Need BIG help with Gripen airfoil !!!

[#Leo#]

To make a long story short, I'm a 26-years old student from Zagreb, Croatia. I study aeronautics on Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb.
I have a problem with finding some crucial info about JAS-39 Gripen. I really need to know what type of airfoil is used on Gripen, what type on main wing and what type on canards. Any geometry data could help also, some measurements of wing and canards. But, most important for me is to find what airfoil it uses.....so please if anybody know, I would be very grateful for your help.
P.S. I presume that it is something like NACA 64A204 like F-16, but must know egzactly!!!!!! Please help, I've looked everywhere!!

[Viggen]

Welcome to Milavia Leo!

I dont think you will ever find out exactly the right compund its made of, belive its a well protected secret.  Are you guys trying to reversengineer our Gripen? 

Geometrydata is not so hard to find, just check under "Aircraft". If that wont help, i suggest you buy a plasticmodel scale 1/72 and just take measurments, recalculate and voilá! You have pretty acurate numbers to play with.  Anotherway is to get your hands on a 3D model of the Gripen. There is a very nice and acurate model for FSX (flightsimulator). Much data can be found inside those files regarding geometry.

This is how i would do it. 

[#Leo#]

viggen, thanx for the info and some good ideas.....don't worry, Croatia won't manufacture it's own fighter jet soon most likely,hahaha, but we might buy some Gripens from you....I think the dillema is F-16 or Gripen, but, however, politicians will have a final word about that...the reason I'm tryin to get my hands on airfoil data is because I'm doing some work on my University regarding Gripen, in my collegium named Flight Mechanics. So, if anybody else knows where should I look, please step foward:)....thanks

[Viggen]

I can tell you that exact geometry measurments is also well protected secrets, does not matter if its the Gripen or any of the other new generation fighters. Like i said earlier, the closest you will ever get to an exact copy is by checking out a 3D animated model. I have the model myself. 

Well the F-16 is the better fighter, but the Gripen is cheaper and not far behind the Falcon. Most of us on Milavia do agree that its the engine that is letting the Gripen down. With a more powerful engine then it could seriously compete with the F-16.

[Webmaster]

Hmm, have you tried to search in scientific papers from Swedish aerospace engineers or students? It's a national product, huge project, I'd think there would have been quite some research related or based on it outside the military/industry.

Or ask Saab? hehe, who knows.

Welcome to the MILAVIA forum by the way! Hopefully you'll stick around.

[osuorsa]

That's nice Viggen. BTW, its common nowadays to favour computer versions of the manuals etc. Its much easier to maintain validated. All new information, work orders, notices etc can be easily added from one place to all users. And from computer its much more easier to search for info/help you need with the plane.

[Raptor]

I'd suggest writing an e-mail to saab and ask them for rough measurements? hehe

With digitalized manuals, though, it may be a little difficult to completely destroy data...

I don't see why the Gripen won't kick the F-16s @$$. The engine IS a ramped-up F-404, and not just the standard, so we should have quite reasonable power output... modify the frame a little into the JAS-39smth with the F-119 or F-110 and you have a miracle plane. The Viggen might look good with a F-119 stuck up its tail... I'd like to see that.

[Raptor]

Oh how droll, Gripen. Grip, you'd better start building the fire-bombs now.

Anyway you could send me your national secrets in pdf format, Viggen? I think i'll build a scaled down model of the Gripen.

[#Leo#]

Please, no more off topic.....help still needed

[Raptor]

What exactly do you need it for, Leo?

[#Leo#]

Basicly, I need airfoil type of wing and canards,and I need some geometry, like root ant tip chord legnht of wing and of canards etc...If not the exactly airfoil, just tell me is the wing symetrical or not, and what type of leading edge shape has it got, is it a "bow" type or a "diamond" type...thanks

[Raptor]

No, mean why do you want the specs for? What are you going to use it for?

You can get them from Gripen. He's the major Gripen fan.