Saab 29 Tunnan

The Saab 29 Tunnan ("The Barrel"), colloquially Flygande Tunnan, or The Flying Barrel in English, is an early jet-powered fighter aircraft designed and produced by the Swedish aircraft manufacturer Saab. It was the second turbojet-powered combat aircraft to be developed in Sweden, the first being the Saab 21R, and it was the first Western European fighter to be produced with a swept wing after the Second World War, only being preceded in Western Europe as a whole by the Messerschmitt Me 262 built during the conflict.

Work on what would become the Tunnan commenced in late 1945. The design, internally designated R 1001, had a barrel-like fuselage due to being powered by the recently-developed de Havilland Ghost turbojet engine, giving it the distinctive rotund appearance from which its name is derived. A relatively thin swept wing configuration was adopted after wartime aerodynamic research from Germany indicated its favourable high speed qualities. The Swedish Air Force placed an initial order for three prototypes under the service designation J 29 during Autumn 1946. On 1 September 1948, the first prototype performed its maiden flight; flight testing proved the aircraft to exceed performance estimates in several aspects.