Saab 107

Saab AB

Industry	Aerospace
Founded	June 2, 1937 (1937-06-02) in Sweden
Headquarters	Sweden
Products	Aircraft

The Saab 107 was a conceptual series of compact airliners planned by Saab AB in Sweden, which ultimately never reached production.

Development

Between 1966 and 1968, Svenska Aeroplan AB worked on two feederliner variants, the Saab 1071 and the Saab 1073, targeting an initial operational launch in 1973. The primary objectives for these models focused on reducing airport turnaround durations as well as lowering manufacturing and operational expenses. After conducting thorough market analysis, Saab aimed to offer competitive alternatives to ground transportation in terms of efficiency and cost. A scale model of the 1071 was showcased at the Hannover air show in April 1968, accompanied by press coverage featuring images and renderings of both designs around that period. Due to a lack of international collaboration partners to help defray development expenses, the initiative, known as Project 10, was eventually discontinued.

Design

The Saab 1071 was conceived for very short-haul routes connecting small domestic airstrips with major international airports. Its configuration included a high-mounted wing with a rectangular shape, a circular pressurized cabin accommodating 40 passengers, and four turboprop engines rated around 800 horsepower each. The projected development expenses were approximately 100 million SEK, with the anticipated maximum unit price set at 5 million SEK. Both the wing and fuselage were engineered to allow straightforward lengthening later on, minimizing additional development costs. To achieve high lift for short takeoffs on runways as short as 800 meters, the wing incorporated simple, single-pivot slot flaps. Additionally, the design planned to utilize propeller thrust reversal to shorten landing distances.

The second concept, Saab 1073, targeted passenger and cargo services over longer domestic routes where runways of at least 1200 meters were available. This design relaxed the short takeoff and landing (STOL) criteria somewhat to enhance cruising efficiency by employing two turbofan engines housed in nacelles beneath the moderately swept high wing. The aircraft featured a T-tail configuration to position the elevator clear of engine exhaust streams. The selected turbofans were expected to deliver around 10,000 pounds of thrust each (such as the Rolls-Royce Trent), supporting an 80-passenger capacity. Development costs were estimated at about 300 million SEK, with a projected maximum sales price of 15 million SEK per unit. Executing this project would have required governmental backing and collaboration with a major international aircraft manufacturer.