, the aircraft never got past the drawing board and was canceled in 1979 in favor of the more advanced Saab JAS 39 Gripen multi-role fighter. Anyway, this decision left Sweden without a replacement for the SK 60 as transitional trainer and as a light attack and reconnaissance aircraft.

To fill this gap Saab presented in 1991 another new trainer design, internally called "FSK900", to the Swedish Air Force. The aircraft was a conservative design, with such a configurational resemblance to the Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet that it is hard to believe Saab engineers didn't see the Alpha Jet as a model for what they wanted to do. However, even if that was the case, the FSK900 was by no means a copy of the Alpha Jet, and the two machines can easily be told apart. FSK900 had a muscular, rather massive appearance, while the Alpha Jet was more wasp-like and very sleek. The FSK900 was also bigger in length and span and had an empty weight about 10% greater.
The FSK900 was mostly made of aircraft aluminum alloys, with some control surfaces made of carbon-fiber / epoxy composite, plus very selective use of titanium. It had high-mounted swept wings, with a supercritical airfoil section and a leading-edge dogtooth; a conventional swept tail assembly; tricycle landing gear; twin engines, one mounted in a pod along each side of the fuselage; and a tandem-seat cockpit with dual controls. The wings had a sweep of 27.5°, an anhedral droop of 7°, and featured ailerons for roll control as well as double slotted flaps. The tailplanes were all-moving and featured an anhedral of 7°, too. An airbrake was mounted on each side of the rear fuselage. Flight controls were hydraulic, and hydraulic systems were dual redundant.


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Instructor and cadet sat in tandem, both on zero-zero ejection seats, with the instructor's seat in the rear raised 27 centimeters (10.6 inches) to give a good forward view. The cockpit was pressurized and featured a one-piece canopy, hinged open to the right, that provided excellent visibility. The landing gear assemblies all featured single wheels, with the nose gear retracting forward and the main gear retracting forward and into the fuselage, featuring an antiSKid braking system. The twin engines were two Williams International FJ44-4M turbofans without reheat, each rated at 16.89 kN (3,790 lbst). These were the same engines that Saab had already proposed for the SK 60 modernization program, even though in an unrestricted variant for the bigger/heavier new aircraft.
The FSK900 could be outfitted with two pylons under each wing and under the fuselage centerline, for a total of five hardpoints. The inner wing pylons were wet and could be used to carry 450 liter (119 US gallon) external tanks, a total external payload of 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) could be carried.

The Swedish Air Force accepted the Saab design, leading to a contract for two nonflying static-test airframes and four flying prototypes. Detail design was complete by the end of 1993 and prototype construction began in the spring of 1994, leading to first flight of the initial prototype on 29 July 1994. The first production "SK 90 A", how the basic trainer type was officially dubbed, was delivered to the Swedish Air Force in 1996.
The SK 90 was regarded as strong, agile, and pleasant to fly, while being cheap to operate. SK 90 As flying in the training role were in the beginning typically painted in the unique "Fields & Meadows" splinter camouflage, although decorative paint jobs showed up on occasion and many aircraft received additional dayglow markings. Some of the few aircraft given to operational squadrons, which used them for keeping up flight hours and as hacks, were mostly painted in all-grey camouflage to match the combat aircraft they shared the flight line with.


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


With the SK 90 S a second variant was soon introduced, replacing the SK 60 C, two-seat ground attack/reconnaissance version for the Swedish Air Force, basically a standard SK 60 A with an extended camera nose that featured a similar camera arrangement with a panoramic camera, plus an avionics pallet in the baggage compartment for a modular DICAST (Digital Camera And Sensor Tray) pod under the fuselage. Unlike the SK 60 C, which was converted from existing SK 60 A trainers, the SK 90 S was an original design. 20 were delivered until 1997, together with the standard trainers, which were kept on the production lines at slow pace until 1999.

A total of 108 production SK 90 trainers were built, and modest foreign sales could be secured: Austria procured 36 SK 90 Ö in 2002 (basically comparable with the updated SK 90 B with a weather radar, see below), replacing its Saab 105 fleet and keeping up its close connection with Saab since the Seventies. Malaysia showed interest, too, as well as Singapore, Myanmar Finland, Poland and Hungary. Eventually only a leasing and later purchase deal for seven refurbished SK 90 As with Hungary was closed, and the young Republic of Scotland leased in 2017 another dozen SK 90 As from Sweden, too.

