The story
The Swedish SAAB 21A aircraft made its maiden flight powered by a 1,475hp Daimler-Benz DB605B 12-cylinder inverted-vee engine connected to a pusher propeller. Deliveries commenced to the Flygvapnet in Jul 1945. The SAAB 21 was the world's second aircraft to be fitted with an ejector seat as standard operational equipment (the first was the Heinkel He-219). The J-51A suffered from heavy control forces and engine overheating which affected its speed and rate of climb, thus its role was soon changed from that of an interceptor to ground strike with provisions for various ordnance loads.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.