@@sidv4615 it's a nod to flight sim folks...when gaming, mirrors/reflections can decrease framerate. Obviously this is real life, not a videogame, so it was meant as a tongue in cheek joke.
I'm from Ukraine. My father was 1st class jet fighter pilot (MIG 21, 23, 29). I'm remember how exhausted he was after dogfight training flights. His "superpower" is fall asleep in any time of a day if he have at list 15 minutes of free time. Just like that! :)
@@peterl8548 It's not the best idea to sleep in such conditions, it could be the longest dream in your life. ;) But You are still alive, and it's definitely good. :)
I remember when I was doing my service in the infantry. During training, I could fall asleep standing up against a tree if I got a short break. Heck, I could even fall asleep in one of those Russian MTLBs we used during transport before everyone got Cv90s. I am one of those who do not fall asleep easily normally, but when you put yourself to the limit for an extended period of time, the body and mind take every chance they get :)
I bet you looked at your dad's "work place" with aw when you were a kid...and bragd about it at school😂... "So, your dad works at an office....thats tough! You wanna know what MY dad works with..."😂.... Nice memories!
So glad you're watching this, but slight correction, this is a Gripen C. The cockpit is the giveaway, Gripen E's cockpit looks like the F-35's cockpit, one big ass screen.
@@collingtech1 My guess is reliability is a key function - as well key flight data is in the HMD and/or HUD if in the unlikely event it fails. I think there are a few backup gauges low down as well.
The cockpit of the jas39e has nothing to do with that of the F35; to start the f35 does not have a fixed hud and the screens do not have buttons, everything is touch
I’ve been to around 12-13 air shows over the last 20 years and sometimes you can tell when a pilot is out there to put on a good show and really pushes the aircraft. This guy definitely did that! Fun to watch.
I´m by no means in any way shape or form a subject matter expert on the SAAB Gripen, but I was told by someone who is that the Gripen has a very good G sustainability and that it can sustain 9 G´s for a long time, even with an A2A configuration, without bags on, of course. The pilot asks the aircraft with the stick input to give him or her 9 G´s and that´s what the aircraft will do, and due to its design, it doesn´t bleed off a lot of energy when it turns. As a test pilot once said: "it carves like a knife through the air", while some aircraft tend to skid along on its butt and bleed off more energy. Now, it does suffer a bit from lack of thrust, which will be remedied on the E-version with the GE F-414 engine. (The C-version has the Volvo Aero RM12 engine, which is a license produced GE F-404)
The Gripen NG has the option for the F414-EPE, which will put it at almost the same T/W as the F-16. I don't know if anyone has already ordered that option, but it exists.
The F414-39E in the JAS-39E/F (new swedish designation is RM16) has equal thrust as the 25 years old USN Super Hornet basic version F414 has. Which is obviously 30% higher than the RM12 had, but unfortunately, the new Gripen went to be heavier, than it was expected oroginally, at the Gripen NG program. That stuctural weight was too optimistic, while the final Erik Gripen going to be more belly, due to the extra avionics and the strictly requires additional sub-systems. Such as extra heat exchangers, computers and of course their mounting points -> extra structural strengthens. It is a technological avalanche. The final, serial JAS-39E with the basic F414 thrust level had same or less thrust/weight ratio, as the current C/D Gripen fleet has. The F414EPE is actually orderable-ready, but even the US Navy did not interested in this version. No serial production, no manufacturing feedback, no shared development cost. The EPE is not that engine what SAAB would like to use in their cost-sensitive Gripen upgrade. Maybe, later the new owner of the swedish engine program, the GKN Aerospace will invest into the RM16 thrust upgrade, if it is required.
Thanx for a great channel. Airport is Linköping in Sweden, ESSL, and you can see SAABs factory beside the runway. It's not an airshow, just an ordinary demo fligth that occurs plenty of times every year. Pilot is one of Saabs demo pilot's, Mr Brännström.
Jag tyckte det såg bekant ut... Jag byggde 3G-stationer i början av millenniet och satt i en mast med utsikt över banan när en av dessa fåglar for iväg på vad jag antar var just en av dessa provturer... Satan så den lät :)
I always was impressed with the Gripen and I feel is a way under appreciated fighter. Particularly when it’s teamed up with the Swedish integrated air defense system.
@@guruxara7994 lmao yeah that's why every conversation about fighters consists of people praising Gripen, even the comments on this video. Weird how F-35 always gets all the trash talk (even from mover) but whenever Gripen is mentioned it is put on a pedestal.
Great video and breakdown! I'm from Sweden so naturally I'm biased when it comes to Gripen. A little side story about Gripen display. Had the chance to hear a Gripen display pilot (not the one in this video though) talk about his work, routines and thoughts about flying the Gripen. With focus on display flight. Humble, nice and very professional guy. Funny too. Obviously, his main priority during the display was safety. However, quite high up on his list was "display value". Not only that it should look good for the audience, extra focus on how to present the aircraft for photographers. He was keen on putting himself in the spectactors view and lenses of cameras. I found his attention to those kind of details very impressive. He also had a personal routine before flying a display that he told about. Just before flight he went through the entire routine. Not only mentally - but also physically. Sort of dancing his way through the manouvers - arms out. He mentioned he sometimes got wierd looks and comments about it, but it was his way of getting into the Zone. Speaking of negative G's. I'll * never * forget that Mirage III pilot during a display at Uppsala AFB, Sweden, some years ago. IIRC he did a complete looping inverted. It has to be the most insane thing I've seen someone do at an airshow. Not a pilot myself but enough of an avgeek to know that's not good for your health. Heard the pilot was bleeding from his eyes afterwards. Again, thanks for amazing, entertaining and informative content!
The "dance" before display is actually quite common and you will see every Swedish display pilot do the same. :) I guess you'll see pilots outside Sweden as well.
It is? Didn't get that impression when he told the story and haven't noticed any myself - then again I'm usually not that close. Makes sense more pilots do things like that though.
@@jemakrol Yes, for example you can see videos on YT where Peter “Starbutt”Fällén (the now former display pilot at F7 Såtenäs) does this. I’ve seen it many times on different air shows here in Sweden.
This was epic, thanks Mover!! The Gripen ate F-16's - & all but F-22 - for lunch when it was Red Air at Red Glag. If that's not enough data, ask 🇳🇴 Viper pilots what it's like to face 🇸🇪 Gripen - they too get rekt, every single time.
I'm from South Africa and our air force uses the Gripen fighter. I happen to live directly in line with the runway of the air base about half a kilometer away so when they take them out I get direct low flyovers as they come to land. This past week I took some awesome videos and pictures with my phone and they're so close you can see all little the details on them
@@CWLemoine Out of curiosity, what's the best comparison, if there is one, to pulling heavy g's? Sprinting? Running a marathon? Doing a really heavy set of weights? All of the above? Maybe a better way to ask the question is whether there's any kind of exercise that really helps with pulling g's?
@@CWLemoine Gripens stick has a "trigger point", draw it back through that and you got 12g... Use in emergencies, be prepared to explain yourself as you shortened that planes operation time. Oh... and it has cannon auto aim from radar (from front, auto trigger from behind). Said to be an interesting ride...
@@TheInsatiableViper I've flown as a passenger in a fighter plane, and even though the pilot never went over 6G with me in there I got to say your description was spot on. It definately felt like a deadlift without strain on the arms. Like wearing a vest of led.
The Gripen E is currently in the running up here in Canada for the replacement of the CF-18 Hornet. Competition started as the Super Hornet, F-35 and Gripen but the RCAF announced a few weeks back that it now between the F-35 and the SAAB as the Super Hornet was eliminated. Thinking of the similar rugged Northern Arctic theatre of operation here and so many unimproved airstrips all over the North the SAAB might have a shot. Not so sure we need the full Gen 5 stealth that the F-35 brings. Who knows they may come back and allow the F15EX to be submitted, stranger this have happened in military aircraft procurement up here. Great video and sure enjoy the perspective you can bring.
I completely agree with you! I did an essay on that this semester, was very interesting to compare our needs as a Northen Country, and there is also the fact that with the f35, we'll need to add extra fuel tanks that would take off the stealth of the f35. I think we should give a try to the gripen as it is clearly the one we need.
@@GlowingSpamraam Somehow they cut down unit cost of F35 down to be comparable or less than Gripen, but F35 operating cost probably 3-4x more than Gripen I think Finland got their for 83M USD each for 64 aircrafts and Swisszerland got their 112M each for 36s. Gripen E should be around 85-100M each (from mentioned in news), so really close in price.
@@gabrieltardif1548 You do realize that fully loaded F-35 has wing hard points that make it more visible to radar. Drop tanks will always be a part of air warfare if there's no fuel tankers flying circuits outside of enemy controlled airspace lol
Hi C.W The G suit is quite special and developed at SAAB,..and is very good on helping the JAS pilot to keep up with th G´s but the G suit has some extra features ;) love cheers from Sweden
I've seen the Gripen demo live and it is just awsome.. The Gripen is a very underestimated jet, it's small, very agile and can pack quite a punch for it's size.
I've pulled 10G in a Cap 232, which is completely incapable of sustaining for long. And let me say, it's a brutal experience. It takes time to build up a tolerance past 6. And 10 always hurts. Watching this video blows my mind. Hard 9's sustained is incredible.
Man I'm glad to see you're alright. I saw the helo crash on the news yesterday and from the location they said he was headed to KNEW. Terrible that someone lost their life but I'm thankful it wasn't you. My heart jumped a little bit yesterday and a sad day for the aviation community.