The majority of Swedish aircraft underwent an MLU program after 2000 that included a modern "glass cockpit" to provide advanced training for the Saab Gripen (which had entered service in June 1992), and a full authority digital engine control (FADEC) for the FJ44-4M turbofans. Integration of the Rb.75 (the AGM-65A/B Maverick in Swedish service) together with a pod-mounted FLIR camera system was also suggested, improving the SK 90's attack capability dramatically. The modified aircraft received the designation SK 90 B and SK 90 SB, respectively, and until 2006 the whole fleet was modernized.


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


However, the FSK900 design bore even more development potential than just the basis for a highly efficient jet trainer. When the aircraft was conceived the Swedish Air Force started to retire/modernize its Saab 37 Viggen fleet, with the plan to replace the type with the new and lighter Saab 39 Gripen.
However, budget restraints and production capacity limits did not allow an increased output of the Gripen, which was rather regarded as a replacement for the JA 37 interceptors than for the AJ, SF and SH attack and reconnaissance versions, which underwent a modernization program to extend their life beyond the millennium. But the foreseeable the lack of JAS 39 reinforcements would have left the country with a significant defense gap after 2004, esp. against ground and naval targets. As a stopgap solution, a less complex and costly aircraft, again comparable with the cancelled Saab 38 project was envisioned, and so Saab proposed a new aircraft, but this time based on the existing and proven SK 90, which could be quickly developed and use avionics and ordnance from the JAS 39 Gripen to save costs. This became the ASH 90 (Attack/Spaning Havsövervakning (or just Häv for short) for attack and secondary maritime reconnaissance capability)

The ASH 90 shared the basic airframe with the SK 90 trainer, with only minimal structural modifications to save costs and development time. The most obvious change was the reduction of the crew to a single pilot, while the rear cockpit was used to house additional avionics for advanced weapons and an Ericsson/GEC-Marconi PS-05/A pulse-doppler-radar radar – the same that was installed in the initial JAS 39 A/B Gripen, too, but with less range (only 50 instead of 120 km due to a smaller radome) and optimized for ground surveillance and attack missions. Its antenna was housed under a pointed nose which significantly changed the aircraft's profile. The rear cockpit was partially faired over, with only two small side windows left to give the pilot a sufficient field of view to the rear because – again to save costs – no new bubble canopy was developed.


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The armament was considerably improved: another visible change was a pair of missile launch rails on the wing tips, for Rb.74 (AIM-9 L Sidewinder) AAMs, so that the ASH 90 now had a total of seven external hardpoints, and all underwing as well as the centerline station were now plumbed to extend ferry range and have more flexibility. The central weapon the ASH 90 was supposed to deploy in its strike roll was the indigenous jet-powered RBS-15 Mk. III anti-ship missile. This weapon's development began in the mid-1990s, and it was produced by Saab in co-operation with Diehl Defence of Germany. Emphasis of this advanced version was put on increased range (due to a larger fuel capacity and a new fuel type the range was ~200 km), improved accuracy (integrated GPS) and selectable priority targeting, including land-based targets. Two of these weapons, each weighing 650kg, 250 kg of that a SAPHE warhead, could be carried on new reinforced inner wing pylons. Tests to carry earlier versions of this weapon had already been executed with the radar-less SK 90 trainer, using a datalink with a nearby Gripen for target illumination and guidance, but these trials had not proven to be effective. However, with its own avionics and as an independent system, the ASH 90 became a much more effective platform.
Further air-to-ground ordnance included the Rb.75 (AGM-65A/B Maverick), pods with unguided 135 mm rockets and iron bombs. Several sensor pods could be carried, too, including photo cameras as well as a FLIR video camera system that could transmit recordings in real time, so that the aircraft could beyond strike mission also take over many of the outdated SF and SH 37s' reconnaissance missions.
The ASH 90 still did not carry an internal gun, but a conformal ventral pod with a 27mm Mauser BK revolver cannon with 120 rounds, originally developed for the SK 90 trainer and carrying the same weapon as the JAS 39 Gripen, was frequently carried to engage both air and ground targets.

For better performance and to compensate for a raised all-up weight the ASH 90 was powered by uprated engines, a pair of Williams International FJ44-5M turbofans. These were still without reheat, again to save time and money, but thanks to a higher air flow and higher combustion temperatures the output of each engine was raised by almost 20% to 20 kN (4,490 lbst), providing the aircraft with almost supersonic performance (easily possible in a dive, though) and a much better rate of climb and acceleration.


