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The Saab 91 Safir (Swedish for sapphire) is a three (91A, B, B-2) or four (91C, D) seater, single engine trainer aircraft. The Safir was built by Saab AB in Linköping, Sweden (203 aircraft) and by De Schelde in Dordrecht, Netherlands (120 aircraft).

Design and development

Development of the Safir began in 1944 as part of a plan to compensate for reductions in orders for military aircraft, in anticipation of the end of the Second World War. Three major civil programmes were planned, the Type 90 Scandia airliner, the Type 91 Safir light aircraft and the Saab 92 motor car. The Safir was designed by Anders J. Andersson, who had previously worked for Bücker, where he had designed the all-wood Bücker Bü 181 "Bestmann". The Safir thus shared many conceptual design features with the Bestmann. It was primarily of metal construction, although it did have fabric-covered control surfaces. Development was slowed by the need to concentrate on more urgent military work, and by industrial action among suppliers. The Safir's first flight took place on 20 November 1945.

While the prototype was first powered by a four cylinder de Havilland Gipsy Major IC piston engine, the Saab 91A initial production model used a Gipsy Major 10. The Saab 91C, first flying in September 1953, retained the O-435 engine, but has a revised four-seat cabin. The 91D replaced the O-435 with a lighter four-cylinder Lycoming O-360-A1A engine rated at .

Operational history

thumb|right|Finnish Saab 91D Safir

Production of the Saab 91A began in 1946, but sales were slow owing to the large numbers of cheap ex-military trainers for sale after the end of the Second World War. Major users of the 91A were the Swedish and Ethiopian Air Forces. In 1951, Sweden ordered 74 91B trainers to replace its remaining Bestmanns, but Saab was busy building J29 Tunnan fighters, so production of the Saab 91B was moved to the Dutch company De Schelde at their Dordrecht factory. De Schelde continued building the Safir until 1955, completing a total of 120 Saab 91B and 91Cs. The type remained in Norwegian and Finnish service until the late 1980s, and in Austria until 1992.

Major civilian users were Air France, Lufthansa and the Dutch Rijksluchtvaartschool (RLS) on the Groningen Airport Eelde, near Groningen.

During development of the Saab 29, the initial Saab 91 prototype was modified with a scaled-down version of the Saab 29's swept wings; this aircraft was designated Saab 201 Experimental Aircraft. This same airframe was later fitted with wings designed for the Saab 32 Lansen; this was designated Saab 202.

A single Saab 91 Safir was modified as the Saab X1G for research in Japan.

Variants

thumb|Saab Safir 91B trainer taking off from Hahnweide airfield

  • 91A – Original production version, powered by de Havilland Gipsy Major 10 engine. Three seats.
  • 91B-2 – 91B variant for Royal Norwegian Air Force with minor modifications, . 25 built by Saab for Norway. and a constant speed propeller. Eleven built by De Schelde and 30 by Saab.
  • 91D – Four-seat version, powered by Lycoming O-360 engine driving a constant speed propeller. Safir in the Air

|prime units?=met

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General characteristics

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|capacity=2 passengers

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|aspect ratio=8.3

|airfoil=root: NACA 23018; tip: NACA 4412

|empty weight kg=580-610

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|gross weight kg=955

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|max takeoff weight kg=1075

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Powerplant

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|eng1 name=de Havilland Gipsy Major X

|eng1 type=4-cylinder

|eng1 kw=108

|eng1 note=

|prop blade number=2

|prop name=fixed or variable-pitch propeller

|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->

|prop dia note=

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Performance

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|max speed kmh=265

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|cruise speed kmh=235

|cruise speed note=economical cruise

:::: max cruise

|stall speed kmh=85

|stall speed note=

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed note=

|range km=960

|range note=

|ferry range km=

|ferry range note=

|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->

|ceiling m=4600

|ceiling note=

|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->

|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->

|climb rate ms=5

|climb rate note=

|time to altitude=

|wing loading kg/m2=73.2

|wing loading note=at normal loaded weight

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See also

References

  • Ärna Flygclubb Swedish language
  • FC Flygkubb
  • SAAB 91 D Safir – HB-DBL
  • SAAB 91 Safir for MS Flight Simulator