Yup, Gripen has lover thrust, but It's also quite a bit lighter than F-16 (6,8t vs 8,5t empty). This pilot is a monster! Transition from -3 to 8/9G in a single second sounds crazy.... BTW Mirror joke just killed me 😂
As a South African where we have the Gripen, it's really impressive to watch the maneuverability of this aircraft. At airshows they often used to have our old Atlas Cheetah (a modified and upgraded Mirage III to a 3.5 gen fighter) do a display, and then right after have a Gripen do a display. The difference was massive. The Cheetah can't sustain it's energy nearly as much and "sags" as soon as it pulls g's, bleeding off energy. I'm glad the aircraft has impressed you too.
@@thegreat0220 the fleet was grounded 2 weeks ago due to budget constraints the sandf reached out to Saab to arrange plans for upgrades maintenance and parts and another intresting thing to note if I remember correctly the air force can't afford the bombs and missiles for these beauties due to their budget being cut each year
@@thegreat0220 SAAB was awarded the contract to maintain the planes this year 2022 , So hopefully they will be back up flying , I read that the planes were not actually in full term storage but rotated and placed in short term storage ... After watching this vid I still cant believe we have these are part of our Air force , Technically we don't need such an awesome plane , as we have no real military threat's as such , but we still need a decent capable air force and these are just so awesome .
The Gripen got insane maneuverability, its one of the most if not the most fuel efficient and maneuverable 4th gen "fighter" jets. Its a good piece of tech and I wish more countries adopted it
What I like about this channel is that you're getting the info from a former fighter pilot. Very few other people have the experience. I was an aircraft structures mechanic on F-15s at RAF Lakenheath along with B-52, KC-135 & C-130 both before and after.
My brother knew the pilot very well. They was close since they did "Lumpen" together. Sadly my brother lost his life in Ukraina 2weeks ago. Lost for words but we are very proud of him 🙏🏼 He loved taking out tanks whit his Carl Gustaf
The Gripen is the sports car version of a fighter jet. Small, light and just amazingly maneuverability. And stops on a dime, even on a dirt road in the middle of the forest. Afaik, 9G is sustainable, 12G+ peak levels, assuming you don't blackout.
As of today there are more or less 5 countries that are capable of producing a paper concept to flying aircraft, The US, Russia, China, France and Sweden.
@@PowerslideSWE And even fewer countries are able to produce their own aircraft locally in its entirety. From the fuselage, various components, on-board systems, to the weapons.
As a swede admiring the swedish pilots I always enjoyed showing this videos to friend and I like that you are impressed yourself at 4:00 on that move he made, since that's what always made me go wtf and gasp myself and my friends when I show them that
As a Swede I’d say: Finally some talk about this machine. The JAS Gripen is an amazing fighter. (Sweden has a long history in building fighters, if anyone missed that). And, no its thrust aren’t like an F/16 or an F/18. However the aircraft isn’t meant to be built that way since its manoeuvrability comes with its Delta wing and canards. I mean, look for how long it pulled 9G in the turns. If it would have 30,000 lbs of thrust it would either hit >12G and then fall to pieces or slingshot of the planet. 🚀 It’s a lightweight fighter and has the ability to takeoff on a 1,312 ft RWY and land at only 1,640 ft (400 resp. 500 m) of RWY. That’s because of Sweden’s use of “road bases” if needed. Turn-around time is appr. 10 minutes for rearming, refuelling, and maintenance. That’s also crucial. With that above stated I would like to say that thrust and flying faster than 2 Mach (SAAB says it does >2 Mach, but won’t specify it) isn’t all that counts in a fighter’s capability. Hi from Sweden 🇸🇪
Not to take anything away from the excellent performances of the Gripen, but here is an RNoAF F-16 landing in 600-700 meters with the drag chute, nominal breaks and enough fuel to take off and head for home base about 100 km away: ua-cam.com/video/mOkhPtWTD7k/v-deo.html And just to point out, even USAF sometimes train for turnarounds in less than 15 minutes. Back in the 70s the requirement for "simulations actions" was 15 minutes while the YF-16s crews got it down to 6 minutes at Edwards. The Israelis is reported to have had it down to 7 minutes. So it is more a question of training and procedures. Likewise, I'm pretty sure a well trained Gripen crew could have it down to those numbers as well. books.google.no/books?id=VUUCz5kgNIoC&pg=PA20&lpg=PA20&dq=F-16+turnaround+minutes&source=bl&ots=mTL8cMktDj&sig=ACfU3U1brlCB0CVakCt56SEs96IVwMj8cg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjL5rD5y4P1AhWMRPEDHReKAg8Q6AF6BAgiEAM#v=onepage&q=F-16%20turnaround%20minutes&f=false
"HILL GETS SET TO SMOKE 'EM IN A.F. CONTEST By Deseret News Sep 24, 1991, 12:00am MDT It took an F-16 ground crew training for the Air Force Gunsmoke competition just under 12 minutes to ready a fighter jet for combat. That's fast, but not quite the real thing. The time was almost four minutes slower than a combat "turnaround" performed by a crew from the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing during Operation Desert Storm, said Tech Sgt. Ray Driskell. "When things are for real, the adrenaline really gets pumping," he said. "We had one turnaround crew in Saudi ready a plane for return to combat in seven minutes." A routine F-16 fighter jet training turnaround, in which new armaments are loaded and a plane is checked out and readied for flight, takes about 30 minutes. For the upcoming Gunsmoke competition, officially known as the U.S. Air Force Worldwide Fighter Gunnery Meet, the ground crew will have a maximum 18 minutes to accomplish the task." www.deseret.com/1991/9/24/18942759/hill-gets-set-to-smoke-em-in-a-f-contest
Greetings from Austria. We almost bought the Gripen in 2007 to replace the Draken but we bought the Eurofighter instead. Wonderful plane, but it is eating all the budget at once without being verry deadly because we have no money for weapons left. Basically every swedish weapon system we ever bought did run way to long and way too good. We had Saab 29, the Draken, the Saab 105 till last year, still the Carl Gustaf and now we are really considering buying the Gripen because paying 80 000 Euro per hour for the Eurofighter because of curupt politicians really pissed everyone off.
To add to what Mover finishes at around 4:58, when you're pulling negative your heart rate decreases because of the blood trying to pool in your brain (I've read somewhere that it can even stop, although not sure about that), where as when you're pulling positive your heart rate increases. As Mover said, the sudden switch from negative to positive is the thing most likely to induce G-loc, your heart is pumping slowly then you immediately ask it to increase once you switch to positive, but the heart can't keep up with the switch. You end up with a scenario where your brain is demanding more blood, but the heart can't momentarily supply it fast enough to prevent g-loc.
This is a last ditch maneuver employed when it is a life or death situation. In ww2 that maneuver saved Hartman's life on multiple occasions, and a variation of that is called the Hartman's maneuver.
@@Lowkeh The idea is that he is pulling in a radial defense (in the turn) slightly less G than the pursuing bandit, when he sees that the bandit is pulling lead, then there are two complementary effects the bandit looses sights under the canopy and when Harmtann is doing negative G snap roll, to follow he has to pull negative from higher positive. And if Hartmann sees that the bandit was not doing enough lead but sliding behind into lag, he would do a break turn defense and scissors. However the idea was to get as rarely as possible in those kind of situations.
A couple of notes: The Gripen sustains 9G as well as the F-16 "despite" the apparent lack of thrust. The G swap is 11 Gs, from -1 to +9 The right hand display is the tactical display with radar, SA, IFF etc. The Gripen pilots were the first equipped with full body G suits and positive breathing. The Gripen is "artificially" limited to 30 deg AOA
There’s a Swedish Air Force pilot known as Wiseman who used to anonymously run a defence blog. Would be really interesting to get him on the channel - haven’t a clue if he’d be up for it, but I’d watch that interview.
Yeah, that would be awesome! I know him a little (tbh I knew him before he was Wiseman and it was quite interesting to read his blogs knowing who he where before he was outed. That's another story though). Was quite some time since I had contact with him personally but he's an intelligent, humble and skilled person.
Yeah, pretty awesome. Enjoyed your commentary and insight. Canada is considering this platform to replace their Hornets -- would be interesting to hear your thoughts on that. My hat's off to the pilot who wore that Gripen. I would normally say, "flew" but what they did was way beyond flying in my book. Wow!
It's not evident from just looking at it, but the Gripen airframe is quite low drag (in particular thanks to the tail section), which is why it can get away with having a lower thrust on paper. In practice the discrepancy with something like an F-16 isn't as bad as you'd think.
The physiology part of flying is something the vast majority of science fiction stories that don't rely on magic technology seem to forget. When I air combat scenes I work on the premise that engines are overpowered to handle their max loads but with with a fly-by-wire program that places a hard cap of ten gees in accelerations or turns precisely because of the body's limits.
The Expanse does a great job with G's and even has people dying from sustained G's and high G's during battles. People have to take drugs just to have better endurance than a normal person.
That pilot was definitely working physically to fly that aircraft. Even if the post production G meter was incorrect, you could hear the pilot as he labored through the later half of this video (even at low G) indicating that he was putting his body through a rigorous work out by pulling sustained high Gs. It is interesting to me that the aircraft's sensors warn the pilot to "pull up" after entering, and sustaining, -G territory. -3 Gs to 7+ Gs.... 10+ Gs and still conscious. Mr. Lemoine's face and comments say it all. This was BRUTAL demo flight!
The algorithm gifted me with an overhead view of my hometown. I live like 1 kilometer from this airfield in Linköping Sweden. I once got to ride backseat in a 4 seat SK 60 on that same airfield, felt amazing
i love the gripen. i fly rc jets, couple of turbines and EDFs (electric ducted fan). and ive got a freewing gripen edf 80mm (fan size). i love flying it. deltas in model form are just so forgiving. she definitely flys scale from the looks of this video. its one of my go to EDFs besides my mirage and l39 for the turbine models.
