×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024) Special Forces
HOME
AVIATION INDEX
MODERN AIR FORCES
AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY
AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE AIRCRAFT
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT
AIRCRAFT BY TYPE
AIRCRAFT BY DECADE
COLD WAR AIRCRAFT
WWII AIRCRAFT
Aviation / Aerospace

Saab B18


Twin-Engine Medium Bomber / Fast Reconnaissance / Dive Bomber Aircraft [ 1944 ]



The Saab B18 twin-engine medium bomber was a local solution for the Swedish Air Force born during of the fighting of World War 2.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/13/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
The nation of Sweden maintained a neutral stance during World War 2 (1939-1945) but was not blind to the worsening situation along their borders and elsewhere. This spurred development of several homegrown weapons that ultimately included both tanks and combat aircraft. Prior to the war, the Swedish Air Force managed a stock of German Junkers Ju 86 aircraft for its general fast reconnaissance role but, by the time of the war, the product was made obsolete by newer designs appearing elsewhere. As such, a replacement was sought which became the Saab B18, a three-seat, twin-engine aircraft introduced during 1944.

Competing designs to fulfill the requirement were reviewed before Saab was granted the development contract. The arrival of World War 2 in September of 1939 delayed work on the B18 as resources were committed to other more pressing projects. By this time, Air Force authorities had also revised the original requirement to include the role of level bombing which further hampered development as the changes to the B 18 were forced. The result was an oft-delayed first-flight occurring on June 19th, 1942. Testing and evaluation took the official introduction year to 1944.

The aircraft, said to have been influenced by America medium bomber designs of the period (indeed some Americans made up the Saab engineering staff), utilized a conventional twin-engine configuration. The engine nacelles were underslung along each wing mainplane and the mainplanes themselves were shoulder -mounted along the fuselage sides. The fuselage was given a rather deep appearance along its frontal section but tapered off nicely towards the empennage. The tail unit held a twin-rudder arrangement along upward-cranked horizontal planes. The crew spaces were concentrated at the front of the fuselage and heavily glazed - in this way, the aircraft mimicked some of the German medium bomber designs of the early-war period more than anything. The crew, numbering three, constituted the pilot and flight navigator in the traditional cockpit position over the nose with the bombardier seated in a position at the nose proper.

Power for the aircraft began with 2 x Pratt & Whitney R-1830 "Twin wasp" radial engines and these were seen in the original two prototypes and the B18A production forms. However, the engines gave only basic performance as the aircraft was more or less underpowered. Only later, in the B18B production model, were more powerful Daimler-Benz DB 605B inlines used and these outputted 1,475 horsepower apiece. Performance specifications (B18B) included a maximum speed of 360 miles per hour, a range out to 1,405 miles and a service ceiling up to 32,152 feet.

Internally, the bomber was cleared to carry up to 2,200lb of conventional drop stores. Local defense was handled through 2 x 13.2mm heavy machine guns, one each at the bombardier's and navigator's positions, while a third 13.2mm machine gun was fitted to the wing root in a fixed, forward-firing mounting managed by the pilot.©MilitaryFactory.com
The initial reconnaissance bomber of 1944 was the B-18A which flew with the aforementioned Pratt & Whitney radial engines. Production accounted for sixty-two of this type and led to a photo-reconnaissance conversion model known as the S 18A outfitted with PS-18 radar - conversion work of all 62 B18A bombers was had from 1946-1947.

The upcoming B18B became the definitive mark of the series in that it introduced Daimler-Benz DB605 inline piston engines of greater power and improved versatility. A prototype first flew on July 10th, 1944 and 119 production models then followed. Beyond their notable engine fits, the mark carried provision for 8 x air-to-surface rockets and held an increase bomb load of 3,300lb. In the Swedish inventory, the B18B was categorized as a dive bomber.

The B18B went on to influence the "T-18B" torpedo bomber but complexities in this program forced the aircraft to be finalized, and adopted for service, as a dedicated ground attack platform. Changes included a nose-mounted 57mm Bofors autocannon along with 2 x 20mm cannons for a formidable offensive "punch". Fifty-two of this type were produced.

Because of Sweden's neutrality in World War 2, the B18 was never proven as a combat platform. It soldiered on into the late 1950s until it was given up for good in 1959. Late versions did away with the third crewmember's position and ejection seats were added for the remaining two crew due to the aircraft's noticeable accident rate. Some of the last known service actions involving B 18 aircraft was in missile testing for the Swedish Air Force. The line was directly succeeded by the Saab 32 "Lansen" aircraft (detailed elsewhere on this site).

Production of the B 18 spanned from 1944 to 1948 and yielded 245 total aircraft under the Svenska Aeroplan AB brand label. Design of the system was attributed to Frid Wanstrom and Carl Haddon.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications



Svenska Aeroplan AB (Saab) - Sweden
Manufacturer(s)
Sweden (retired)
Operators National flag of Sweden
1944
Service Year
Sweden
National Origin
Retired
Project Status
3
Crew
245
Units


GROUND ATTACK
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.
INTELLIGENCE-SURVEILLANCE-RECONNAISSANCE
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.


43.4 ft
(13.23 meters)
Length
55.8 ft
(17.00 meters)
Width/Span
14.3 ft
(4.35 meters)
Height
13,448 lb
(6,100 kilograms)
Empty Weight
19,401 lb
(8,800 kilograms)
Maximum Take-Off Weight
+5,952 lb
(+2,700 kg)
Weight Difference


2 x Daimler-Benz DB 605B inline piston engines developing 1,475 horsepower each.
Propulsion
357 mph
(575 kph | 310 knots)
Max Speed
32,152 ft
(9,800 m | 6 miles)
Ceiling
1,616 miles
(2,600 km | 1,404 nm)
Range


MACH Regime (Sonic)
Sub
Trans
Super
Hyper
HiHyper
ReEntry
RANGES (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hi-Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: >19030


STANDARD:
1 x 13.2mm machine gun in fixed, forward-firing position at wing root.
1 x 13.2mm machine gun at bombardier's position.
1 x 13.2mm machine gun at navigator's position.

OPTIONAL:
Up to 3,300 conventional drop bombs held internally and across eight underwing hardpoints.

8 x Air-to-Surface rockets


8
Hardpoints


B18 - Base Series Designation
Model 18A - Prototype of the B18A production model; Pratt & Whitney radial engines fitted; two prototypes completed.
B18A - Original production model; medium bomber form with Pratt & Whitney radial engines; three-man crew; 62 examples completed.
S18A - Photo-reconnaissance conversion models of the B18A stock; fitted with PS-18/A radar; 62 examples converted.
B18B - Dive bomber variant; Daimler-Benz inline engines fitted for greater power; bomb load increased to 3,300lb; provision for attack rockets added; 119 examples completed.
T18B - Torpedo bomber variant; becoming ground attack form armed with 1 x 57mm and 2 x 20mm cannons; 52 examples completed.


Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force
Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway
Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift
Military lapel ribbon for the Chaco War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War
Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars
Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War
Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor
Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War
Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War
Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for Special Forces
Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era
Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2
Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War
Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

Images



1 / 1
Image of the Saab B18
Image from the Public Domain.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)