Aestrup EF-105 Gripen

EF-105 Gripen
Acrean Air Force EF-105C
Role	Air superiority fighter
National origin	Acrea
Manufacturer	Aestrup Luftfahrtsselskab AB
Design group	Aestrup Luftfahrtsselskab AB
First flight	1955
Introduction	1959
Retired	1979
Status	In service
Primary user	Royal Acrean Air Force
Produced	1958-1967

The Aestrup EF-105 Gripen is a series of single-engined air superiority fighters designed by Aestrup Luftfahrtsselskab AB for the Acrean Air Force. First entering service in 1959, the Gripen formed a core component of Acrea's air defence forces until the 1970s. With its double delta wing and Mach 2 capability, it was revolutionary at the time of its introduction and was one of the first true supersonic fighters in service.

Although it began its service life in 1959, constant upgrades to the Gripen's peripheral and core systems, avionics, airframe, and powerplants kept it competitive well into its long service life. Owing to its delta wing, the Gripen earned a reputation as a supremely agile and formidable dogfighter, capable of extreme angles of attack. The later EF-105C variant first produced in the mid-1960s was the first aircraft in Acrean service to be fitted with a turbofan engine, drastically increasing the fuel efficiency of the aircraft. The Gripen was continuously updated with new avionics and weapons systems throughout its service life, and thus remained arguably the most capable air-to-air fighter in Acrea's inventory until the introduction of the EF-137 Valkyr, its replacement, in the early 1970s.

Operators

Former Operators

• Royal Acrean Air Force

Specifications (EF-105C Block II)

General Characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 15.35 m (50 ft 4 in)
• Wingspan: 9.42 m (30 ft 11 in)
• Height: 3.89 m (12 ft 9 in)
• Wing Area: 49.2 sq. m (530 sq ft)
• Empty Weight: 7,865 kg (17,339 lb)
• Powerplant: MD EJ700 afterburning turbofan, 56.5 kN (12,700 lbf) thrust dry, 97.1 kn (21,800 lbf) reheat

Performance

• Maximum Speed: Mach 2 at altitude
• Service Ceiling: 20,000 m

Armament

• Guns: 2 x 30mm cannon with 400 rounds
• Payload: 8 external hardpoints for ordnance with a capacity of up to 2,900 kg, two additional hardpoints for drop tanks

See Also

Aircraft of Comparable Role, Configuration, and Era