Aarne Lakomaa
Aarne Lakomaa | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1914 Finland |
| Died | 2001 |
| Occupation | Aircraft engineer |
| Years active | 1939–1970s |
| Known for | Upgrading the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 to the Mörkö-Morane; work on Saab 35 Draken and Saab 37 Viggen fighter jets |
Template:Multiple issues Template:Infobox military person Aarne Lakomaa (1914–2001) was a Finnish aircraft engineer. Originating from Finland, he completed his studies at Helsinki Polytechnics. During the Winter War (1939–40) and the Continuation War (1941–44) against the Soviet Union, Lakomaa served as a Lieutenant in the Finnish Army. He gained recognition for upgrading the outdated French fighter Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 by installing captured Soviet engines, resulting in the enhanced fighter known as the Mörkö-Morane—"mörkö" translating roughly to "bogeyman" or "hobgoblin" in Finnish. Initially, Lakomaa replaced the original Hispano-Suiza 12Y 31 liquid-cooled V-12 engine, which produced 860 hp, with a more powerful 1,100 hp Soviet Klimov M-105P engine obtained as war spoils. This engine was fitted beneath a streamlined cowling and paired with a propeller featuring an altered pitch. The original French M.S.406 airframe was reinforced, and an oil cooler from a Messerschmitt-109 was installed to resolve overheating issues. These enhancements yielded a top speed increase of 36 mph compared to earlier models.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
In 1944, Lakomaa joined Saab as an aircraft designer. His contributions included work on the development of the Saab 35 Draken and Saab 37 Viggen fighter jets. Later, as head of Saab's research and development division, he designed multiple prototypes such as a rocket-powered interceptor, nuclear weapon delivery platforms, and successors to both the Draken and Viggen—initially conceived to replace the Saab 32.[1] Additionally, he was involved in early studies during 1952–57 aimed at creating a supersonic business jet with excellent short runway capabilities.
Civilian projects
- Saab 90 Scandia, airliner introduced in 1946
- SuperSonic Executive (SSE), a large Viggen-like aircraft powered by twin J 93 engines designed for 4–6 passengers, developed in 1968
- Saab 108 turboprop airliner
- Saab 115/108-6, a tri-engine jet commuter aircraft
- Saab 107, designed as a STOL/RTOL field transport plane
- Saab 108 MULAS, launched in 1977
- Saab 109, twin-engine business jet
- Saab 110, similar to Saab 109 but equipped with three engines and seating for up to nine passengers
- Saab 111, single-engine agricultural turboprop
- Saab 112, twin-jet corporate aircraft accommodating fifteen passengers, introduced in 1969
- Saab 113, tri-engine corporate jet with capacity for twenty-five passengers, also from 1969
- Saab 190 Super Scandia, twin ALF 502 commuter jet featuring over-wing engines for improved grass field operation, introduced in 1975
- Saab 340
Military projects
- Saab 1319 was a fighter equipped with missiles and powered by two de Havilland rocket engines
- Saab 1325 served as a Draken successor fighter featuring Gyron engines with partial afterburners mounted on the wingtips, along with a tail-mounted rocket that automatically activated if the main engine failed (this rocket motor remains in use for sounding rockets)
- Saab 1350 represented a larger attack version of the 1325, incorporating full afterburners
- Saab 1352 was a single-engine variant of the 1350, utilizing an Olympus engine
- Saab 1372 was designed as an unstable double delta aircraft; development did not advance to wind tunnel modeling
- Saab 1376 referred to the A 36, a nuclear strike bomber
- Saab 1377 resembled the 1376 but featured a dorsal air intake
- Saab 1421B was proposed in 1956 as a replacement for the M 2.8 Draken
- Saab 1500-01 bore similarities to the Harrier aircraft
- Saab 1504, developed in 1961, had a strong resemblance to the Viggen model
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).