J21RA
| This page is about the Swedish jet fighter J21RA. For other versions, see J21 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The J21RA is a rank V Swedish jet fighter with a battle rating of 6.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.95 "Northern Wind".
General info
Flight performance
| Characteristics | Max Speed (km/h at 4,000 m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | 763 | 744 | 12192 | 25.1 | 25.9 | 18.0 | 17.3 | 850 |
| Upgraded | 836 | 799 | 23.0 | 24.0 | 24.4 | 21.0 | ||
Details
| Features | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear | Drogue chute |
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | X |
| Limits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
| Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
| 787 | 360 | 437 | 408 | 260 | ~11 | ~5 |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < 450 | < 390 | < 420 | N/A |
Engine performance
| Engine | Aircraft mass | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine name | Number | Empty mass | Wing loading (full fuel) | |||
| Svenska Flygmotor RM1 | 1 | 3,420 kg | 188 kg/m2 | |||
| Engine characteristics | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) | Max Takeoff Weight | ||||
| Weight (each) | Type | 6m fuel | 20m fuel | 22m fuel | ||
| 705 kg | Centrifugal-flow turbojet | 3,654 kg | 4,107 kg | 4,172 kg | 5,000 kg | |
| Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB) | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%) | |||||
| Condition | 100% | WEP | 6m fuel | 20m fuel | 22m fuel | MTOW |
| Stationary | 1,290 kgf | N/A | 0.35 | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.26 |
| Optimal | 1,290 kgf (0 km/h) |
N/A | 0.35 | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.26 |
Survivability and armour
- 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
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armaments
Offensive armament
The J21RA is armed with:
- 1 x 20 mm Akan m/45 cannon, nose-mounted (140 rpg)
- 2 x 12.7 mm Akan m/39A machine guns, nose-mounted (350 rpg = 750 total)
- 2 x 12.7 mm Akan m/39A machine guns, wing-mounted (325 rpg = 650 total)
Usage in battles
One way to operate this aircraft is to zoom climb up to about 2.5k-3k meters and then drop on a low and slow jet. Staying on someone's tail is very easy with this plane and its defensive flying is quite effective.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good turn rate compared to other jets
- Decent armament
- Good low-speed performance when utilising flaps
Cons:
- Slow for a jet
- Climb might be the worst in comparison to others in its battle rating
- Bad energy retention
History
The J21RA is a variant of the Saab 21R, a unique early jet fighter developed from the previous Saab 21. The aircraft was one of two semi-successful conversions of propeller fighters into jet fighters, the other being the Soviet Yak-15 (which was converted from the Yak 1/3/7/9 series). The aircraft served as one of the first jet-engined aircraft in Swedish service and was also the first jet-engined-aircraft produced by Saab. The Saab 21Rs were retired in the 1950s with the introduction of more advanced Swedish aircraft.
During WWII, the Saab aircraft production company produced the Saab 21, a fighter aircraft with an unorthodox twin-boom configuration along with a German DB 605B engine. The first such aircraft flew in July of 1943 and entered service soon thereafter. During this time, the Saab firm explored various options for upgrading their Saab 21s, including a variant powered by a Rolls-Royce Griffon engine producing 2000 hp. However, at the same time, the Saab firm was also investigating the possibility of a jet-engined fighter; this led the Saab firm to pursue a jet-engined variant of the Saab 21 for use with the Swedish air force.
In 1947, Saab received the first older J21 airframes for conversion into a jet fighter, designated the J21R; the airframes were extensively modified to house a British-sourced De Havilland Goblin turbojet in place of the DB 605 and its corresponding propeller. Extensive modifications were also made to the aircraft’s fuselage, wings and tailplane; notably, the tail section was redesigned so that the elevator would be clear of the jet engine’s exhaust. Additionally, the aircraft featured an ejection seat, a novelty at the time.
Initially, a production run of 124 aircraft was planned; however, this was cut to 64 aircraft when the more-advanced J29 Tunnan became available in 1948. The J21RA was the designation given to the first 34 of these aircraft, powered by the Goblin 2 engine, while the J21RB was powered by an indigenously-built Goblin 3 engine. The J21 was retired in the mid-1950s with the introduction of more advanced aircraft such as the Saab 32 Lansen; no original aircraft were preserved but an old Saab 21 airframe was converted to resemble the Saab 21R; this aircraft is displayed at the Swedish Air Force Museum.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
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
| 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 |
| Sweden jet aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | J21RA |
| J29A · A29B · J29D · J29F | |
| J32B | |
| J34 | |
| J35A · J35D | |
| JA37C · JA37D · JA37DI · JA37DI F21 | |
| JAS39A · JAS39C | |
| Strike aircraft | A21RB |
| A32A · A32A Röd Adam | |
| A28B | |
| AJ37 · AJS37 | |
| SK60B · SAAB-105G | |
| Export | SAAB-105OE |
| Finland | ▄Vampire FB 52A · ▄MiG-21bis · Saab J35XS |
