Joanna Crews
Saab flew the latest variant of its Gripen fighter aircraft over the Baltic Sea on Oct. 18 to test if the platform could travel at a speed faster than that of sound.
Gripen E exceeded Mach 1 and sustained a supersonic speed for the first time as the aircraft conducted maneuvers during the flight test, Saab said Friday.
“It is important that the aircraft handles the transition smoothly through what we call the transonic zone around the sound barrier,” said Marcus Wandt, a Saab test pilot.
Jonas Hjelm, a senior vice president and head of the aeronautics business area at Saab, said the milestone reflects the company’s aircraft modeling and engineering methods.
The company has recorded more than 20 flight hours for the Gripen E platform since it the maiden flight in mid-June.
