J34

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RANK 6 BRITAIN
Rooikat 105 PACK
hunter_f50_sweden.png
GarageImage J34.jpg
J34
AB RB SB
9.3 9.0 9.3
Research:160 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:450 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
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Description

The Hunter Mk.50 (designated the J34) was acquired by Sweden in 1954, after being considered for an interceptor aircraft that would mainly attack bombers at high altitudes. The J34 could be considered as a stop gap while the J35 Draken was still in development. While the J29 Tunnan was the backbone of the Swedish Air Force, the Hunter was deployed around Stockholm to protect the capital from incoming bombers. It was given to the F8 and F18 air wings and, while it retained its standard armament, it was also armed with the RB24 air-to-air missile. The J34's biggest flaw proved to be its lack of radar, this meant successful interceptions could only happen in daytime and with clear skies (this probably motivated SAAB to give the J35 Draken all-weather capabilities). Sweden acquired 120 J34s; they started to be phased out in favour of the more modern J35 in the 1960s, being given to less prominent air wings like the F9 and F10 squadrons. The last J34 in service was retired in 1969.

Introduced in Update "Fire and Ice", the J34, like all Hunters, is a very capable subsonic fighter, it sits in the transonic area, where its speed is very close to breaking the sound barrier. Topping out at 1109 km/h when fully upgraded, you will see yourself out speeding even supersonic fighters. This is because the J34 has a very good acceleration above 700 km/h. Its armament is also very capable against air targets, the four 30 mm ADEN cannons can destroy most aircraft with a short burst, while the RB24 missiles are very useful to attack enemies that are distracted or moving slow. You also hold your energy pretty well, being capable to energy trap aircraft like the MiG-21, Milan and other delta wing fighters with ease, however it should be noted that the manoeuvrability below 700 km/h is very bad, and since the aircraft lacks countermeasures, staying fast and agile is your best chance to stay alive.

General info

Flight performance

Air brakes
Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps
Max speed
at 0 m1 109 km/h
Turn time31 s
Max altitude14 000 m
EngineRolls-Royce Avon Mk.115
TypeJet
Cooling systemAir
Take-off weight11 t

The J34 is a transonic jet fighter, powered by the Rolls-Royce Avon Mk115 engine. Reaching speeds up to 1,109 km/h at sea level, with the capability of reaching Mach 1 in a dive. Performing similarly to the Hunter F.1, the J34 works best at high speed. Above 700 km/h is where manoeuvrability and climb rate are best, though overheating can become an issue when at 100% throttle for extended periods of time. Despite lacking an afterburner, a decent climb rate of 56 m/s can be used for getting the drop on other jets with relative ease. Extended turning should be avoided as the J34 loses speed quickly when turning. Falling victim to the similar flaws of other Hunters, the high stall speed can get an unprepared pilot into a punching bag for other fighters such as Sabres or MiGs. Combat flaps help with manoeuvring when below 600 km/h IAS where the plane begins to struggle, but may still be ineffective in comparison. The airbrake is effective but is located on the underside of the fuselage and can't be used when the landing gear is deployed.

Characteristics Max speed
(km/h at 0 m - sea level)
Max altitude
(metres)
Turn time
(seconds)
Rate of climb
(metres/second)
Take-off run
(metres)
AB RB AB RB AB RB
Stock 1,099 1,093 14000 31.9 33.3 44.9 40.5 820
Upgraded 1,118 1,109 30.4 31.0 68.6 56.0

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 + -
1,193 450 603 581 465 ~12 ~5
Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons Rudder Elevators Radiator
< 850 < 600 < 650 N/A

Engine performance

Engine Aircraft mass
Engine name Number Basic mass Wing loading (full fuel)
Rolls-Royce Avon Mk.115 1 6,309 kg 238 kg/m2
Engine characteristics Mass with fuel (no weapons load) Max Gross
Weight
Weight (each) Type 4m fuel 15m fuel
1,050 kg Axial-flow turbojet 6,666 kg 7,499 kg 7,799 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%)
Condition 100% WEP 4m fuel 15m fuel MGW
Stationary 3,469 kgf N/A 0.52 0.46 0.44
Optimal 3,837 kgf
(1,193 km/h)
N/A 0.58 0.51 0.49

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person
Speed of destruction
Structural0 km/h
Gear450 km/h
  • 64 mm Bulletproof glass - Armoured windscreen
  • 12.7 mm Steel - Armour plate behind the pilot

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB2 896 → 4 242 Sl icon.png
RB8 644 → 12 663 Sl icon.png
SB9 125 → 13 368 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications142 200 Rp icon.png
225 000 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 400 Ge icon.png
Crew training130 000 Sl icon.png
Experts450 000 Sl icon.png
Aces2 200 Ge icon.png
Research Aces890 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
120 / 380 / 600 % Sl icon.png
214 / 214 / 214 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Flight performance Survivability Weaponry
Mods aerodinamic fuse.png
Fuselage repair
Research:
9 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods jet compressor.png
Compressor
Research:
9 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mods armor frame.png
Airframe
Research:
11 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
17 000 Sl icon.png
360 Ge icon.png
Mods booster.png
New boosters
Research:
11 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
17 000 Sl icon.png
360 Ge icon.png
Mods aerodinamic wing.png
Wings repair
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
19 000 Sl icon.png
390 Ge icon.png
Mods g suit.png
G-suit
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
19 000 Sl icon.png
390 Ge icon.png
Mods armor cover.png
Cover
Research:
15 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
24 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods jet engine.png
Engine
Research:
15 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
24 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods jet engine extinguisher.png
EFS
Research:
15 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
24 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
aden_belt_pack
Research:
9 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 000 Sl icon.png
310 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 1.png
Mods air to air missile.png
RB24
Research:
11 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
17 000 Sl icon.png
360 Ge icon.png
Mods weapon.png
aden_new_gun
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
19 000 Sl icon.png
390 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 14 x 30 mm ADEN cannon
Ammunition600 rounds
Fire rate1 200 shots/min
Main article: ADEN (30 mm)

