J21A-2

This page is about the Swedish fighter J21A-2. For other versions, see J21 (Family).

J21A-2

J21A-1

J21RA

360://https://wiki.warthunder.com/images/b/bb/Cockpit_saab_j21a_2.jpg

J21A-2

J21A-1

J21RA

Sweden

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.3	4.3	3.7

Class:

Fighter

Research:27 000

Purchase:185 000

Show in game

Description

The J21A-2 is a rank IV Swedish fighter with a battle rating of 5.3 (AB), 4.3 (RB), and 3.7 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.95 "Northern Wind".

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 4 300 m640 km/h

Turn time20 s

Max altitude10 800 m

EngineDaimler-Benz DB-605B

TypeInline

Cooling systemWater

Take-off weight5 t

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 4,300 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	616	599	10800	21.0	21.9	12.6	12.6	300
Upgraded	666	640		19.0	20.0	19.0	15.5

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
683	325	445	425	325	~11	~5

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 450	< 390	< 420	> 715

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural683 km/h

Gear325 km/h

• 10 mm steel - Firewall armour plate
• 10 mm steel - Firewall cover armour plate
• 10 mm steel - Pilot's back armour plate
• 60 mm bulletproof glass

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB2 322 → 3 169

RB5 063 → 6 910

SB6 754 → 9 219

Total cost of modifications46 700

84 900

Talisman cost1 500

Crew training52 000

Experts185 000

Aces940

Research Aces480 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

90 / 220 / 460 %

166 / 166 / 166 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 200 Radiator Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 200 Airframe Research: 3 500 Cost: 6 400 230 Compressor Research: 3 500 Cost: 6 400 230 Wings repair Research: 3 900 Cost: 7 100 250 Engine Research: 3 900 Cost: 7 100 250 Cover Research: 3 800 Cost: 6 900 250 Engine injection Research: 3 800 Cost: 6 900 250	EFS Research: 3 800 Cost: 6 900 250	akan_m47_belt_pack Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 200 13_2_akan_m39_belt_pack Research: 3 500 Cost: 6 400 230 akan_m47_new_gun Research: 3 900 Cost: 7 100 250 13_2_akan_m39_new_gun Research: 3 800 Cost: 6 900 250

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 120 mm Akan m/45 cannon

Ammunition140 rounds

Fire rate725 shots/min

Weapon 24 x 13.2 mm Akan m/39A machine gun

Ammunition1 350 rounds

Fire rate1 080 shots/min

The J21A-2 is armed with:

• 1 x 20 mm Akan m/45 cannon, nose-mounted (140 rpg)
• 2 x 13.2 mm Akan m/39A machine guns, nose-mounted (350 rpg = 700 total)
• 2 x 13.2 mm Akan m/39A machine guns, wing-mounted (325 rpg = 650 total)

Usage in battles

The J21A-2 (along with the rest of the J21A variants) is an excellent energy fighter. The plane retains and gains speed very well, as long as it is flying in a straight line. In level flight or in a dive, the J21A is very fast and can outrun most of its opponents. Additionally, it can manoeuvre quite well compared to some of its opponents but pilots must watch to ensure their speed does not drop too low as this makes the J21A an easy target. The nose-mounted armament makes it possible to successfully fight head-on with opponents and the 20 mm cannon is especially devastating when combined with the 13.2 mm machine guns. This armament also makes the J21A good as a bomber-interceptor since it can knock out critical components of an opponent's aircraft very quickly.

Overall, the J21A was designed (and should be used) as an interceptor. One excellent tactic is to climb at about 20 degrees until reaching 4,000-5,000 m and operating from that altitude in a boom-and-zoom role. This enables the J21A to use its excellent dive speed and heavy armament to maximum effect.

Another effective tactic is to fly level and fast at medium altitude 2,000-3,000 m and act as a support fighter, assisting team mates who are overwhelmed by picking off some of their opponents in hit-and-run attacks. While the J21 can manoeuvre quite well (especially with combat flaps) it is not advisable to do this except as a last resort because the aircraft bleeds speed very rapidly. Also, this can expose the J21's engine (mounted in the rear of the aircraft) to and an enemy, allowing him the opportunity to knock out the J21's engine or hit its fuel tank (centrally located between the cockpit and the engine). This is another reason to avoid running away from an opponent, except when you can dive faster than the enemy or outclimb him. Many planes at the J21's level can keep up with it, although many also cannot. As long as you know your opponent and their capabilities, you can use the J21 very effectively.