I have seen swedish Gripen (and before that Viggen) airshow displays several times. I think the low speed high AOA part of the video doesn't show the AOA right. It looks more impressive in real life. At those airshows US planes strangely never flew a display. But there were either the dutch or danish with an F-16 doing a nice display, and once a swiss F-18. Our country bought the (lowest spec) Europfighter and it's display is impressive too (mostly because of the sheer thrust). But compared to all of these it actually looked to me that the Gripen was always able to do the tightest turns. Not sure if there's the same saying in english, but it looked like the Gripen can "turn around on a post stamp". What i am missing, and there aren't any good videos anymore of it on YT is the short landing. The previous jet of the swedes had a "party piece" in it's thrust reverse system, that the display pilots used to do a J turn on the runway mid display. (with the Harrier, the only plane i ever have seen going backwards on it's own power in a display) The Gripen doesn't have that, but uses the canards as air brakes/spoliers when landing. Very impressive to look at.
Low speed AOA looks about right. It's never been comparable to Hornet, which Mover referred to. We've seen so many Finnish Hornet airshow displays alongside the Swedish to know for sure. Gripen seems to do similar routines than F-16, quick and agile, whereas Hornet bleeds energy, points nose easily and rides on its tail. Anyway, Brännström is a cool chap.
And it has front gear brakes, used in combination with the canards fully forward tipped. I seem to recall the g-suit especially buildt for the Gripen is 12G capable, but it has been a long time since I read it..
@@mixmashandtinker3266 Thanks, that's indeed a better translation! (I did not translate from swedish, but appreciate to see how that term looks in swedish.)
it is a wonderful machine. I spoke to a Saab test pilot in South Africa. A F16 was parked about 30 meters away and it is a monster compared to the Saab, the Saab also has a much lower profile. Both are beautiful aircraft, the F16 perhaps also winning on looks but when it comes to logistics and operating on shorter perhaps rougher run ways, the Saab was the winner. And it is more maneuverable compared to many of the bigger fighter jets out there. The pilot added that it also has some stealth technology built as I mentioned the American systems. The avionics was cutting edge and for an air force with a lower budget it is an all round great deal.
Nice video! I've spent almost every weekend on that airfield with my grandfather growing up. Oh the memories that just came back to me. I really miss those days, so many years has passed since.
Gripen has landing capability to land on 2 lane city roads for re-arment and re-fuel. Gripen can also land on porly asfalted country roads that is not fully straight without any misshaps that is one of many construction benefits about Swedish Gripen.
And this Gripen isn't even the latest version. It's the Gripen C. Imagine doing this with Gripen E. It's faster and very agile too. Cool thing is Mover's videos are BS free. It takes a great pilot to recognize another great pilot.
Based on google searches, the SAAB 39 Grippen weighs a lot less than the F-16. So even though it has has less thrust, perhaps it has a power-to-weight ratio that is just as good (based on the advertised numbers). The 39 Grippen max thrust is 16,500 kg verses a weight of only 6,622 kg. Therefore, the ratio: 2.49 The F-16 has a max thrust of 23,000 kg to 29,000 kg verses a weight of 9,207 kg. That makes the ratio between 2.49 to 3.15 So depending on the version of the F-16, the Grippen might be equal. The skill of the Pilot probably is the final differentiating factor.
*** CORRECTIONS: I had the max thrust units wrong. The max thrust of the Gripen is 98kn which equates to about 9,993.22 kg. So that's only a power to weight ratio of about 1.5 Also the max thrust numbers of the F-16 are lbs not kg. So when converted to kg, 23,000 lbs is only 10,432.62 kg which makes the power to weight only 1.13 (worse than the Gripen). However, the Air Force website (af.mil) says that the thrust of the F-16C/D is 27,000 lbs. So when converted to kilos is 12,246.99. That makes a power to weight of 1.33 (still worse than the Gipen). Now some google searches say that an F-16 can do 29,000 lbs of thrust. In kilos that's 13,154.18 and a p:w of almost 1.43 (and that's even rounded up). That's STILL a bit less than the Gripen! So it would seem that all variants of the F-16 have a lesser p2w than the Gripen (if you believe the googled numbers). If that were the only factor, then I'd say the Gripen has an edge, but I still think the guy in the seat is the biggest factor. Can you imagine if they could put an F-16 engine producing 29,000 pounds of thrust in a Gripen (without increasing it's overall weight)? It would have a p2r of almost 1.99 !
I seem to remember reading a book called 'Seven miles of wire and a swizzle stick' (I think) about the Mercury space project. One of the exercises or tests for the pilots preparing for space flight was the Multiple Axis Space Training Facility (MASTIF) where they experienced 'Eyeballs in and eyeballs out' as they called it. Basically a high speed fairground ride where they whizzed you round until you experienced high G forces, then suddenly turned the seat around the other way.
Swedish Guy here: I'm very proud of my country for producing these planes. And the 22.000 pounds of thrust are official numbers. Just keep that in mind.
For the new versions right? It also has something like a 20% lower empty weight than the f16 so with aerodynamics factored in it should compare favourably.
What really blew my mind is that even with their relatively lower thrust, apparently, Gripen can supercruise with 4 AMRAAMs, 2 Sidewinders and a centerline tank. Clean jet must be an absolute hot rod. (EDIT: probably not supercruise but go transonic - still pretty good)
Seems unbelievable. Hornet has twice the engine and still can't do that. I might believe it could get through transonic on blower and then sustain on mil power for quite a while.
@@brianwright9514 gripen got alot lower wave drag and wing loading than f18 so the twr becomes almost equal..the f18 suffers from alot of drag especially when carrying ordinance..
@@brianwright9514 You yanks... thrust alone isn't the answer to everything. Lower weight, lower drag and lower wing loading makes up for a lot. Not needing to carry all that extra fuel for the second engine gives a positive feedback loop where you can reduce needed thrust, reducing the necessary size of the aircraft which results in lower structural weight and lower drag, which in turn results in even less fuel being needed for the same mission, or being able to carry more ordnance. It gives you much better bang for the buck, put simply.
I wonder does the pilot see anything when he does these rather long 9g turns and -3+9 g jumps or he's just flying with his butt feeling at these moments.. it's just totally insane how long he can pull these and have control, never seen anything like this before..
Sweden is a small country with a small military force but that means selection can be extreamly limited. All fighter jet pilots are handpicked, put throught extreme and extensive training, must be in PEAK physicall form as well as mental. Also has to display very high levels of inteligence and problem solving to even get selected. So we only have a few pilots but there all trained to absolute perfection. Also why many of them can do insane manoveres and pull extreme G's.
Hi Mover, thanx a lot for this video - I watched the display 1000 times - being a PC pilot (DCS) it will be the closest I'll get to doing the real thing. A few things about Gripen you mentioned / asked in the video: 1. It is a smaller than the Viper, it uses the Hornet's engine. Still Power to Weight ratio around 1. Gripen is 1500 kgs lighter (about 3000 lbs) than the Viper. 2. Used in Sweden, South Africa, Hungary, Czech, Thailand and now Brazil is receiving Gripen E's (electronically scanned radar, improved range with bigger tanks due to main landing gear moved). 3. It is the C model shown in the video by the way - The new E version has one big display like the F-35. 4. Sustained G turn is enchanced by the design of the fuselage towards the back (see video below on Gripen design ua-cam.com/video/uh7_SYsi79w/v-deo.html&ab_channel=Millennium7%2aHistoryTech). 5. In RedFlag (2013 I think), it was the 2nd highest A 2 A killer, after only the F-22. 6. Gripen A,B,C and D uses the F-404 built under license in Sweden by Volvo (thrust increased from 71kN to 80 kN). the Gripen E will be using the F-414 engine ( 98kN ). See this video for so much more on Gripen design. ua-cam.com/video/5HxlXG5ndG4/v-deo.html&ab_channel=Millennium7%2aHistoryTech See this video for the DCS Gripen Mod - it is free and flies like a dream : ua-cam.com/channels/PHvWbEdj85BlYY9TLnazKw.htmlvideos And this is my own paint scheme and aerobatics display in the Gripen Mod: ua-cam.com/video/6YuW8Tlt8Lk/v-deo.html&ab_channel=RynoPotgieter
That version of the Gripen can super cruise with what Saab calls a "standard air to air load out". Also, a lot of countries use the older 4th gen version, and there are a few countries that are going to be using the upgraded 4.5 gen version, including Brazil and possibly Canada.
My fingers are crossed that they do. I’d love them to grab a few F-35’s for quarterback and have the boys in the jas-39 f’s come in for mop up. My imagination always thinks of the Jas as maybe a stepping stone to a new Canadian twin engine fighter, collaborate on a new generation fighter.
I'm Canadian. SAAB came to us and we were in negotiating with them, but then we changed to the F-35. Grippen would have been perfect for us up north where runways are few.
JAS 39 "Gripen" is one of the most versatile, agile, maneuverable and high tech fighter plane in the world. People do not realize this. Combat turnaround time is 10 minutes! And a complete engine swap is done by recruits in one hour. On a road base, out in nowhere.
10:06 both jets have same engine 11:16 Sweden, Hungary, Czechia, Thailand, Brazil, probably India, and funny thing would be to win Canadian competition for new fighter against F35!
It would be insane for Canada to pick the gripen over the f35, but I think your right lol hopefully they're considering the E model since they def have the money for it
@@ryanestes7331 "stealth" is overrated technology! Russians and Chinese had already declared that "we see everything", and I tend to believe them! My belief has been enhanced by US hesitation to deliver the F35s to Turkey, because of the S400!!(although is good for us. I'm Greek)! So...why to invest in something where it's main advantage will be soon considered obsolete?
@@marioshadjikyriacou3381 I tend to not believe them, especially since China and Russia seem to keep developing stealth aircraft (su-57, s75, j20, j31) they don't seem to believe their own statements
Call me crazy, but whenever I look at Gripen, conceptually and visually I see F-20 Tigershark after thorough pimp-up. Also reports from various excercises - especially Thai vs. Chinese - are encouraging. In any case, this is interesting aircraft that obviously has a niche. Gripen-E has same engine as SuperHornet.
