Saab 32 Lansen in a three tone cammo?

[Dizzyfugu]

Hi, maybe someone knows a bit about a weird find: in a magazine, some time ago, I read an article about early Saab types, including the Saab 32 Lansen.

There were several profiles included, including the protytypes, some test vehicles for radar or ejection seat tests, as well as the all-green and green/blue types. Furthermore, there was a profile of a Lansen with a three-tone cammo on top - looking a bit like the USAF's SEA scheme with tan, a light olive tone and something that reminded of a bluish, VERY dark green, plus light grey undersides.
The aircraft carried an early squadron code on the fuselage ("FC", IIRC), not the later standard with the squadron's number at the nose and the individual aircraft number or letter on the tail. Unfortunately there was no info about the aircraft, but it stuck in my mind, until today... 

I have not been able to dig out a picture of a "real" Lansen in this livery or any other information, but I suspect that it existed - much like the Draken with Field & Meadows (Viggen-style) cammo.

Does anyone know something about this unique(?) Lansen? 

Thanks a lot in advance! 

[Pellson]

I'll just pop in for a shortish reply:

"FC" is the "Försökscentralen", or Test Central, equivalent to the british A&AEE. Not an active unit.

The 32 Lansen was trialled (by FC) in several different camo schemes, among them an allover dk olive green with grey undersides (which later was accepted uniformly), a blueish dark grey over light grey and bluegrey/dk green over lt grey as on the 35 Draken, later on. There were also a few other schemes tried.
However, to my knowledge, there has NEVER been a Lansen flown in the later "splinter" scheme used on 37 Viggens. That said - why not build one?

//Pellson (Resident Swede)

[Dizzyfugu]

Thanks a lot, that helps (a little) - even though the Lansen I mean did not wear the splinter cammo, rather something like a stirred-up SEA scheme. Might have been an evaluation or test aircraft, but it woudl surely look nice this way.

[Dizzyfugu]

Ah, an update: finally I found the respective profile, so I can link it here - it's aircraft "FC 29"

[PR19_Kit]

That said - why not build one?

//Pellson (Resident Swede)

Excellent thinking, it's 'what we do' here. 

[Amphion]

Ah, an update: finally I found the respective profile, so I can link it here - it's aircraft "FC 29"....

That looks like an "artists impression" rather than a profile of an actual A/C. The type for the "29" is wrong, looks like a type used "during the war", and the roundel is flawed in details regarding the yellow ring and the shape of the crowns.

[Dizzyfugu]

Yeah, it looks wacky - but the other profiles were in the same fashion/style, and these showed aircraft that actually exist(ed), including test rigs. Anyway, it would certainly look good, be it a whif or not 

[Pellson]

Ah, an update: finally I found the respective profile, so I can link it here - it's aircraft "FC 29"

Finally having gotten home and in touch with the reference library, I've found that this profile most likely , or rather almost definitely, is an artists work and not very much more. According to my source, as the 32:s went from all bare metal to camo, there were five different schemes trialled. All undersides were always bare metal (not light grey, as I earlier wrote).
The upper side camoflages tested were:
1. Allover dark olive green
2. As no 1 above, but with black green "sprayed grid" on top, pattern a bit like some late WWII german night fighters.
3. Allover dark blueish grey
4. Dark olive/dark bluegrey, as in later SAAB 35 Drakens
5. As no 4 above, but dark olive/black green.

Of the above, alternative 1 was chosen as standard camo despite no 3 was found ideal for the maritime recce role of two of the sqns at F11 Nyköping.  Also, camo pattern no 4 was later chosen on most tactical aircraft except the alreade all olive A/S32 Lansens and the similarly painted J34 Hunter.

At no time, a brown field was tried on a Lansen. The first time, postwar, that brown appears on Swedish military aircraft is when the splinter scheme gets introduced in the mid-seventies.

As far as numerals and roundels - there's only been one type of roundel in the RSwAF from 1944 to ca 1990, that being the ubiquitous yellow outlined one on the pic. Earlier, during the 1930:ies and early 40:ies, the yellow outline was missing and post 1990, a lo-vis all grey variant became standard on most aircraft with the exception of some helicopters where a corresponding all black version was used on an allover dark green scheme.
Numerals - the "wartime" font was used up to mid/late 1950:ies. After that, it is the modern font found on the Viggens and Gripens you easily can google. Also, most sqns used colour coded letters for some time diring the 1940-55 timeframe instead of numerals. These were coloured red for no 1 sqn of each wing, blue for no 2 and yellow for no 3. The air staff had some white letter coded a/c for personal use and in one case, the aforementioned no 1 wing (F11), there was actually a fourth sqn, incidentally named no 5 sqn, using black colour.

Now, all that finally defined, why not whif a Lansen, using the colours from the splinter scheme, but in a lizard scheme as per the profile above?

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you very much for that input! 

Just gotta get hands on a Lansen... 

[rickshaw]

They are bloody expensive on EvilBay.  I was lucky to bag one earlier this year but it still cost more than I'd have liked to pay.   

[Dizzyfugu]

I have been after one for years - for a "reasonable" price, though. But the day I get one it will probably end up in this whiffy livery

[Pellson]

You can usually have the 1/72 Heller strike/recce bird over here for ca £10. Postage will set you back almost as much, I'm afraid, but if you still think it's worth it, just let me know and I'll sort it for you.

The new 1/48 Tarangus model is available in both interceptor and strike versions, but that is dead expensive even here and you could probably buy it for the same price at Hannants, for instance.

[Dizzyfugu]

Well, the 1:72 Heller is the only option here (do not build 1:48 at all, and it's a space issue!). Postage is, most of the time, the killer. The old Heller Lansens can frequently be found on evilbay, but the postage, even within the EU... 

[Dizzyfugu]

As a weird conincidence, just as you mentioned the topic, I checked a German online model shop where I frequently order enamels - and they had a last Heller Lansen on sale!  Just EUR 15,-, plus national postage - immediately got it. 

So, more fodder for the work bench...

[PR19_Kit]

Well done Thomas, we'll look forward to a Dizzy Lansen pretty soon then.