The J34 is armed with:

  • 4 x 30 mm ADEN cannons, chin-mounted (150 rpg = 600 total)

Suspended armament

List of setups (1)
Setup 12 x RB24 air-to-air missiles
Main article: RB24

The J34 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

  • Without load
  • 2 x RB24 missiles

Usage in battles

With powerful guns and a high top speed, the J34 does excel at Boom & Zoom tactics.

Side climbing at a 10° angle to get high altitudes is ideal, as going head first into engagements can overwhelm the J34. When engaging multiple opponents it's best to try to run, as turning would lose too much speed to continue engaging. Dropping in on already busy or unsuspecting jet to fire an RB24 missile or with cannons is an effective method of attack.

The 30 mm ADEN cannons easily tear apart other jets, with the four cannons achieving a one-second burst mass of 21 kg. Carrying 600 rounds of ammo (150 rpg), it can quickly expend all the ammunition. Quick bursts greatly help conserve ammo while still doing devastating damage, with the tracers and onboard rangefinding radar aiding in landing shots.

Radars

The J34 is equipped with an AN/APG-30 rangefinding radar, though it is not physically modelled. It detects other planes within range and is helpful for close range aiming.

AN/APG-30 - Rangefinding radar
Maximum
Tracking
Range
Minimum
Tracking
Range
Azimuth Tracking
Angle
Elevation Tracking
Angle
2,750 m 300 m ±9° ±9°

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Powerful cannons
  • Effective airbrake
  • Decent acceleration at high speed
  • Can outrun most jets when in a climb
  • Access to RB24 missiles
  • Very good top speed for a subsonic jet
  • Good energy retention in dogfights

Cons:

  • Poor manoeuvrability, especially at low speeds
  • Engine is prone to overheating fast
  • Difficult in uptiers
  • No flares or chaff
  • Large target

History

Swedish Air Force J34 Hunter, 1955

In the 1950s and after developing the J29 Tunnan, the Swedish Air Force needed a high speed interceptor capable of intercepting enemy bombers at high altitudes, mostly Soviet Designs, that at the time, could still be intercepted by subsonic aircraft. While the J29 formed the backbone of the Swedish Air Force, the Hawker Hunter was employed in the interception role, but it was also used in patrols and if needed, in air-to-air combat.

Thus the Swedish Air Force acquired a total of 120 units of the Mk.50 variant (very similar to the Mk.4) in 1959. The Hunter was designated J34 and assigned to the F8 and F18 fighter wings defending Stockholm. The aircraft retained the same armament as the British variant (4 x ADEN 30 mm cannons) but was also fitted with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.

The J34 could be considered a stop gap between the J29 Tunnan and the J35 Draken (both aircraft designed and made in Sweden by SAAB). The aircraft's deliveries started in 1955 and finished relatively fast, two years later. One of its biggest downsides was the lack of radar, making interceptions viable just during the day and with clear skies. However, it was much faster than the J29, and even being subsonic, its maximum speed was very close to breaking the sound barrier (1150 km/h), all of this provided by the powerful Rolls-Royce Avon 23 (RM 5B) engine

In the 1960s, the J34 was phased out in favour of the supersonic, all-weather fighter, the J35 Draken. Thus it was given to the F9 and F10 air wings, that were less prominent, meanwhile, it was also used by the Swedish Air Force's aerobatic team Acro Hunter, using five J34s. A project to modernize the J34 was considered in 1958, being fitted with a Swedish-made engine (with an afterburner) but since the only improvement was to the flight performance, and the J35 Draken had much superior electronics, navigation equipment, and armament, the project was cancelled, and the last J34 was retired in 1969.

Media

Skins

See also

Related development

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:


Hawker Aircraft Limited
Biplane fighters 
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Nimrod  Nimrod Mk I · Nimrod Mk II
Scout plane  Osprey Mk IV
Piston fighters 
Hurricane  Hurricane Mk I/L · Hurricane Mk.I/L FAA M · Sea Hurricane Mk IB · Sea Hurricane Mk IC · Hurricane Mk IIB/Trop · Hurricane Mk IV
Typhoon  Typhoon Mk Ia · Typhoon Mk Ib · Typhoon Mk Ib/L
Tempest  Tempest Mk V · Tempest Mk V (Vickers P) · Tempest Mk II
Fury  Sea Fury FB 11
Jet fighters 
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Export  ▄Hurricane Mk I/L · ▂Hurricane Mk IIB · J34 · ◄Sea Hawk Mk.100 · AV-8A · AV-8C
Captured  ▀Tempest Mk V

Sweden jet aircraft
Fighters  J21RA
  J29A · A29B · J29D · J29F
  J32B
  J34
  J35A · J35D
  JA37C · JA37D
  JAS39A
Strike aircraft  A21RB
  A32A · A32A Röd Adam
  A28B
  AJ37 · AJS37
  SK60B · SAAB-105G
Export  SAAB-105OE
Finland  ▄Vampire FB 52A · ▄MiG-21bis · Saab J35XS