Saab 18

what is it?

The Saab 18 was a twin-engine bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, designed and built by Svenska Aeroplan AB (SAAB) for use by the Swedish Air Force in response to a 1938 design competition. Due to delays, it did not enter service until 1944, but quickly became the standard Swedish bomber aircraft. Serving in the bomber, reconnaissance and ground-attack roles, it also assisted in the development of ejection seats and air-to-surface guided missiles until its replacement by the Saab Lansen in the late 1950s.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 piston engines with propellers · 17.4 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 575 km/htop speed
• range 2,600 kmwithout refuelling
• size 8,793 kgmax take-off weight
• built 245made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 84 years ago, in 1942.
• 🏎️Top speed is 4.4× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 17.4 m: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 2,600 km: 14× Amsterdam to Brussels.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.1× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1942-06-19

introduced

1944

retired

1959

status

retired

number built

245

role

bomber, reconnaissance

origin

🇸🇪 Sweden

makers

Saab Group

engines

2× SFA DB-605B / Daimler-Benz DB 605 / R-1830 Twin Wasp

crew

3

length

13.2 m

wingspan

17.4 m

height

4.4 m

max take-off weight

8,793 kg

top speed

575 km/h

cruise speed

550 km/h

range

2,600 km

ceiling

9,800 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.