Here you can find close-up shots of the Austrian Saab J-35 Draken. The machine was photographed at the BRUMOWSKI Air Base during the doors open day. The plane serving as a teaching aid was placed inside a maintenance hangar high up on several stands and screw jacks so it could be photographed from underside only. The main undercarriage was chosen for this detail documenting article.
I/ Left (Port) side of the airplane.
1) Main strut
This is the main strut (upper picture) and its attachment (lower one).
The same strut looking towards the back of the airplane. You can see a landing light attached to the gear door:
The same strut looking up and forward. Several underwing maintenance panels are removed here and cables connected.
2) Wheel well & door
Main wheel well door inside surfaces when looking backward. The left wing is also visible with bare metal leading edge (upper right portion of the picture):
The same door when looking toward the wing leading edge and slightly forward. Note the underwing pylon (lower left portion of the picture):
And now some more main gear well details while looking straight up. Underwing pylon with the rail is also visible near the right edge:
Here you can see the same wheel well and door from below. Please note that the color of the position light in the wing leading edge looks as if it was orange – it is due to the bright light coming from the roof hangar windows and high contrast – the light was red in real.
3) Wheel & brake
This is the lower end of the left main strut with wheel and brake, viewing toward the wing tip. You can see the underwing rail attached to the pylon (narrow bar behind the undercarriage, upper left portion of picture).
Two more shots looking toward the nose of the plane:
II/ Right (Starboard) side of an airplane.
1) Main strut
This is the main strut (upper picture) and its attachment when looking slightly backwards (lower picture).
2) Wheel well & door
Main wheel well inside surfaces looking toward the airplane centerline axis and slightly backwards.
Main wheel well door inside surfaces looking toward the wing tip. The part of the wing leading edge (upper left of picture) and trailing edge (on lower right) are also visible:
The same wheel well looking toward the nose of the plane:
This is a similar picture, but the wheel well door and its inside structure is better visible:
And here again – under the right wing some of the maintenance panels were removed. Finally some more main gear well details and strut attachment point while looking nearly straight up:
3) Wheel & brakes
Lower end of a left main strut with wheel and brake (upper image).
The wheel disk details and a Good Year tire surface are well visibke:
So it is all for this time. Other pictures documenting the front undercarriage, auxiliary tail wheels and some lower surface details will be published in further articles.
My older Austrian Draken walkaround can be found here.
For more reference photographs please visit the References category.
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Images and Text Copyright © 2012 by Marcel Meres.