Centrifuge trainer at Swedish air force: we require all of our Gripen pilots to endure 9Gs for 15 seconds. Swedish fighter pilots are among the toughest in the world! Maj. Szatyi from HuAF: Hold my beer please... ua-cam.com/video/_0nbRYIBVDQ/v-deo.html
"above the treetops" Our former Chief of Air Force was famous for flying TROUGH the the treetops. LOL On a flight from MMX to ARN I sat beside a former chief mechanic of the airforce. He pulled the branches from the Viggen, I am former Swedish aircraft industry.
Also this Plane was designed to give Their counterparts to the East Nightmares which it does very well! Blessings to all Swedish Pilots (& engineers) in the spirit of the Ghost Squadron! Hopefully Canada's next fighter which is far better suited to it's mission than the F 35!
@@Myuutsuu85 No. E is just the next letter in line. We already had the A/B and the C/D (A & C = Single Seat, B & D = Dual Seat) So naturally after that comes E / F. So the same progression as with US Aircraft etc
@@Myuutsuu85 think Hornet vs. Super Hornet. Gripen A-D use a Volvo version of the GE F404 engine, Gripen E/F uses the more powerful F414 engine, is heavier, can carry more fuel and more missiles.
@@jonasthemovie the original video came out about a year before 39-8 flew, plus if you watch to the end you can clearly see it's C #249 (one of the Cs that flew over Libya).
Being a neutral country so close to both NATO and the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War, Sweden took it’s fighter pilot training quite seriously. They flew every mission as in war time, just to keep the pilot’s senses and skill sharp. During the Cold War, more the 600 pilots lost their life in accidents. During the mandatory yearly musters where every able 17 year old male was tested both physically and mentally, they would pick out the best for more testing to see if they where of the right stuff. If you where you would be offered to enter pilot training (of course you have to be security screened too). There where other ways too, but all had to pass the hard physical and mental tests. I would guess Swedish fighter pilots holds to very high standard. But as a Swede, my opinion is biased!
Whilst it's true that Sweden has "värnpliktiga" pilots, they stopped doing that in 1946 so it's a bit earlier then the jet era :) After that you had to apply after your service was finished, but for a long time there were "fältflygare" who were flying NCOs, not officers.
This is an excerpt from a book written by a british fighter pilot that got to fly with swedish pilots during the cold war. "The first to go up in the Viggen was our boss, Hilton Moses. I remember going out with him to the aeroplane and seeing him laughing and smiling, and then seeing him getting out and coming back to the crewroom looking like he’d just been put through some kind of crazy combination between a fairground ride and a washing machine. Then I went flying in the afternoon, and it changed my life. They would fly around at Mach 0.95, 650kt give or take a bit, and they trained at 10m. We flew through firebreaks in trees, we flew all over northern Sweden at 30ft, and we never went below 600kt. All of this, I should add, was done under about a 150 to 200ft overcast with no breaks. In the RAF, anybody who wanted to get old would not have flown in that weather. After about 40 minutes, we pulled up into cloud, and the pilot then flew a 4-degree hands-off approach with his hands on his head into a remote airstrip, landed, reversed into a parking bay, did an engine-running refuel without any communication with the people on the ground except hand signals, taxied out and took off in the direction that we’d landed in. Wind direction just wasn’t factored. Then we did some approaches onto roadways, flying at 15 or 20ft to clear the cars and warn them that there were going to be some aeroplane movements before doing practice approaches. And the aerobatics beggared belief. ‘The next day, it was time to take the Swedish pilots flying in the Jaguar. I was at a bit of a loss as to how I was going to explain to this guy that we flew at 420kt when they flew at 620kt. So I decided that the way ahead was to leave the part-throttle reheat in, accelerate to 620kt and then give him the aeroplane. That’s what I did - I took off, and gave him control at 620kt and about 150ft. He pushed the nose down, took the Jaguar down to 30ft and proceeded to fly it at about 30 to 40ft and 600kt-plus quite happily. It knocked all the myths about who’s got the best aeroplanes, who’s got the best-trained pilots and so on. The Swedish Air Force had aeroplanes that were light years ahead of anything the RAF had, or was going to get, or has got now, and their pilots were in a totally different league to us. This was not just an individual - I flew with three of them, and all three were like that. Each of them was able to fly the Jaguar faster and lower from the back seat than I could from the front seat." Ive asked the guy for the titel , but he has of yet not responded.
Mirrors on gonna impact his framerate...such a nerd! Love it! :D
Yeah that was a nice touch haha
He has PTSD from playing DCS
Immediately followed by complementing the pilot's "cockpit" (so to speak).
At work and I snorted a little when he said that.
🤣🤣🤣
I shared it with the pilot, he was flattered 🙂
Cool!
Right on Anders!!!
Nice.
Cool cool cool
You mean he was flattened.
And pulled.
And flattened again.
"he's got the mirrors on, so that's gonna obviously affect his framerate" 🤣
😭
LOL what timestamp for this?
@@AB-bu8ti 1:03
Can you explain what it means?
@@sidv4615 it's a nod to flight sim folks...when gaming, mirrors/reflections can decrease framerate. Obviously this is real life, not a videogame, so it was meant as a tongue in cheek joke.
I'm from Ukraine. My father was 1st class jet fighter pilot (MIG 21, 23, 29). I'm remember how exhausted he was after dogfight training flights. His "superpower" is fall asleep in any time of a day if he have at list 15 minutes of free time. Just like that! :)
Right you are. A salute to your father. My super power as an arctic ranger, was to fall a sleep standing up in minus 45 degrees🤣
@@peterl8548 It's not the best idea to sleep in such conditions, it could be the longest dream in your life. ;) But You are still alive, and it's definitely good. :)
I remember when I was doing my service in the infantry. During training, I could fall asleep standing up against a tree if I got a short break. Heck, I could even fall asleep in one of those Russian MTLBs we used during transport before everyone got Cv90s.
I am one of those who do not fall asleep easily normally, but when you put yourself to the limit for an extended period of time, the body and mind take every chance they get :)
I bet you looked at your dad's "work place" with aw when you were a kid...and bragd about it at school😂...
"So, your dad works at an office....thats tough! You wanna know what MY dad works with..."😂....
Nice memories!
@@soloway-l1o Hey russian ;)
So glad you're watching this, but slight correction, this is a Gripen C. The cockpit is the giveaway, Gripen E's cockpit looks like the F-35's cockpit, one big ass screen.
Rog
dude the brazilian gripen have huge sick glass (also wonder if they break what you gonna do ...RTB ?)
@@collingtech1 Same problem for F-35, F-15EX, Block 3 Super Hornet... So I'm guessing someone's figured it out.
@@collingtech1 My guess is reliability is a key function - as well key flight data is in the HMD and/or HUD if in the unlikely event it fails. I think there are a few backup gauges low down as well.
The cockpit of the jas39e has nothing to do with that of the F35; to start the f35 does not have a fixed hud and the screens do not have buttons, everything is touch
Operational cost per flight hour:
- Gripen E, 9.000$/h
- Rafale, 17.000$/h
- F16 block50, 18.000$/h
- Eurofighter Typhoon, 18.000
- F/A18 Super Hornet, 24.000$/h
- F35A, 31.000$/h
I’ve been to around 12-13 air shows over the last 20 years and sometimes you can tell when a pilot is out there to put on a good show and really pushes the aircraft. This guy definitely did that! Fun to watch.
It's mandatory part of every Gripen pilot training to "survive" 15 seconds of 9 G in centrifuge at Sweden's training centre.
I'm pretty sure that would put my eyes out the back of my head.
RIP to those that did not make it
@@vincentnin1 the centrifuge doesn't crash if you lose consciousness, so survive here probably(hopefully?) means not losing consciousness.
@@sahilmeena8018 yes youre right
mandatory for most if not all Nato pilots too
I´m by no means in any way shape or form a subject matter expert on the SAAB Gripen, but I was told by someone who is that the Gripen has a very good G sustainability and that it can sustain 9 G´s for a long time, even with an A2A configuration, without bags on, of course. The pilot asks the aircraft with the stick input to give him or her 9 G´s and that´s what the aircraft will do, and due to its design, it doesn´t bleed off a lot of energy when it turns. As a test pilot once said: "it carves like a knife through the air", while some aircraft tend to skid along on its butt and bleed off more energy.
Now, it does suffer a bit from lack of thrust, which will be remedied on the E-version with the GE F-414 engine. (The C-version has the Volvo Aero RM12 engine, which is a license produced GE F-404)
I believe the new E-model hit 1.0+ TWR
The Gripen NG has the option for the F414-EPE, which will put it at almost the same T/W as the F-16. I don't know if anyone has already ordered that option, but it exists.
@@angrybirder9983 That's for the E and F versions of gripen. The one in the video is gripen C with the RM12 engine.
@@dataolle Oopsie, forgot to write Gripen NG (now edited).
The F414-39E in the JAS-39E/F (new swedish designation is RM16) has equal thrust as the 25 years old USN Super Hornet basic version F414 has. Which is obviously 30% higher than the RM12 had, but unfortunately, the new Gripen went to be heavier, than it was expected oroginally, at the Gripen NG program. That stuctural weight was too optimistic, while the final Erik Gripen going to be more belly, due to the extra avionics and the strictly requires additional sub-systems. Such as extra heat exchangers, computers and of course their mounting points -> extra structural strengthens. It is a technological avalanche. The final, serial JAS-39E with the basic F414 thrust level had same or less thrust/weight ratio, as the current C/D Gripen fleet has. The F414EPE is actually orderable-ready, but even the US Navy did not interested in this version. No serial production, no manufacturing feedback, no shared development cost. The EPE is not that engine what SAAB would like to use in their cost-sensitive Gripen upgrade. Maybe, later the new owner of the swedish engine program, the GKN Aerospace will invest into the RM16 thrust upgrade, if it is required.
