1/72 Marivox Saab B-17A

Target Tug, Austria 1957-1963

by Juergen Klinglhuber

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The model I present to you today is from the Marivox kit (Swedish brand) and shows the aircraft in the colours of a target tug that was in service from 1957 to 1963 at the airbase Langenlebarn in Austria.

The kit was built OOB and only the wires for antenna are added.  It is not easy to find pictures of that aircraft in the Austrian colours, so I relied on the data from Marivox.  I hope you enjoy it.  

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In 1937 the Swedish SAAB Company was established as a consortium of AB Svenska Jarnvagsverkstaderna and Svenska Fygmotor AB with the target to build aircraft for military use.  They started to build US and German planes under licence, and in 1940 the first draft of their own aircraft was issued by Saab.  It was a diving fighter-bomber called Saab 17.  It had a quite modern full metal design and in some respects it had similarity to a Kingfisher or Helldiver.  The reason for that is likely the circumstance that at that time up to 40 employees in Saab development department were US engineers.  The plane was designed to be a diving fighter-bomber, which caused very strong structures in the wings with no space for hiding the landing gears during flight.  For that reason the wheels were only retracted underneath the wings and protected against winds with an aerodynamic fairing.  The fairing component could also be used as a kind of brake flap.  During winter time the aircraft was able to be equipped with a pair of skis and there was also a floatplane version available.  In the cockpit there was enough space for 2 crew members, a pilot and a radio operator/observer.   Two 8mm guns were integrated into the wings and a third one was mounted in the back of the cockpit and in case of need handled by the radio operator.  A total of 325 planes were built in various configurations.  One of those was purchased in 1957 by the young Austrian Airforce that was rebuilding after WWII to use it as a target tug for training purpose.

Juergen

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Photos and text © by Juergen Klinglhuber