Super Viggen

[ysi_maniac]

http://www.amazon.com/Gripen-Swedens-Centu...84682062&sr=8-4

Reading the first chapter of this book. Speaking about the origins of Gripen, the author says that the SAAB option was a Super Viggen but swedish gov wanted something smaller.

How could that Super Viggen look like?
Any information or ideas?

Thanks, Carlos

[Supertom]

I had toyed around with the idea of making a Super Viggen by merging two of those honkin' big engines together.  Could never figure out how to resolve the sudden width in the fuselage, though.

[ysi_maniac]

Hi, Supertom
To continue with your idea, I would think in MiG-25 or 31 fuselage.

But I think that SAAB people were thinking in something less radical/crazy.

[Mossie]

Hmmm, Super Viggen.....

New engines, if you're going the twin route you can use something smaller like the Gripen's RM12/F-404's or a single tweaked RM8/JT8D, larger, squared intakes to suit.  New, micro-electronic avionics, so you can get rid of that lump in the spine.  This'll give a smoother fuselage so you can add a bubble canopy with of course a glass cockpit under it.  Composite construction, giving a lighter overall weight, FBW with full control over the canards.  New wing & canards.  New weapons software & radar.  Add or delete any of those systems to suit cost.  Kind of Mirage 4000-ise it I guess!

[Archibald]

I would use a F-110 turbofan    

[bluesman]

Sounds like we need to start working on some profiles and start kitbashing.

[Rafael]

Sounds like we need to start working on some profiles and start kitbashing.

That's a dangerous statement, bluesman, before you finish the sentence, plastic will be flying and glued and slapped together in several workbenches  

Rafa

[Zen]

Hmmm.....superViggen.....

Beyond the avionics, you could replace the engine with a more powerful and modern one.

You might tweak the wing shape and canards.

[Mossie]

Sounds like we need to start working on some profiles and start kitbashing.

Okay, had a play about this evening:



If it looks a bit Gripen-ish, that's intentional.  The Gripen shared alot of Viggens features so I guessed that a Super Viggen would have gone down a similar route.  I've largely removed the spine, changed the canopy, extended the nose, enlarged & changed the shape of the intakes, changed the wing & canards to ones resembling those from Gripen, added a F110 engine & lengthed the nose.  I've kept the Viggens distinctive tail, being slightly lower to allow for the change in the spine.

[Mossie]

The real machine for comparison:

[elmayerle]

Nice redesign, Mossie, though I'd keep a low spine, somewhat like that of a Phantom II, rather than eliminate it all together as it does provide some useful direct routing volume for wires and plumbing from front to rear (much as ISTR the spine on the Hunter serving a useful purpose).  I suspect, too, that there's something useful in the "stinger" that extends from the aft end of the stock Viggen's spline.  If you kept it no higher than where you have the canopy end, that'd be adequate enough, I'd reckon.

[Arc3371]

The redesigned aircraft reminds me of a canard Su-15, I don´t really understand why the nose should be longer?

[elmayerle]

I could see the nose being made longer to allow for the installation of more avionics, such as adding a FLIR or IRST (or both) as well as just to improve the maintainability of the design.

[Arc3371]

The Viggen nose is plenty big as it is especially for modern avionics

[elmayerle]

*shrug* I can argue either way.  Personally, I can see it being considered for a production "Super-Viggen" but left alone on one converted from a standard Viggen.  OTOH, some commonality with the standard Viggen would not hurt the Super-Viggen.