Thanx for a great channel.
Airport is Linköping in Sweden, ESSL, and you can see SAABs factory beside the runway.
It's not an airshow, just an ordinary demo fligth that occurs plenty of times every year.
Pilot is one of Saabs demo pilot's, Mr Brännström.
thank you for the info! God bless Sweden! Part Swedish, part Norwegian.
Jag tyckte det såg bekant ut... Jag byggde 3G-stationer i början av millenniet och satt i en mast med utsikt över banan när en av dessa fåglar for iväg på vad jag antar var just en av dessa provturer... Satan så den lät :)
@@MrOddball63 Vafan Robin, så det är ditt fel att jag har autism nu?!
I used to live 500 m away from the field. It was cool to stand on the balcony and watch the Gripens being put through their paces.
@@TzunSu Jajemensan... :)
I always was impressed with the Gripen and I feel is a way under appreciated fighter. Particularly when it’s teamed up with the Swedish integrated air defense system.
Underappreciated? what? how? It is the most overrated fighter!
@@Mediiiicc Nah, everyone thinks other fighters are better. Noone realizes it even outperforms the F 16.
@@Mediiiicc F-35 is the most overrated fighter ever...
@@guruxara7994 lmao yeah that's why every conversation about fighters consists of people praising Gripen, even the comments on this video. Weird how F-35 always gets all the trash talk (even from mover) but whenever Gripen is mentioned it is put on a pedestal.
@@Mediiiicc Tbh Gripen is a great fighter.
Great video and breakdown! I'm from Sweden so naturally I'm biased when it comes to Gripen.
A little side story about Gripen display. Had the chance to hear a Gripen display pilot (not the one in this video though) talk about his work, routines and thoughts about flying the Gripen. With focus on display flight. Humble, nice and very professional guy. Funny too.
Obviously, his main priority during the display was safety. However, quite high up on his list was "display value". Not only that it should look good for the audience, extra focus on how to present the aircraft for photographers. He was keen on putting himself in the spectactors view and lenses of cameras. I found his attention to those kind of details very impressive.
He also had a personal routine before flying a display that he told about. Just before flight he went through the entire routine. Not only mentally - but also physically. Sort of dancing his way through the manouvers - arms out. He mentioned he sometimes got wierd looks and comments about it, but it was his way of getting into the Zone.
Speaking of negative G's. I'll * never * forget that Mirage III pilot during a display at Uppsala AFB, Sweden, some years ago. IIRC he did a complete looping inverted. It has to be the most insane thing I've seen someone do at an airshow. Not a pilot myself but enough of an avgeek to know that's not good for your health. Heard the pilot was bleeding from his eyes afterwards.
Again, thanks for amazing, entertaining and informative content!
The "dance" before display is actually quite common and you will see every Swedish display pilot do the same. :) I guess you'll see pilots outside Sweden as well.
It is? Didn't get that impression when he told the story and haven't noticed any myself - then again I'm usually not that close. Makes sense more pilots do things like that though.
@@jemakrol Yes, for example you can see videos on YT where Peter “Starbutt”Fällén (the now former display pilot at F7 Såtenäs) does this. I’ve seen it many times on different air shows here in Sweden.
@@GoosebumpRacing haha! That's the pilot i met and who was talking...
@@jemakrol isn’t Starbutt flying at F21 these days?
Love the commentary on this, thanks Mover! Your facials when he's flipping from neg to positive G really made ME almost feel it!
This was epic, thanks Mover!! The Gripen ate F-16's - & all but F-22 - for lunch when it was Red Air at Red Glag. If that's not enough data, ask 🇳🇴 Viper pilots what it's like to face 🇸🇪 Gripen - they too get rekt, every single time.
I'm from South Africa and our air force uses the Gripen fighter. I happen to live directly in line with the runway of the air base about half a kilometer away so when they take them out I get direct low flyovers as they come to land. This past week I took some awesome videos and pictures with my phone and they're so close you can see all little the details on them
Awesome to hear your admiration of another pilot's G tolerance. Cool vid...👍
Thanks! I wouldn't want to do it! Respect!
@@CWLemoine Out of curiosity, what's the best comparison, if there is one, to pulling heavy g's? Sprinting? Running a marathon? Doing a really heavy set of weights? All of the above? Maybe a better way to ask the question is whether there's any kind of exercise that really helps with pulling g's?
@@CWLemoine Gripens stick has a "trigger point", draw it back through that and you got 12g...
Use in emergencies, be prepared to explain yourself as you shortened that planes operation time.
Oh... and it has cannon auto aim from radar (from front, auto trigger from behind). Said to be an interesting ride...
@@davidsmith8997 it kinda feels like deadlifting
@@TheInsatiableViper I've flown as a passenger in a fighter plane, and even though the pilot never went over 6G with me in there I got to say your description was spot on. It definately felt like a deadlift without strain on the arms. Like wearing a vest of led.
Impressive g-force tolerance. The pilot has trained himself very well with these kinds of areal maneuvers. Great underrated fighter jet too.
You know you've done it right when even Mover is impressed.
The Gripen E is currently in the running up here in Canada for the replacement of the CF-18 Hornet. Competition started as the Super Hornet, F-35 and Gripen but the RCAF announced a few weeks back that it now between the F-35 and the SAAB as the Super Hornet was eliminated. Thinking of the similar rugged Northern Arctic theatre of operation here and so many unimproved airstrips all over the North the SAAB might have a shot. Not so sure we need the full Gen 5 stealth that the F-35 brings. Who knows they may come back and allow the F15EX to be submitted, stranger this have happened in military aircraft procurement up here. Great video and sure enjoy the perspective you can bring.
I completely agree with you! I did an essay on that this semester, was very interesting to compare our needs as a Northen Country, and there is also the fact that with the f35, we'll need to add extra fuel tanks that would take off the stealth of the f35. I think we should give a try to the gripen as it is clearly the one we need.
the bid for the f35 is cheaper though than the gripen
same reason finland got f35 and swiss
was deemed about 10-20% cheaper
@@GlowingSpamraam Somehow they cut down unit cost of F35 down to be comparable or less than Gripen, but F35 operating cost probably 3-4x more than Gripen
I think Finland got their for 83M USD each for 64 aircrafts and Swisszerland got their 112M each for 36s.
Gripen E should be around 85-100M each (from mentioned in news), so really close in price.
I'll be surprised if our government shells out the money for the maintenance nightmare known as the F-35.
@@gabrieltardif1548 You do realize that fully loaded F-35 has wing hard points that make it more visible to radar. Drop tanks will always be a part of air warfare if there's no fuel tankers flying circuits outside of enemy controlled airspace lol
I'm more impressed by the maneuverability of the pilot then the maneuverability of the airframe.
What ??
Hi C.W The G suit is quite special and developed at SAAB,..and is very good on helping the JAS pilot to keep up with th G´s but the G suit has some extra features ;) love cheers from Sweden
Helping the GRIPEN pilot to keep up with the G's.
@@riskebonews6893 Ooh yes =)
I've seen the Gripen demo live and it is just awsome.. The Gripen is a very underestimated jet, it's small, very agile and can pack quite a punch for it's size.
Its also very effiecient. Its maintanence costs and fuel economy next to any other Gen 4 is minimal
Love your videos, this is the new Jet Fighter for the Brazilian Air Force
I've pulled 10G in a Cap 232, which is completely incapable of sustaining for long. And let me say, it's a brutal experience. It takes time to build up a tolerance past 6. And 10 always hurts. Watching this video blows my mind. Hard 9's sustained is incredible.
Man I'm glad to see you're alright. I saw the helo crash on the news yesterday and from the location they said he was headed to KNEW. Terrible that someone lost their life but I'm thankful it wasn't you. My heart jumped a little bit yesterday and a sad day for the aviation community.
Don't understand why people keep doing scud runs. NOAA has a webpage where you can easily tell if you going to fly into trouble due to weather.
Yup, Gripen has lover thrust, but It's also quite a bit lighter than F-16 (6,8t vs 8,5t empty). This pilot is a monster! Transition from -3 to 8/9G in a single second sounds crazy....
BTW
Mirror joke just killed me 😂
As a South African where we have the Gripen, it's really impressive to watch the maneuverability of this aircraft. At airshows they often used to have our old Atlas Cheetah (a modified and upgraded Mirage III to a 3.5 gen fighter) do a display, and then right after have a Gripen do a display. The difference was massive. The Cheetah can't sustain it's energy nearly as much and "sags" as soon as it pulls g's, bleeding off energy.
I'm glad the aircraft has impressed you too.
How's the maintenance on those babies cause I heard one of our fighter pilots say Mzansi is struggling a bit
@@thegreat0220 the fleet was grounded 2 weeks ago due to budget constraints the sandf reached out to Saab to arrange plans for upgrades maintenance and parts and another intresting thing to note if I remember correctly the air force can't afford the bombs and missiles for these beauties due to their budget being cut each year
@@mybru1 damn that's sad...hopefully your govt can get it's act back together
@@thegreat0220 SAAB was awarded the contract to maintain the planes this year 2022 , So hopefully they will be back up flying , I read that the planes were not actually in full term storage but rotated and placed in short term storage ... After watching this vid I still cant believe we have these are part of our Air force , Technically we don't need such an awesome plane , as we have no real military threat's as such , but we still need a decent capable air force and these are just so awesome .
The Gripen got insane maneuverability, its one of the most if not the most fuel efficient and maneuverable 4th gen "fighter" jets. Its a good piece of tech and I wish more countries adopted it
What I like about this channel is that you're getting the info from a former fighter pilot. Very few other people have the experience. I was an aircraft structures mechanic on F-15s at RAF Lakenheath along with B-52, KC-135 & C-130 both before and after.
