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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 0008.PDF
H 2 FLIGHT SAAB 91C SAFIR Personal Impressions on a Brief Air Test NOT long ago I had an opportunity to inspect and fly the Saab 91C and, being eager to sample this latest variant of an outstanding Swedish design, lost no time in motoring through the murk to Blackbushe. The weather was anything but auspicious for the projected flight. The Saab 91C—the first of this mark, registered SE-BYZ—was in England for A.R.B. certification, as reported in Flight, December 18th, and was held up at Blackbushe due to the bad weather. I contacted Bertil Andersson, the Saab test pilot who had flown it to England from Holland (where de Schelde are building Safirs under licence), and proceeded to look over the aircraft. The first impression was that the 91C was much smaller than I had expected; it sat, squat and compact, on the tarmac, its highest points standing only a few inches above eye-level. It was indeed difficult to believe that this was a well equipped four- seat touring and sporting aircraft with a full 190 h.p. under its cowling, but closer acquaintance was to show it to be excellently designed, generously equipped and most pleasant to handle. A comprehensive appreciation of the Gipsy-engined Saab 91A appeared in Flight of October 23rd, 1947. Since that time, two further versions of the Safir have been produced, both of them built by de Schelde. The first of these, called the 91B Safir, is a three-seat basic trainer, powered by a Lycoming 190 h.p. flat six engine; it is at present in general service with the Royal Swedish Air Force. This aircraft can be said to mark the half way point between the 91A (Gipsy Major 10) and the 91C four seater. The 91B has side-by-side dual control positions for instructor and pupil and an "observer's" seat behind the instructor on the right. The left-hand rear position is taken up by the fuel tank, with a small luggage compartment above it. The principal difference between the 91B and the 91C is that this fuel tank has been removed in favour of tanks in the wing roots; the baggage space is now in a compartment behind the cabin, and room thus cleared takes the fourth seat. The engine is still SAAB 91C SAFIR PERFORMANCE DATA Lycoming 190 h.p. Take-off run to 50 ft 1,150ft Landing run from 50ft 1,050f Max. normal range 620 statute miles Stalling speeds with and without flap 59/67 m.p.h. Max. speed 171 m.p.h. Max. cruising speed, 75 per cent power 155 m.p.h. Economical cruising speed, 60 per cent power 140 m.p.h. (s.l.) 155 m.p.h. (10,000ft) Rate of climb at sea level ... 1,140ft/min Service ceiling ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20,500ft Max. a.u.w 2.560 1b Max. weight for aerobatics 2,3101 Safety factor 1.5 Max. loading ... ... ... ... ... ... ... + 6g —3g the same Lycoming 190 h.p. installation, and the external appearance of the aircraft has changed very litde. At Blackbushe I climbed into the 91C with Mr. Andersson and was shown the positions and functions of the numerous dials and knobs. Since the 91A, the central control panel between the seats has been somewhat modified. The three levers for elevator trim, flap and undercarriage are now mounted on a convex panel: the elevator trim, which is moved by depressing the lever, and sliding it backwards or forwards in the normal sense for "tail down" or "tail up," can also be finely adjusted by direct pressure against the friction lock; the flap lever works in a long slot, covered by a sliding panel, giving three positions, "up," "take off" and "landing"; and the undercarriage lever next to it has a large oval rubber grip which is twisted through 90 deg for locking and unlocking. With undercarriage up, the lever is' horizontal and out of the way. Rudder pedals can be disconnected and folded away, and either control column detached and stowed. A single centrally mounted pitch-control is fitted and there is a separate throttle for each pilot. The mixture control immediately below the central controls has three positions, "rich," "weak" or "idle cut off." Landing, navigation and cabin light switches, and instrument The Safir's cowling (left) fitted with quick-release fasteners, can be opened in a matter of seconds to expose the whole power-plant. The present austere furnishing (right) will be very much more luxurious in production aircraft.
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