Swedish Air Force Ground Support Equipment

[albamac]

Hi Folks,

I'm going to build a diorama comprising an J34 (Hawker Hunter) and J35 (Saab Draken) and would be grateful for some help. I have built the J34 from an old Airfix kit ably assisted with a sharp razor saw and an old rear end for a Mk.4 Hunter. Best viewed from over a metre distance ha ha. My questions are as follows for the "experten"

• Could the Draken self start and if ground electrical generation was used what colo(u)r was the equipment?
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Hi Folks,

I'm building a small diorama and need the following information. The airyplanes are J34 (hawker Hunter) and J35 (Draken). My questions for the "experten" are.

• Could the Draken self start and if ground electrical power was needed what colour was the equipment?
• Were the round tanks found on dispersals for aircraft servicing lubricants etc?
• What colour were the missile handling trolleys especially the Rb24 (Sidewinder AIM9B)? 

All help and suggestions gratefully received by an apprentice,aging modeller ha ha.

Skal

Albamac (Frustrated Norseman)😀

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Antti_K]

Hello albamac,

 

J35 Draken has a starting system using isopropyl nitrate so it is possible to start up the engine without any ground equipment. The noise during the first seconds is unbelievable...and that dark grey smoke is spectacular. It is also possible to start up using a ground generator unit called BRAGG which generates both electricity and high pressure air.

 

High pressure air was used also for loading the 30 mm gun. At least here in Finland this was done for a QRA aircraft at the same time with the pilot strapping in.

 

Here is a very nice film presenting Finnish Air Force Drakens during an exercise. The aircraft belong to Fighter Squadron 11 based at Rovaniemi AB. At 2:36 DK-215 is taxiing along a country road on it's way to a highway strip. You can taxi a Draken with relatively high speed but outside airports a slower pace is better:

 

 

Galdecals make decals for DK-215 by the way.

 

And on this clip you can see BRAGG at 2:35

At least here in Finland very little equipment was stored (or kept) on dispersals; just the ladder and chocks.

 

Cheers,

Antti

[albamac]

Hi Antti,

Many thanks for the information. The films are very interesting too especially the section on dispersed Draken operations. I was on the Harrier Wing in RAF Germany 1970-73 and spent a bit of time in the fields and forests under camouflage nets. A trip down memory lane Antti ha ha. It answered many questions for my diorama and I have heard of the BRAGG generator but hadn't seen one. I'll try to scratch build one sometime but we used the HOUCHIN for ground power generation and the Harrier had a Gas Turbine Starter/ APU fitted. 

Isopropyl Nitrate (dangerous stuff) was used when I served on an Hawker Hunter FGA9 Squadron and was known as AVPIN (Nato store code S746?). Hearing the Draken start and the whining noise with smoke took me back 55 years ha ha. Skal Antti.

 

Albamac (Frustrated Norseman)

Qualitas Potentia Nostra

 

[Antti_K]

Hello Albamac,

 

I'm glad you liked the videos. Especially the first one is a real treasure. My former boss at Finnair (at 0:23) is seen as a simulator instructor here.

 

I was talking to my colleague today (he is a former Draken pilot) and he told me that usually AVPIN start was used although either BRAGG or Houchin was always connected to the aircraft as well. Near the end of Draken era only Houchins were used.

 

Now when it's weekend and all you might also enjoy watching this one; a close friend of mine Ari "Asa" Saarinen who used to fly Drakens with Fighter Squadron 11 gives some first hand recollections:

 

 

Asa told me a story (actually quite many but this one is hilarious) about one "not so liked" fellow Draken pilot. One winter night Asa was beginning his shift as a fighter controller in an underground bunker at Rovaniemi. It really was freezing cold and the QRA aircraft stood outside on apron. When Asa realized who the QRA pilot was he ordered the poor guy into cockpit readiness (sitting in the cockpit at -30 something degrees). Early next morning when fighter controllers were changing shift a faint voice was heard over the command channel asking if the cockpit readiness was still be continued. Asa fled the scene as fast as he could!

 

Skal,

Antti