My brother knew the pilot very well.
They was close since they did "Lumpen" together. Sadly my brother lost his life in Ukraina 2weeks ago.
Lost for words but we are very proud of him 🙏🏼
He loved taking out tanks whit his Carl Gustaf
Fan vad tråkigt..
Lost for words stämmer bra....
Beklagar..
The Gripen is the sports car version of a fighter jet. Small, light and just amazingly maneuverability. And stops on a dime, even on a dirt road in the middle of the forest. Afaik, 9G is sustainable, 12G+ peak levels, assuming you don't blackout.
Loved it. The principles of hemodynamics... one of my professional faves. Explained this way by a fighter pilot was fascinating. Thank you sir.
I love this HUD design. Big area and very little occlusion.
F16 this, F16 that! 🤣 F16 is the Dodge on a straight road, JAS 39 is the Porsche at Nürnberg ring! 🇸🇪❤
I’m from Sweden and proud that we as a country of 10 million can develop and produce our own fighters!
It's impressive for sure. My father in law flew Viggen and Drakens during the cold war. Awesome job.
Thankfully, not only a 10 million people for long. You have imported some nice birthing machines from the exotic East :)
@@koolkoo111 Excuse me? Perhaps you could elaborate on that one?
As of today there are more or less 5 countries that are capable of producing a paper concept to flying aircraft, The US, Russia, China, France and Sweden.
@@PowerslideSWE And even fewer countries are able to produce their own aircraft locally in its entirety.
From the fuselage, various components, on-board systems, to the weapons.
As a swede admiring the swedish pilots I always enjoyed showing this videos to friend and I like that you are impressed yourself at 4:00 on that move he made, since that's what always made me go wtf and gasp myself and my friends when I show them that
I did get to see these yesterday doing their yearly Christmas tree flyover. Beautiful aircraft!
As a Swede I’d say: Finally some talk about this machine.
The JAS Gripen is an amazing fighter. (Sweden has a long history in building fighters, if anyone missed that).
And, no its thrust aren’t like an F/16 or an F/18. However the aircraft isn’t meant to be built that way since its manoeuvrability comes with its Delta wing and canards. I mean, look for how long it pulled 9G in the turns. If it would have 30,000 lbs of thrust it would either hit >12G and then fall to pieces or
slingshot of the planet. 🚀
It’s a lightweight fighter and has the ability to takeoff on a 1,312 ft RWY and land at only 1,640 ft (400 resp. 500 m) of RWY. That’s because of Sweden’s use of “road bases” if needed.
Turn-around time is appr. 10 minutes for rearming, refuelling, and maintenance. That’s also crucial.
With that above stated I would like to say that thrust and flying faster than 2 Mach (SAAB says it does >2 Mach, but won’t specify it) isn’t all that counts in a fighter’s capability.
Hi from Sweden 🇸🇪
Not to take anything away from the excellent performances of the Gripen, but here is an RNoAF F-16 landing in 600-700 meters with the drag chute, nominal breaks and enough fuel to take off and head for home base about 100 km away:
ua-cam.com/video/mOkhPtWTD7k/v-deo.html
And just to point out, even USAF sometimes train for turnarounds in less than 15 minutes. Back in the 70s the requirement for "simulations actions" was 15 minutes while the YF-16s crews got it down to 6 minutes at Edwards. The Israelis is reported to have had it down to 7 minutes. So it is more a question of training and procedures. Likewise, I'm pretty sure a well trained Gripen crew could have it down to those numbers as well.
books.google.no/books?id=VUUCz5kgNIoC&pg=PA20&lpg=PA20&dq=F-16+turnaround+minutes&source=bl&ots=mTL8cMktDj&sig=ACfU3U1brlCB0CVakCt56SEs96IVwMj8cg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjL5rD5y4P1AhWMRPEDHReKAg8Q6AF6BAgiEAM#v=onepage&q=F-16%20turnaround%20minutes&f=false
"HILL GETS SET TO SMOKE 'EM IN A.F. CONTEST
By Deseret News Sep 24, 1991, 12:00am MDT
It took an F-16 ground crew training for the Air Force Gunsmoke competition just under 12 minutes to ready a fighter jet for combat. That's fast, but not quite the real thing.
The time was almost four minutes slower than a combat "turnaround" performed by a crew from the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing during Operation Desert Storm, said Tech Sgt. Ray Driskell.
"When things are for real, the adrenaline really gets pumping," he said. "We had one turnaround crew in Saudi ready a plane for return to combat in seven minutes."
A routine F-16 fighter jet training turnaround, in which new armaments are loaded and a plane is checked out and readied for flight, takes about 30 minutes.
For the upcoming Gunsmoke competition, officially known as the U.S. Air Force Worldwide Fighter Gunnery Meet, the ground crew will have a maximum 18 minutes to accomplish the task."
www.deseret.com/1991/9/24/18942759/hill-gets-set-to-smoke-em-in-a-f-contest
Greetings from Austria. We almost bought the Gripen in 2007 to replace the Draken but we bought the Eurofighter instead. Wonderful plane, but it is eating all the budget at once without being verry deadly because we have no money for weapons left.
Basically every swedish weapon system we ever bought did run way to long and way too good. We had Saab 29, the Draken, the Saab 105 till last year, still the Carl Gustaf and now we are really considering buying the Gripen because paying 80 000 Euro per hour for the Eurofighter because of curupt politicians really pissed everyone off.
To add to what Mover finishes at around 4:58, when you're pulling negative your heart rate decreases because of the blood trying to pool in your brain (I've read somewhere that it can even stop, although not sure about that), where as when you're pulling positive your heart rate increases. As Mover said, the sudden switch from negative to positive is the thing most likely to induce G-loc, your heart is pumping slowly then you immediately ask it to increase once you switch to positive, but the heart can't keep up with the switch. You end up with a scenario where your brain is demanding more blood, but the heart can't momentarily supply it fast enough to prevent g-loc.
This is a last ditch maneuver employed when it is a life or death situation. In ww2 that maneuver saved Hartman's life on multiple occasions, and a variation of that is called the Hartman's maneuver.
@@JG27Korny Whoa!
This means that Hartmann must've had a very strong heart, man!
ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
(sorry)
@@Lowkeh The idea is that he is pulling in a radial defense (in the turn) slightly less G than the pursuing bandit, when he sees that the bandit is pulling lead, then there are two complementary effects the bandit looses sights under the canopy and when Harmtann is doing negative G snap roll, to follow he has to pull negative from higher positive. And if Hartmann sees that the bandit was not doing enough lead but sliding behind into lag, he would do a break turn defense and scissors. However the idea was to get as rarely as possible in those kind of situations.
PLEASE DO MORE OF THESE DEMO RIDE ALONGS WITH TALK THROUGH!!!! Loved it!
A couple of notes:
The Gripen sustains 9G as well as the F-16 "despite" the apparent lack of thrust.
The G swap is 11 Gs, from -1 to +9
The right hand display is the tactical display with radar, SA, IFF etc.
The Gripen pilots were the first equipped with full body G suits and positive breathing.
The Gripen is "artificially" limited to 30 deg AOA
How are you calculating that G swap, 9 - (-1) = 11 ?
Badly. :)
I know what I did wrong, and that was stupid. I could explain but it serves no purpose coz it's wrong :)
Wasn't there a -3 to 9? Or maybe that was -3 to 8 or 5 or whatever.
Its was -3 to +8 in a second and a second after that +9...
There’s a Swedish Air Force pilot known as Wiseman who used to anonymously run a defence blog. Would be really interesting to get him on the channel - haven’t a clue if he’d be up for it, but I’d watch that interview.
*insert ace combat 7 reference*
Yeah, that would be awesome! I know him a little (tbh I knew him before he was Wiseman and it was quite interesting to read his blogs knowing who he where before he was outed. That's another story though). Was quite some time since I had contact with him personally but he's an intelligent, humble and skilled person.
Yeah, pretty awesome. Enjoyed your commentary and insight. Canada is considering this platform to replace their Hornets -- would be interesting to hear your thoughts on that. My hat's off to the pilot who wore that Gripen. I would normally say, "flew" but what they did was way beyond flying in my book. Wow!
As a Canadian I want the Saab. And Saab will build them in Canada creating jobs. F-35 is too expensive for what it is. 🇨🇦🇸🇪
It's not evident from just looking at it, but the Gripen airframe is quite low drag (in particular thanks to the tail section), which is why it can get away with having a lower thrust on paper. In practice the discrepancy with something like an F-16 isn't as bad as you'd think.
The physiology part of flying is something the vast majority of science fiction stories that don't rely on magic technology seem to forget. When I air combat scenes I work on the premise that engines are overpowered to handle their max loads but with with a fly-by-wire program that places a hard cap of ten gees in accelerations or turns precisely because of the body's limits.
The Expanse does a great job with G's and even has people dying from sustained G's and high G's during battles. People have to take drugs just to have better endurance than a normal person.
Thank you verry much from Sweden. Realy nice to watch👍
That pilot was definitely working physically to fly that aircraft. Even if the post production G meter was incorrect, you could hear the pilot as he labored through the later half of this video (even at low G) indicating that he was putting his body through a rigorous work out by pulling sustained high Gs. It is interesting to me that the aircraft's sensors warn the pilot to "pull up" after entering, and sustaining, -G territory. -3 Gs to 7+ Gs.... 10+ Gs and still conscious. Mr. Lemoine's face and comments say it all. This was BRUTAL demo flight!
The algorithm gifted me with an overhead view of my hometown. I live like 1 kilometer from this airfield in Linköping Sweden. I once got to ride backseat in a 4 seat SK 60 on that same airfield, felt amazing
i love the gripen. i fly rc jets, couple of turbines and EDFs (electric ducted fan). and ive got a freewing gripen edf 80mm (fan size). i love flying it. deltas in model form are just so forgiving. she definitely flys scale from the looks of this video. its one of my go to EDFs besides my mirage and l39 for the turbine models.