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Thanks to the use of many existing components the ASH 90's development was quick and went smoothly. The first prototype already made its maiden flight in early 2000, and the first service aircraft – an order for 40 single-seaters for two squadrons (replacing not modernized AJ and SH 37s within Flygflottilj F7 and F17) – joined the active units in 2002.

The ASH 90 confirmed its ancestor's robust nature and good service record. Until 2004 all 40 machines had been delivered. In 2008 an upgrade program was initiated, to improve the ASH 90's combat efficiency, and the modernized machines received a "B" suffix, while the original version became re-designated "A". The upgrade included avionics to deploy the Rb.99 (AIM-120 AMRAAM) missile and a more powerful datalink, so that the ASH 90 Bs could engage BVR targets on their own or act as multiplier platforms for the more capable JAS 39 Gripen, allowing these to attack with a high number of missiles at once so that ECM defense could be oversaturated and hit probability increased. Outwardly, the "B" variant's only difference was a new IRST sensor in front of the cockpit, which allowed the pilot to detect and track heat signatures of both air and ground targets without engaging the radar and giving away the aircraft's presence through respective emissions. Another novelty was the option to attach a retractable IFR-probe above the left air intake – in-flight refueling had only been introduced to Swedish aircraft with the JAS 39, but international cooperations and relocations required this addition which also greatly expanded the ASH 90 B's capabilities and tactical value.
The updates were carried out during regular overhauls, and by 2010 the whole ASH 90 fleet was upgraded to "B" standard, including four new aircraft that were built to replace losses during the type's initial years of operation.


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


In the following years the ASH 90s frequently took part in several national and international exercises, for instance a NATO training in Swedish Lapland. In late 2010 a number of US military aircrafts landed in Luleå, Swedish Lapland, where they took part in joint exercises with the Swedish Air Force. Also, the British aircraft carrier "HMS Illustrious" was part of the training.
The following joint exercises, which included both US. bombing of a local shooting field and joint air maneuvers with Swedish aircrafts, were a continuation of the 2009 Loyal Arrow training. Then, 50 airplanes and 2000 persons, aircraft carrier personnel included, from ten countries took part in what was the biggest air force drill ever in the Finnish-Swedish Bothnia Bay. For this occasion, F17's SHA 90Bs deployed far to the north, occupying the temporary Kalixfors airfield near Kiruna, carried out regular training attacks but also acted as aggressors and simulated low-flying cruise missiles to test aerial defenses. For this occasion, the dozen machines that were sent up north received individual and experimental camouflage, including various splinter paint scheme reminiscent of the famous "Fields & Meadows" scheme, just with tones more suitable for winter operations.


General characteristics:
    Crew: one
    Length incl. pitot: 13.68 m (44 ft 10 in)
    Wingspan: 9.94 m (32 ft 7 in) w/o wing tip launch rails
    Height: 4.6 m (15 ft 1 in)
    Empty weight: 3,790 kg (8,360 lb)
    Max. takeoff weight: 7,500 kg (16,530 lb)

Powerplant:
    2× Williams International FJ44-5M turbofans without reheat, rated at 20 kN (4,490 lbst) each

Performance:
    Maximum speed: 1,150 km/h (714 mph)
    Range: 1,670 km (900 nm)

Armament:
    No internal gun; seven hardpoints for 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) of payload and a variety of ordnance


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Saab ASH 90B,'32 Grey (s/n 90232)' of the Swedish Air Force Blekinge Flygflottilj (F17); deployed to Kalixfors Airfield (Swedish Lapland) during joint NATO exercise 'Loyal Arrow', late 2010 (Whif/Hasegawa kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


A pretty result, if not elegant – in total contrast to the brutish A-2 build with its edgy helicopter cockpit nose and the resulting hunchback. I's amazing how much the pointed nose changes the aircraft's profile and impression, and the wing tip launch rails also add visual length and "speed". The paint scheme also turned out nicely, and with the low-viz markings the overall grey scheme looks interesting and quite plausible, too – and well-suited for a winter exercise up north in Lapland.

[PR19_Kit]

  The backstory almost has a life of its own!

[Dizzyfugu]

The backstory almost has a life of its own!

I'll admit that it is quite extensive, but I tried to shoehorn the ASH 90's development into historic facts and "justify" as many thing that are fictional or modified as possible. And you find a lot of stuff... 

[Old Wombat]

Can't say I find her "attractive" but definitely well built & finished!  

[kerick]

It looks like a fighter!
Well done!

[Dizzyfugu]

At least it looks a lot faster than the T-4