[J 22 in museum] FFVS J 22

Background

In 1939-1940, the Swedish air force had only a single fighter wing, equipped with 50-60 Gloster Gladiators with the Swedish designation J 8 (J = Jakt, interceptor or fighter). The government decided to equip two new wings and a total of 264 fighters of the types Seversky Republic EP-1 and Vultee Vanguard 48C 1 were ordered in the USA. 60 of the 120 EP-1s were delivered via Petsamo and were given the Swedish designation J 9. In July 1940 all export of fighters from the USA was stopped.

SAAB was fully occupied with design and manufacturing of the bomber SAAB 17 and design of SAAB 18, projects which had priority and couldn't accept a contract for a new fighter. Their fighter project of 1939, SAAB 19, had been cancelled in favour of SAAB 17. Since the about 40 American designers who had worked for SAAB returned to USA at the outbreak of the war and all aluminum in Sweden was assigned to SAAB, it didn't seem like there were domestic resources for a Swedish built fighter.

Of the foreign alternatives evaluated, the Finnish Myrsky was deemed unsuitable. The Soviet Yakovlev Yak-9 was suitable, but at that time the USSR only wanted to export the Polikarpov I-16, which wasn't modern enough. Japan was willing to sell a version of the Mitsubishi A6M, but transport of them to Sweden couldn't be arranged.

The aircraft chosen were Fiat CR.42bis Falco, of which 72 were delivered starting in 1940, designated J 11 in Swedish service and 60 Reggiano Re 2000s delivered in 1941, initial designation J 12, but redesignated J 20 before they entered service.

Design

The air force chief instructed the aircraft designer Bo Lundberg to start planning for a Swedish made fighter. Lundberg had been in charge of the Swedish Air Commission in USA and before that chief designer of Götaverken's aircraft division during the time they designed the GP 8 bomber which competed with SAAB 18 and the cancelled GP 9 fighter.

When Lundberg returned to Sweden at the end of 1940, he had already started planning for the new fighter. Requirements was that it should use the same engine as EP-1, STWC-3, a Swedish made Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp, should be small and light, be made of components that could be made by a large number of subcontractors. The project was designated P 22 and a temporary air force branch was instituted to run the project, Flygförvaltningens Verkstad i Stockholm (FFVS).

Since the GV GP 9 was designed to use aluminum, it couldn't be used as a basis for the new fighter, but its landing gear where the wheels were rotated as the were retracted back into the fuselage was used. The landing gear was made to accept skis, but as the air force's ability to clear snow off runways had improved, they never was fitted on J 22.

Since a wooden wing couldn't be made strong enough if it was made thin enough for a fast fighter, so the aircraft was made of steel tubing covered with plywood.

The windshield was made either of 6 mm laminated Gemax or acrylic. The center part was 60 mm thick for ballistic protection.

Production

The first prototype of the aircraft which was to be designated J 22 was built in the workshop of Flygtekniska Försöksanstalten (FFA) near Bromma airport, and first flew on 1942 Sep 20. Both protypes crashed, one probably due to oxygen starvation of the pilot, the other due to engine failure during landing.

Of the 17000 component parts, 12000 were made at 500 subcontractors all over Sweden, with final assembly in a hangar at Bromma, except for the final 18 which were assembled at the air force central workshop at Arboga (CVA), which was set up in 1944 to be the central maintenance facility.

In service

198 aircraft were built and delivered 1943-46. Of these the first 143 were of the version J 22A and the rest J 22B. The only difference between them was that J 22A was armed with two 13.2 mm and two 8 mm guns in the wings, and J 22B with four 13.2 mm guns.

The sight was a fixed reflex sight.

Nine J 22A were converted into reconnaissance aircraft in 1946 and redesignated S 22 (S = Spaning, reconnaissance) and converted back into fighters in 1947.

In 1945 J 22A was redesignated J 22-1, J 22B into J 22-2 and S 22 became S 22-3. The last ones were retired in 1952.

Technical data

Span             10 m
Length            7.8 m
Height            3.6 m
Wing area        16 m2
Empty weight   2020 kg
Combat weight  2835 kg
Fuel load       525 litres
Engine  STWC-3 1065 hp
Max speed       575 km/h
Cruise speed    440 km/h 
Landing speed   140 km/h
Range          1270 km
Endurance       2.9 h
Max altitude   9300 m
Armament	2 * 13.2 mm + 2 *  8 mm guns or 4 * 13.2 mm
The top speed was said to be "fastest in the world ... compared to engine power".

External links to further information

Main source Kontakt #36 and #37
The Swedish military aviation page
Text last updated 2002 Mar 18 by Urban Fredriksson
griffon@canit.se