Although the J21 can be set on fire rather easily due to its centrally located fuel tank, it is often possible to put out the fire by diving very steeply and fast. This creates enough of a slipstream around the fuselage to often put out the fire.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Auto control available	Separate	Not controllable 1 gear	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Very stable, does not stall in level flight even with the throttle set to zero
• Retains controllability at all speeds, even when stalling
• Engine protected from head-on attacks
• Most armament is nose-mounted
• Heavy armament with excellent ammunition belts

Cons:

• Pusher aircraft, engine mounted facing rear, exposed to enemy aircraft which may follow
• Required to set convergence due to wing-mounted machine guns
• Loses speed rapidly in sharp turns
• Long weapon reload time (in AB)
• Has one of the most expensive aircraft to repair in AB at ~19 K Silver Lions
• Water cooling system overheats fast on WEP
• Higher repair cost for not much gain compared to its predecessor

History

The J21A-2 was a variant of the Saab 21, a twin-boom propeller fighter used by the Swedish air force. A unique design, it had a pusher-configuration engine and a twin-boom tail, giving it a very unique appearance. The J21A-2 was the second production variant of the J21 fighter, featuring a Swedish-built 20 mm cannon along with numerous other refinements. A total of 124 J-21A-2 aircraft were built in two batches; these aircraft served as the mainline Swedish fighter until the introduction of more capable jet-engined fighters.

In the early 1940s, it was apparent that Sweden badly needed a new fighter aircraft. Thus, Sweden ordered SAAB to design a new aircraft based on the German Daimler-Benz DB 601, 603 or 605 engine. At that time, the German and Swedish had a series of neutrality agreements, allowing Sweden to import the German-made aircraft engines. One radical configuration considered was a twin-boom aircraft, similar to the P-38 Lightning, but with a single rear-mounted engine in pusher configuration. However, SAAB was initially asked to instead produce the J23, a more conventional aircraft design.

In late 1941, the Swedish air ministry reverted to its previous decision and asked the SAAB firm to produce the J21 design. Thus, design work progressed through 1942 and 1943. The final prototype featured a twin-boom wing with a single DB-605B engine, and carried a main armament of one 20 mm cannon along with four 13.2 mm heavy machine guns. The first prototype flew in mid-1943, but was quickly revealed to have inferior performance to the Fw 190, Spitfire and P-51 Mustang. However, 484 aircraft were ordered anyway.

The first of these aircraft, named J21A-1, entered service in 1945 with a total of 54 aircraft built. The J21A-2 was a later version that entered service in 1946-1947, with 66 aircraft built in two batches for a total of 124 aircraft. The J21A-2 featured numerous minor improvements compared to the J21A-1, including the installation of a Swedish 20 mm cannon and better avionics.

The J21A-2 entered service in 1947, but had an extremely short service life. The aircraft's poor performance and relative obsolescence meant that it served for an extremely short time. The 124 aircraft built were quickly replaced by the more modern J29 Tunnan and British de Havilland Vampire, leading to the aircraft’s retirement by 1954. However, it is worth noting that SAAB also experimented with coupling a jet engine to the J21 airframe; this resulted in the A21RB, a unique aircraft coupling the J21's fuselage with a de Havilland Ghost engine. No J21A-2 airframes still exist but three J21A-3 aircraft still exist in museums today.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the J21A-2 from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance

Swedish Aeroplane Company Ltd. (SAAB)
	Pre-SAAB: SA / ASJA
SA 'Jaktfalken'	J6B
SAAB 17	B17A · B17B · S17BS
SAAB 18	B18A · B18B · T18B · T18B (57)
SAAB 21	J21A-1 · J21A-2 · A21A-3 · J21RA · A21RB
SAAB 29 'Tunnan'	J29A · A29B · J29D · J29F
SAAB 32 'Lansen'	J32B · A32A · A32A Röd Adam
SAAB 35 'Draken'	J35A · J35D
SAAB 37 'Viggen'	JA37C · JA37D · JA37DI · JA37DI F21 · AJ37 · AJS37
SAAB 39 'Gripen'	JAS39A · JAS39C
SAAB 105	SK60B · SAAB-105G
License Production	B3C (Ju 86K)
Export	SAAB-105OE · J35XS · ▄JAS39C · ◔JAS39EBS HU C