SAAB 201-202 (91A Safir)

Engine: 1x de Havilland Gipsy Major four cylinder inverted in-line air cooled engines making 120hp

Wing Span: 10.60 m

Length: 7.85 m

Height: 2.20 m

Weight: Empty 580 kg / 995 kg

Maximum Speed: 180 mph

Ceiling: 4,600 m

Range: 940 km

Crew: 3

Armament: None

History:

The design of the the SAAB Safir was started in 1944, when it was obvious that the war in Europe was coming to an end, SAAB looked towards new civilian aero products. The new aircraft's chief designer was A.J.Andersson who had since 1933 worked for the German firm Bücker were he had designed such aircraft as the "Jungmaster", "Jungmeister-Student" and the "Bestman". The similarity between the "Safir" and the Bü 181 Bestman is far from just coincident, it can be seen as the "next step" in it's design, the most obvious deference being the retractable tricycle undercarriage. The first prototype took to the air on the 20/11/1945 and between 1946 and 48 SAAB built 48 91A's, 10 were bought by the Swedish Air Force, 8 by the Netherlands Air Transport School and 16 by the Ethiopian Air Force, with the rest being sold to civilian owners.

The Bücker Bü 181 "Bestman"

The SAAB 91A "Safir"

The first prototype was fitted with a pair of scaled down swept wing's in 1947 to test how the proposed wings for the J-29 "Tunman" would behave at low speed and designated 201, in 1950 the same aircraft was fitted with scaled down wings of the SAAB "Lansen" for the same propose, also it was fitted with a more powerful engine the Lycoming 0-435-A six-cylinder opposed engine, changing it designation at the same time to 202!

The time line of 91.001 SB 91 SE-APN prototype 91A 20/11/1945 first flight with SAAB Safir 28/04/1947 military first flight as a SAAB 201 01/03/1950 military first flight as a SAAB 202 scrapped

The first prototype in it's last configuration as the 202