Saab 90 Scandia

The wing was shaped, using NACA profiles, to provide good stalling characteristics.

Low wing design was chosen since it provided:

• Less structural weight
  
• Better safety in an emergency landing
  
• Possibility for one continuous flap
  

The wing was built in three pieces. The centre section with engine mounts, and left and right sections which were bolted to the centre section, immediately outboard of the engine nacelles.

The fuselage diameter was chosen to allow for 4 seats per row.

This configuration gave a capacity of 32 passengers.

A configuration with wider and more comfortable seats, three seats per row, carrying a total of 24 passengers was also offered.

The prototype (90.001) was equipped with 1,450 bhp (1,080 kW) Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp R2000 engines
(changed to 1,650 bhp (1,230 kW) P&W Twin Wasp R2180 on the production version).

The entire aircraft was built in metal except for the rudders which were fabric covered metal frames.

Test flights

The prototype (SE-BCA) made its first flight on November 16, 1946.

Claes Smith was the pilot.

The first flight lasted for 20 minutes.

The plane had exceptionally good low flying characteristics, with full control down to 110–115 km/h.

The stall was slow and preceded by vibrations.

The plane also turned out to be easily maneuvered with one engine turned off, which at the time was typically not the case with two-engined aircraft. Unfortunately the rudder harmony was not satisfactory, with high control forces in some situations.

The engine installation also needed redesign.

he prototype flew a total of 154 hours before the winter of 1947/48 when it was parked in the hangar for modifications.

The engines were elevated for increased clearance between propeller blades and ground.

The cabin, which previously only contained test equipment, was furnished.

On February the 7th 1948 the prototype took off again and began the second testing phase.

The second phase mostly consisted of performance tests.

After 700 hours of test flying it was decided to introduce the following changes to the production planes:

• More powerful engines
  
• Four blade Hamilton-Standard propellers
  
• Springtabs on side- and elevation rudders for reduced control forces
  

Promotional flying

In 1947 had the prototype quickly visited Denmark, Holland, Belgium and Switzerland.

In May 1948 it made a one day trip from Linköping to Newcastle via Oslo. During these flights the prototype only had test equipment on board. No real demonstration flights with potential customers took place.

For this reason it was decided to make a real demonstration tour through Europe now that the cabin was properly
outfitted.

113 Hours Around Europe

The prototype departed on August 9, 1948. After visits to 11 European countries SE-BCA returned to Linköping on November 11, 1948.

The first stop was in Stockholm.

Then in the following order it visited Norway (Oslo), Ireland (Dublin), Great Britain (Prestwick, Gatwick, Jersey), Denmark (Copenhagen), Belgium (Bruxelles), Holland (Amsterdam), Switzerland (Geneva, Zürich), Portugal (Lisbon, Oporto), Spain (Madrid), France (Paris) and finally Finland.

Total flying time was 113 hours with 123 take offs and a total distance of 37.200 km. 1.200 passengers were transported.
In Holland, Prince Bernhard of Holland flew the plane.

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Flemming
K. Fogh

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In every town the Scandia was welcomed by the respective airline and local press, but it did not result in any orders.

Many airlines also visited Linköping for a closer look and demonstration during the years 1948–49.

Some of these were DNL, Fred Olsen, DDL, Aero Oy, Swissair, FAMA, Aerol, Argentinas, KLM, Air Service, Sabena and Garuda.

Three Continents

A second promotional tour was started on August 16, 1949.

With six extrafuel tanks, each carrying 400 liters, SE-BCA started a tour that would take it to three continents.

This was also the last time it was seen in Sweden.

The first trip went to Paris where the extra fuel tanks were removed.

On August 23 SE-BCA arrived to Addis Abeba (Ethiopia). The following day emperor Haile Selassie went on a demonstration tour.

Present on this tour was also Carl von Rosen, who at the time was counsellor for the Ethiopian Air Force. Athen, Kairo, Asmara, Port Sudan and Luxor were also visited on this tour.

On this tour the plane was subjected to temperatures of 50C, with no problems.

When the plane returned to Paris the extra fuel tanks were reinstalled.

On September 4 SE-BCA left Paris with destination Pratt & Whitney's homebase in Hartford, Connecticut.

With stop-overs in Prestwick, Iceland and Greenland, the trip took 3 days.

In Hartford the extra fuel tanks were removed and the interior was refitted.

An extensive demonstration program all over the USA followed.

Some of the cities visited were New York, Washington, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and Houston.

In Los Angeles Howard Hughes flew the Scandia, and he praised the design.

On October 14 the Scandia returned to Hartford.

SAAB Scandia SE-BSD of SAS at London Airport (Heathrow)

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Operational history

The first production Scandias were delivered in 1950.

SAS received their eight aircraft between October 1950 and October 1954.

SAS initially operated their Scandias on intra-Scandinavian flights.

Scheduled services by Scandias were also operated to European cities including London Airport (Heathrow) between 1953 and 1955.

VASP operated their fleet of new and ex-SAS Scandias on intra-Brasilian scheduled flights between October 1950 and late 1966.

The [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] put heavy and insistent demands upon the SAAB factory, for the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] fighter aircraft, which spelled the end of the Scandia project in Sweden, with residual production being undertaken by [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien],
in the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

Altogether, only 18 examples were manufactured.

The entire SAS fleet was eventually purchased by [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], in 1957.

A larger version with pressurised cabin called 90B was planned, but never made.

The last flight with a 90 Scandia was on July 22, 1969.

The sole surviving Scandia is the 16th built, ex VASP PP-SQR, which is preserved in deteriorating condition by a museum at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in the state of Sao Paulo.

Variants


Saab 90A

Twin-engined short-range airliner. Main production version.

Saab 90B

Proposed version. Not built.

Operators

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• [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] (ABA)