Norwegian Indigenous Fighter Design “Svart Wolf”

Gallery Article by Eugene E. Madara, Esq. on Jan 11 2016

Silly Week 2016

 

      

When, in the early ‘70’s Norway’s Air Force took the decision to look beyond Scandinavia’s Saab-designed Draken and issued Requests For Proposal to various international aircraft designers, a local consortium of airframe, engines, electronic systems and armaments proposed the Svart Wolf (English: “Black Wolf”). 

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Equipped with an advanced (for its time) canard control surfaces design, landing gear designed to accommodate an RFP requirement of short take-off/landing and operation from unprepared surfaces (including Norway’s famous Winter snow), low-to-the-ground field maintenance, and both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat capabilities, the Svart Wolf was pitted against its principal competitor, the US F-16, and, in an extended series of “fly-offs” proved to be more capable than its American rival. Nevertheless, for unexplained reasons, the F-16 was selected and the Svart Wolf was (similar to the infamous Canadian Avro Arrow Government Ministry decision) broken up and destroyed.

Enjoy the photos.

Eugene E. Madara, Esq.

Photos and text © by Eugene E. Madara, Esq.