Saab 401
| Company type | Prototype vehicle |
|---|---|
| Industry | Military technology, Hovercraft |
| Founded | 1963 |
| Founder | Olof Ljungström (design leadership) |
| Headquarters | Karlskrona , Sweden |
| Products | Air-cushion vehicle (hovercraft) |
| Parent | Saab, Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration, Karlskronavarvet (Saab Kockums), Swedish National Aeronautical Research Institute (FFA) |
The Saab 401 MEFA was a test air-cushion vehicle weighing approximately 2 tons, capable of reaching speeds near 40 knots on open water while carrying two occupants. Only one unit was constructed under contract for the Swedish Navy. Initial trials took place in 1963. The Navy discontinued the programme in 1967 and subsequently donated the sole prototype to the Maritime Museum located in Karlskrona, Sweden.
History
Initiated in the late 1950s, the Saab 401 MEFA project emerged from a partnership involving Saab, the Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration,[1]Template:Page needed Karlskronavarvet (Saab Kockums) and the Swedish National Aeronautical Research Institute (FFA). The development later continued with limited funding at FFA.[2][3][4][5] The acronym MEFA stands for Markeffektfarkost (meaning ground effect vehicle); it was also referred to as the "MEFAN".[6]
The design leadership was provided by Olof Ljungström.[6] Engineering tasks were assigned to Vickers-Armstrongs.[7]Template:Page needed
The first trials occurred on March 4, 1963, in Norrköping.[8][9] In January of the following year, the prototype was delivered to the Berga Naval Base for further evaluation.[6] The Navy withdrew the craft from service in 1967 and transferred it to the maritime museum in Karlskrona.[6][10]
Design
The lift mechanism of the craft relied on an eight-bladed fan powered by a 180 hp Lycoming O-360 piston engine.[11][12][13] Thrust was generated through a combination of variable drive ports located within the air chamber and two external propellers, each powered by 72 hp motors.[14] The maximum hover height achieved was 17 cm.[15]
Unlike typical hovercraft, the Saab 401 did not utilize large rubber skirts to channel airflow.[6] Instead, its construction allowed it to sustain direct contact with water surfaces and solid terrains such as ice without damage.[6]
- ↑ Transport World. Vol. 128. "Transport World" Publishing Company. 1963.
- ↑ Uppslagsboken: Svävarfarkost: tekn. beskr. o data, typskisser, pressmeddelanden etc. betr Saab 401 A & B.
- ↑ Modellflygnytt Nr 5 årgång 1963
- ↑ Tidskriften Verkstäderna Årgång 1964
- ↑ Blekinge läns tidning 2017-12-16- Unik farkost bortglömd i förråd
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Mellgren, Erik. "Saabs svävare fick framgång i liten skala" (PDF). iva.se.
- ↑ "Hovercraft Agreement with Saab". Fairplay Shipping Journal. Vol. 206, no. 4142. Fairplay Publications Limited. 10 January 1963.
- ↑ Olson, Björn (1987). The Saab-Scania story. Streiffert. ISBN 978-91-7886-014-2.
- ↑ Indian Aviation. April 1963.
- ↑ "Svävare". digitaltmuseum.se.
- ↑ Mechanical Engineering: The Journal of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The Society. 1962.
- ↑ Jane's Surface Skimmers. Sampson Low, Marston. 1967.
- ↑ Jane, Frederick Thomas (1965). Jane's All the World's Aircraft. Sampson Low, Marston & Company.
- ↑ McLeavy, Roy (1968). Jane's Surface Skimmer Systems. S. Low, Marston.
- ↑ Standard. 1963.