marginal

Story

This aircraft was delivered from the SAAB Military Aircraft Co. to the Swedish Airforce fighterstation, F 9 on April 1955 and in E-version. 1956 it was modified to F-version.

In March, 1957, the aircraft was transfered to the F 10- station and was in service there until March 1964, when it was transfered to another fighterstation.

The last flight took place on July, 30. 1968 after 1195 total flying-hours.
1970, the aircraft was transfered to the Swedish Airforce museum in Malmslaett and stored in a hangar together with many other old and discared planes.
In July, 12. 1991. the retired Brigad General Bertil Bjaere and two other members of F 10 Comrade in Arms, visited the Airforce museum, to see if a dream about the J 29, could be realized.
It was a successful trip. They found what they where looking for. A complete aircraft and in the same good shape as it was after the last landing and still fuel in all tanks!
The J 29F, with serial nr. 29670 arrived once again to F 10-station, on May, 8. 1991 after it had been away for 27 years of wich 21 years in a hangar on the Swedish Airforce museum.N

The restauration

To give all parts the required service, it was nessesary to dismount the aircraft totaly and this was made possible as we found all the old, wellknown and necessary tools and serviceinstruktions in the Airforce museum.
Main sponsors for this project have been: Volvo Aero Support Co. SAAB Military Aircraft Co. Swedish Airforce museum. F 10-Fighterstation.
Many others have also made their contribution to bring this project to a happy end. Without those and the above named sponsors it was impossible to get this famous aircraft, airborne again.

.

.

The people "who did it"

Bertil Bjaere, F 10 Traditional Committee. Stieg Nordin, project leader.
Engineers: Joergen Andersson. Christer Andersson, Stig Backlund, Aake Christersson, Lars Eriksson, Ralph Radil, Kurt Heander, Gunnar Kvist, Sune Magnusson, Karl Malmberg, Elwir Nilsson, Erik Persson, Axel Rosenkvist, Kjell Tornberg Folke Wallerstig och Knut Aakesson.
All those have worked about 5000 hours, volontarly and without any payment, to do the job, but with burning spirit, just as it was in the old days!

.

The pilots

We needed a pilot with experience from the J 29-air- craft. Many where very interrested and qualifyed but finaly we decided to put the question to lieutenant- colonel Rolf Rimsby, an active J 35-fighter pilot, and his answer was, of course, YES!
He followed all the work on the aircraft and he did his homework to get this civil licence for beginners, wich permitted him to take this jet-fighter up into the air. So, when we had the "Yellow Rudolf" ready for "Take off", he was also ready to do the job and so he did. It was excellent from the beginning.
The event took place on July, 11. 1995 at 10,45 and the "Yellow Rudolf" again was a Silverbird in the sky!
When we needed a second pilot, we asked major Bertil Gerhardt. A pilot with great experience from many different aircrafts, including the J 29, and with all the required licenses.
The next great event was the big Airshow on the F 10-station on August, 5. 1995. The "Yellow Rudolf" was flown that day by Bertil Gerhardt, because Rolf Rimsby was not availabel for medical reasons.
40 000 spectators invaded the Station and it was a perfect day for an airshow. It was also very interresting to see that there was about the same number of spec- tators around our "Yellow Rudolf" as it was around the famous JAS 39.
The "Yellow Rudolf" will be seen on many places, both in Sweden and abroad, in the future.

J29 F BASIC

Förstasidan