Saab F-35 Draken, A-011 / 351011, Royal Danish Air Force
This picture is © Martin Laycock and may not be used or published without permission.
Registration: A-011
Construction Number: 351011
Military Unit: Esk 729
Model Saab F-35 Draken
Operator: Royal Danish Air Force
Airport: Boscombe Down (EGD / EGDM), UK - England
Airshow: Boscombe Down - Air Tournament International - 1992
Photographer: Martin Laycock
Date Taken: 13/06/1992
Date Submitted: 01/03/2010
Photographed in the static display during Air Tournament International at Boscombe, this Draken is from Esk 729 based at Karup. Denmark became the first export customer for the Draken in 1968, eventually receiving fifty-one aircraft, equipping two squadrons Esk 725 and 729. The contract comprised twenty F35 ground attack fighters, twenty RF35 reconnaissance aircraft and six TF35 trainers. Five more TF35s were ordered in 1973. Because the Viggen had, by this time, gone into production, these Drakens were virtually hand-built. This particular example is an F35 variant, known by SAAB as the 35XD (Export Denmark), it differs from the Swedish Air Force version in many ways, mainly because of the Danish requirement for it to be optimised for ground-attack rather than air defence. The structure had to be strengthened to accomodate air to ground stores on nine reinforced weapons pylons, also internal fuel capacity was increased by 40%. the avionics received an update in the mid-1980s including a Marconi head up display, a new weapon delivery computer, laser range finder and a inertial navigation system. Esk 729 were the last Danish Draken operator, disbanding at the end of 1993, when the last aircraft were withdrawn from service.
Picture ID:1218156