Dam thats awesome, cant wait to get a rc jet myself
@@lucvkl theyre a ton of fun!!
I love to see them training during the summer, the sound when they break the sound barrier is like thunder on a hot day!
@Mover lip sync is off.
Great video though amazing breakdown
Issue with UA-cam processing. They're working on it. Second time this has happened unfortunately.
@@CWLemoine looking forward to the z06 c8 review
Me too. That would be awesome.
It's fixed.
@C.W. Lemoine thanks for all the videos. Watching your videos has helped me mentally.
I have seen swedish Gripen (and before that Viggen) airshow displays several times. I think the low speed high AOA part of the video doesn't show the AOA right. It looks more impressive in real life. At those airshows US planes strangely never flew a display. But there were either the dutch or danish with an F-16 doing a nice display, and once a swiss F-18. Our country bought the (lowest spec) Europfighter and it's display is impressive too (mostly because of the sheer thrust). But compared to all of these it actually looked to me that the Gripen was always able to do the tightest turns. Not sure if there's the same saying in english, but it looked like the Gripen can "turn around on a post stamp".
What i am missing, and there aren't any good videos anymore of it on YT is the short landing. The previous jet of the swedes had a "party piece" in it's thrust reverse system, that the display pilots used to do a J turn on the runway mid display. (with the Harrier, the only plane i ever have seen going backwards on it's own power in a display)
The Gripen doesn't have that, but uses the canards as air brakes/spoliers when landing. Very impressive to look at.
Low speed AOA looks about right. It's never been comparable to Hornet, which Mover referred to. We've seen so many Finnish Hornet airshow displays alongside the Swedish to know for sure. Gripen seems to do similar routines than F-16, quick and agile, whereas Hornet bleeds energy, points nose easily and rides on its tail. Anyway, Brännström is a cool chap.
And it has front gear brakes, used in combination with the canards fully forward tipped. I seem to recall the g-suit especially buildt for the Gripen is 12G capable, but it has been a long time since I read it..
The best translation of ”Vända på ett frimärke” is probably “Turn on a dime.”
@@mixmashandtinker3266 Thanks, that's indeed a better translation!
(I did not translate from swedish, but appreciate to see how that term looks in swedish.)
Holy crap! My 2 favorite pilots with Mover and Rain!!! I can't wait!!
it is a wonderful machine. I spoke to a Saab test pilot in South Africa. A F16 was parked about 30 meters away and it is a monster compared to the Saab, the Saab also has a much lower profile. Both are beautiful aircraft, the F16 perhaps also winning on looks but when it comes to logistics and operating on shorter perhaps rougher run ways, the Saab was the winner. And it is more maneuverable compared to many of the bigger fighter jets out there. The pilot added that it also has some stealth technology built as I mentioned the American systems. The avionics was cutting edge and for an air force with a lower budget it is an all round great deal.
Hey Mover, Love your videos. This is actually a Gripen C with a modified Legacy Hornet engine, 18,100 lbs of thrust
Greetings from Manila
That's a Gripen C, not E. They look almost the same from the outside, but the cockpit is very different.
Yup. Gripen E is much more powerful than C in every aspect.
With ur experience ur commentary was really interesting and spot on
Really well done!!
I'm from Canada and many of us hope our country buys the Gripen over the F-35.........for so many reasons.
Nice video! I've spent almost every weekend on that airfield with my grandfather growing up. Oh the memories that just came back to me. I really miss those days, so many years has passed since.
I have seen the G video before, not being a pilot it meant very little to me. Appreciate you explaining what was going on.
It has the same thrust as F16 relative to weight. 35 Gripen is about 6.5 ton mass for 22k thrust and an F16 is about 9.2 ton for 30k thrust.
Gripen has landing capability to land on 2 lane city roads for re-arment and re-fuel. Gripen can also land on porly asfalted country roads that is not fully straight without any misshaps that is one of many construction benefits about Swedish Gripen.
Monster plane. Monster pilot. Greetings from Sweden. The home of some extraordinary fighter jets.
And this Gripen isn't even the latest version. It's the Gripen C.
Imagine doing this with Gripen E. It's faster and very agile too.
Cool thing is Mover's videos are BS free.
It takes a great pilot to recognize another great pilot.
Based on google searches, the SAAB 39 Grippen weighs a lot less than the F-16.
So even though it has has less thrust, perhaps it has a power-to-weight ratio that is just as good (based on the advertised numbers).
The 39 Grippen max thrust is 16,500 kg verses a weight of only 6,622 kg. Therefore, the ratio: 2.49
The F-16 has a max thrust of 23,000 kg to 29,000 kg verses a weight of 9,207 kg. That makes the ratio between 2.49 to 3.15
So depending on the version of the F-16, the Grippen might be equal.
The skill of the Pilot probably is the final differentiating factor.
*** CORRECTIONS:
I had the max thrust units wrong. The max thrust of the Gripen is 98kn which equates to about 9,993.22 kg. So that's only a power to weight ratio of about 1.5
Also the max thrust numbers of the F-16 are lbs not kg. So when converted to kg, 23,000 lbs is only 10,432.62 kg which makes the power to weight only 1.13 (worse than the Gripen).
However, the Air Force website (af.mil) says that the thrust of the F-16C/D is 27,000 lbs. So when converted to kilos is 12,246.99. That makes a power to weight of 1.33 (still worse than the Gipen).
Now some google searches say that an F-16 can do 29,000 lbs of thrust. In kilos that's 13,154.18 and a p:w of almost 1.43 (and that's even rounded up). That's STILL a bit less than the Gripen!
So it would seem that all variants of the F-16 have a lesser p2w than the Gripen (if you believe the googled numbers).
If that were the only factor, then I'd say the Gripen has an edge, but I still think the guy in the seat is the biggest factor.
Can you imagine if they could put an F-16 engine producing 29,000 pounds of thrust in a Gripen (without increasing it's overall weight)? It would have a p2r of almost 1.99 !
I seem to remember reading a book called 'Seven miles of wire and a swizzle stick' (I think) about the Mercury space project. One of the exercises or tests for the pilots preparing for space flight was the Multiple Axis Space Training Facility (MASTIF) where they experienced 'Eyeballs in and eyeballs out' as they called it. Basically a high speed fairground ride where they whizzed you round until you experienced high G forces, then suddenly turned the seat around the other way.
RIAT2023: The Paul Bowen Trophy (in memory of RIAT’s co-founder for the Best Solo Jet Demonstration)
SAAB Gripen E flown by André Brännström.
Swedish Guy here: I'm very proud of my country for producing these planes. And the 22.000 pounds of thrust are official numbers. Just keep that in mind.
For the new versions right? It also has something like a 20% lower empty weight than the f16 so with aerodynamics factored in it should compare favourably.
Yes, it has lower thrust, but also lower weight than the F-16, so power to weight is somewhat closer than it seems
Totally EUROPEAN !!
8:15 the absolute disgust on a real fighter pilot face when he sees -3g's is priceless.
what's the reason? discomfort?
I have the benefit living underneath the playground they use for practice. Seeing these machines do nearly 90 degree turns is just awesome.
What really blew my mind is that even with their relatively lower thrust, apparently, Gripen can supercruise with 4 AMRAAMs, 2 Sidewinders and a centerline tank. Clean jet must be an absolute hot rod. (EDIT: probably not supercruise but go transonic - still pretty good)
its says it can supercruise on wiki (E-model=)
Seems unbelievable. Hornet has twice the engine and still can't do that. I might believe it could get through transonic on blower and then sustain on mil power for quite a while.
Boeing, LM: MORE POWER!
SAAB: Yes yes, but what about less drag?
@@brianwright9514 gripen got alot lower wave drag and wing loading than f18 so the twr becomes almost equal..the f18 suffers from alot of drag especially when carrying ordinance..
@@brianwright9514 You yanks... thrust alone isn't the answer to everything. Lower weight, lower drag and lower wing loading makes up for a lot. Not needing to carry all that extra fuel for the second engine gives a positive feedback loop where you can reduce needed thrust, reducing the necessary size of the aircraft which results in lower structural weight and lower drag, which in turn results in even less fuel being needed for the same mission, or being able to carry more ordnance.
It gives you much better bang for the buck, put simply.
Unbeatable in relation to price maintenance and performance. I love this plane!!! (So beatiful too)
I wonder does the pilot see anything when he does these rather long 9g turns and -3+9 g jumps or he's just flying with his butt feeling at these moments.. it's just totally insane how long he can pull these and have control, never seen anything like this before..
Definitely still seeing. He's too low to fly on gutt Feel - things happens REALLY fast in a fighter jet, even more so at low altitude.
Sweden is a small country with a small military force but that means selection can be extreamly limited. All fighter jet pilots are handpicked, put throught extreme and extensive training, must be in PEAK physicall form as well as mental. Also has to display very high levels of inteligence and problem solving to even get selected. So we only have a few pilots but there all trained to absolute perfection. Also why many of them can do insane manoveres and pull extreme G's.
I’m pretty sure I felt negative 3G had a ride and great adventure last week
I saw the Gripen at a airshow a few years ago, that thing is amazing. You need thrustvectoring to keep up.
Like the calm, honest narration
Hi Mover, thanx a lot for this video - I watched the display 1000 times - being a PC pilot (DCS) it will be the closest I'll get to doing the real thing. A few things about Gripen you mentioned / asked in the video:
1. It is a smaller than the Viper, it uses the Hornet's engine. Still Power to Weight ratio around 1. Gripen is 1500 kgs lighter (about 3000 lbs) than the Viper.
