Saab has announced the successful first flight of the first Brazilian Gripen E fighter aircraft.

According to the company in a statement:

“At 2.41 pm CET on August 26, the Gripen E aircraft took off on its maiden flight flown by Saab test pilot Richard Ljungberg. The aircraft operated from Saab´s airfield in Linköping, Sweden. The duration of the flight was 65 minutes and included test points to verify basic handling and flying qualities at different altitudes and speeds. The main purpose was to verify that the aircraft behavior was according to expectations.”

“This milestone is a testament to the great partnership between Sweden and Brazil. Less than five years since the contract was signed, the first Brazil Gripen has conducted her first flight,” says Håkan Buskhe, President and CEO of Saab.

This aircraft is the first Brazilian production aircraft and will be used in the joint test program as a test aircraft. The main differences compared to the previous test aircraft are that 39-6001 has a totally new cockpit layout, with a large Wide Area Display (WAD), two small Head Down Displays (sHDD) and a new Head Up Display (HUD).

Another major difference is an updated flight control system with updated control laws for Gripen E. It also includes modifications both in hardware and software.

“For me as a pilot it has been a great honour to fly the first Brazilian Gripen E aircraft as I know how much this means for the Brazilian Air Force and everyone at Saab and our Brazilian partners. The flight was smooth and the aircraft behaved just as we have seen in the rigs and simulators. This was also the first time we flew with the Wide Area Display in the cockpit, and I am happy to say that my expectations were confirmed,” says Saab test pilot Richard Ljungberg.

39-6001 will now join the test programme for further envelope expansion as well as testing of tactical system and sensors. 39-6001 will be designated F-39 in the Brazilian Air Force and will have the tail number 4100.

Click here for a video of the flight.

Tom has spent the last 13 years working in the defence industry, specifically military and commercial shipbuilding. His work has taken him around Europe and the Far East, he is currently based in Scotland.
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

11 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Herodotus
4 years ago

Fitted for water bombing…but not with!

Lee1
Lee1
4 years ago
Reply to  Herodotus

I would have thought the Bolsonaro would have made sure they armed it with napalm…

Julian1
Julian1
4 years ago

Imagine the irony if it was Rafale being tested

Cam
Cam
4 years ago

A country the size of Sweden selling jets to a huge country like Brazil shows how great Sweden is. Shame mass immigrations messing it up.

Johnny
Johnny
4 years ago
Reply to  Cam

Isn’t about a third of it British??

Cam
Cam
4 years ago
Reply to  Johnny

Yeah it sure is.

Peter tattersall
Peter tattersall
4 years ago

Lightweight Bargin basement .

Harry Bulpit
Harry Bulpit
4 years ago

??? I think it’s a little bit more than that Peter tattersall. In response to a post I made earlier in another thread. “Nigel Collins, not Harry Bulpit. Please, can admin fix the problem! It’s interesting to note that the RBS 15 Mk4 air missiles can be launched from the JAS Gripen E as well as trucks. I still think this aircraft would be a perfect fit for the RAF if we sold off the earlier versions of Typhoon. For air policing duties (Meteor already operational) and protecting our coastline (RBS 15 Mk4), it really is a no brainer given… Read more »

John Clark
John Clark
4 years ago

It’s a compact, affordable aircraft that manages to achieve an almost impossible goal of combining high end capability, with low costs of acquisition and ownership.

No mean feat….

You have to wonder what dodgy backroom deal has been done for Switzerland to drop Gripen E from their future fighter short list…

The Gripen E is an perfect fit for them, something stinks….

I was a Swiss tax payer, I would be asking questions!

Muttley
Muttley
4 years ago
Reply to  John Clark

Hardly back room! It was decided in a referendum, where all the best decisions get made….

the_marquis
the_marquis
4 years ago
Reply to  John Clark

Well there was that leaked Swiss Air Force report, then the referendum, which ended up more a protest vote from the Swiss people against defence spending rather than a criticism of the Gripen itself, then the re-run of the competition which was strictly focused on existing technology currently available and as a result disqualified the Gripen E, despite the fact deliveries of the Gripen E to the Swedish air force should start before the end of the year. But I agree, the Gripen E is a perfect aircraft for countries like Switzerland that are unlikely to be getting into any… Read more »