2. Used in Sweden, South Africa, Hungary, Czech, Thailand and now Brazil is receiving Gripen E's (electronically scanned radar, improved range with bigger tanks due to main landing gear moved).
3. It is the C model shown in the video by the way - The new E version has one big display like the F-35.
4. Sustained G turn is enchanced by the design of the fuselage towards the back (see video below on Gripen design ua-cam.com/video/uh7_SYsi79w/v-deo.html&ab_channel=Millennium7%2aHistoryTech).
5. In RedFlag (2013 I think), it was the 2nd highest A 2 A killer, after only the F-22.
6. Gripen A,B,C and D uses the F-404 built under license in Sweden by Volvo (thrust increased from 71kN to 80 kN). the Gripen E will be using the F-414 engine ( 98kN ).
See this video for so much more on Gripen design. ua-cam.com/video/5HxlXG5ndG4/v-deo.html&ab_channel=Millennium7%2aHistoryTech
See this video for the DCS Gripen Mod - it is free and flies like a dream : ua-cam.com/channels/PHvWbEdj85BlYY9TLnazKw.htmlvideos
And this is my own paint scheme and aerobatics display in the Gripen Mod: ua-cam.com/video/6YuW8Tlt8Lk/v-deo.html&ab_channel=RynoPotgieter
point number 7 Its an expensive pile of ****
Which aircraft you fly on DCS?
@@samicolgecen1991 only the Gripen mod. New release coming this Christmas.
@@humptydumpy8029 fall of the f.g wall please...
@@humptydumpy8029 Nah that's the flying duck, a.k.a F-35...
Don't know if it's been mentioned but this is the old cockpit. The E version has one big screen instead of three and it is more configurable.
I've always thought the Gripen was a really good looking aircraft, and I've been wondering what Mover's opinion on it would be. Thanks for this!
Great review and love to hear your comments about the JAS flying as me being from Sweden.
Love that you can throw out respect to this pilot.
Gripen is one of the best fight jets in the worlds now.
Impressed with that. Mention Gripen to Typhoon pilots and they just shake their heads and smile. They do have the thrust and the speed of course ...
That version of the Gripen can super cruise with what Saab calls a "standard air to air load out". Also, a lot of countries use the older 4th gen version, and there are a few countries that are going to be using the upgraded 4.5 gen version, including Brazil and possibly Canada.
Yeah it's a 50-50 chance Canada picks the Gripen. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than the f-35, and we're looking at i think 100 of them.
@@10bighikes58 I don’t think RCAF will choose the Gripen, the US has far more resources to win a negotiation.
My fingers are crossed that they do. I’d love them to grab a few F-35’s for quarterback and have the boys in the jas-39 f’s come in for mop up. My imagination always thinks of the Jas as maybe a stepping stone to a new Canadian twin engine fighter, collaborate on a new generation fighter.
I think it all comes down to what price Saab comes in at, tbh
@@10bighikes58 one of the biggest selling points is that Saab is gonna build them in Canada. Putting people to work offsets the price somewhat.
I'm Canadian. SAAB came to us and we were in negotiating with them, but then we changed to the F-35. Grippen would have been perfect for us up north where runways are few.
JAS 39 "Gripen" is one of the most versatile, agile, maneuverable and high tech fighter plane in the world.
People do not realize this. Combat turnaround time is 10 minutes! And a complete engine swap is done by recruits in one hour. On a road base, out in nowhere.
HOLY GOLLY! FINALLY! THIS VIDEO AND MOVER TOGETHER!
10:06 both jets have same engine
11:16 Sweden, Hungary, Czechia, Thailand, Brazil, probably India, and funny thing would be to win Canadian competition for new fighter against F35!
It would be insane for Canada to pick the gripen over the f35, but I think your right lol hopefully they're considering the E model since they def have the money for it
@@ryanestes7331 "stealth" is overrated technology! Russians and Chinese had already declared that "we see everything", and I tend to believe them! My belief has been enhanced by US hesitation to deliver the F35s to Turkey, because of the S400!!(although is good for us. I'm Greek)! So...why to invest in something where it's main advantage will be soon considered obsolete?
@@marioshadjikyriacou3381 I tend to not believe them, especially since China and Russia seem to keep developing stealth aircraft (su-57, s75, j20, j31) they don't seem to believe their own statements
@@ryanestes7331 ok 👍!
ive seen 2 JAS do that landing manouver in loose formation at the vidsel base in sweden some years ago, was impressive.
Might be cool to see more breakdowns of different in cockpit airshow clips! (Past and present)
JAS 39 Gripen is Awesome. Glad Pilot was flatterd.
Call me crazy, but whenever I look at Gripen, conceptually and visually I see F-20 Tigershark after thorough pimp-up. Also reports from various excercises - especially Thai vs. Chinese - are encouraging. In any case, this is interesting aircraft that obviously has a niche. Gripen-E has same engine as SuperHornet.
Impressive flight & analysis, kudos to both pilots 🤙🤙
Swedish fighter pilots are among the toughest in the world, they are trained to fly at low altitude above the treetops 👍🏻 I am from Sweden 🇸🇪
Centrifuge trainer at Swedish air force: we require all of our Gripen pilots to endure 9Gs for 15 seconds. Swedish fighter pilots are among the toughest in the world!
Maj. Szatyi from HuAF: Hold my beer please...
ua-cam.com/video/_0nbRYIBVDQ/v-deo.html
"above the treetops" Our former Chief of Air Force was famous for flying TROUGH the the treetops.
LOL On a flight from MMX to ARN I sat beside a former chief mechanic of the airforce. He pulled the branches from the Viggen,
I am former Swedish aircraft industry.
Also this Plane was designed to give Their counterparts to the East Nightmares which it does very well! Blessings to all Swedish Pilots (& engineers) in the spirit of the Ghost Squadron! Hopefully Canada's next fighter which is far better suited to it's mission than the F 35!
Thank You for sharing Rudolf Abelin! What an experience in the Viggen! Love the Swedes!!! Blessings from Canada! :)
Kudos to the pilot for pushing himself, and the aircraft, to the limits.
This is Gripen C, not E. The first E versions are just to be delivered to customers, Brazilian and Swedish Air Force.
So, like in a lot of other cases, E is for Export.
@@Myuutsuu85 No.
E is just the next letter in line.
We already had the A/B and the C/D
(A & C = Single Seat,
B & D = Dual Seat)
So naturally after that comes E / F.
So the same progression as with US Aircraft etc
@@Myuutsuu85 think Hornet vs. Super Hornet. Gripen A-D use a Volvo version of the GE F404 engine, Gripen E/F uses the more powerful F414 engine, is heavier, can carry more fuel and more missiles.
How do you know it’s a C? Would make sense that first E prototypes were without the brazilian WAD.
@@jonasthemovie the original video came out about a year before 39-8 flew, plus if you watch to the end you can clearly see it's C #249 (one of the Cs that flew over Libya).
The gripen is such a good looking aircraft
Being a neutral country so close to both NATO and the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War, Sweden took it’s fighter pilot training quite seriously. They flew every mission as in war time, just to keep the pilot’s senses and skill sharp. During the Cold War, more the 600 pilots lost their life in accidents.
During the mandatory yearly musters where every able 17 year old male was tested both physically and mentally, they would pick out the best for more testing to see if they where of the right stuff. If you where you would be offered to enter pilot training (of course you have to be security screened too).
There where other ways too, but all had to pass the hard physical and mental tests.
I would guess Swedish fighter pilots holds to very high standard. But as a Swede, my opinion is biased!
Whilst it's true that Sweden has "värnpliktiga" pilots, they stopped doing that in 1946 so it's a bit earlier then the jet era :) After that you had to apply after your service was finished, but for a long time there were "fältflygare" who were flying NCOs, not officers.
This is an excerpt from a book written by a british fighter pilot that got to fly with swedish pilots during the cold war.
"The first to go up in the Viggen was our boss, Hilton Moses. I remember going out with him to the aeroplane and seeing him laughing and smiling, and then seeing him getting out and coming back to the crewroom looking like he’d just been put through some kind of crazy combination between a fairground ride and a washing machine. Then I went flying in the afternoon, and it changed my life.
They would fly around at Mach 0.95, 650kt give or take a bit, and they trained at 10m. We flew through firebreaks in trees, we flew all over northern Sweden at 30ft, and we never went below 600kt. All of this, I should add, was done under about a 150 to 200ft overcast with no breaks. In the RAF, anybody who wanted to get old would not have flown in that weather. After about 40 minutes, we pulled up into cloud, and the pilot then flew a 4-degree hands-off approach with his hands on his head into a remote airstrip, landed, reversed into a parking bay, did an engine-running refuel without any communication with the people on the ground except hand signals, taxied out and took off in the direction that we’d landed in. Wind direction just wasn’t factored. Then we did some approaches onto roadways, flying at 15 or 20ft to clear the cars and warn them that there were going to be some aeroplane movements before doing practice approaches.
And the aerobatics beggared belief. ‘The next day, it was time to take the Swedish pilots flying in the Jaguar. I was at a bit of a loss as to how I was going to explain to this guy that we flew at 420kt when they flew at 620kt. So I decided that the way ahead was to leave the part-throttle reheat in, accelerate to 620kt and then give him the aeroplane. That’s what I did - I took off, and gave him control at 620kt and about 150ft. He pushed the nose down, took the Jaguar down to 30ft and proceeded to fly it at about 30 to 40ft and 600kt-plus quite happily. It knocked all the myths about who’s got the best aeroplanes, who’s got the best-trained pilots and so on. The Swedish Air Force had aeroplanes that were light years ahead of anything the RAF had, or was going to get, or has got now, and their pilots were in a totally different league to us. This was not just an individual - I flew with three of them, and all three were like that. Each of them was able to fly the Jaguar faster and lower from the back seat than I could from the front seat."
Ive asked the guy for the titel , but he has of yet not responded.