The Saab 91 Safir (English:"Sapphire") is a three (91A, B, B-2) or four (91C, D) seater, single engine trainer aircraft. The Safir was built by Saab in Linköping, Sweden, (203 aircraft) and by De Schelde in Dordrecht, Netherlands (120 aircraft).

Design and development
The Safir's first flight on 20 November 1945. The all-metal Safir was designed by Anders J. Andersson, who had previously worked for Bücker, where he designed the all-wood Bücker Bü 181 "Bestmann". The Safir thus shared many conceptual features of its design with the Bestmann.

The Saab 91A is powered by a 125 hp four cylinder de Havilland Gipsy Major 2c piston engine, or a 145 hp Gipsy Major 10 piston engine. The 91B, B-2 and C have a six cylinder Lycoming O-435A engine with 190 hp. The 91D has a four cylinder Lycoming O-360-A1A engine with 180 hp.

The "Safir" was later used as a platform to test at low speeds the new swept wing for the Saab 29 Tunnan jet fighter.


Specifications (91A)
Saab 91 "Safir"

General characteristics
* Crew: 1
* Capacity: 2 passengers
* Length: 7.80 m (25 ft 7 in)
* Wingspan: 10.60 m (34 ft 9 in)
* Height: 2.20 m (7 ft 3 in)
* Wing area: 13.6 m² (146 sq ft)
* Max takeoff weight: 1,000 kg (2,200 lb)
* Powerplant: 1× de Havilland Gipsy Major X four cylinder air-cooled inline engine, 145 hp (108 kW)

Performance
* Maximum speed: 264 km/h (143 knots, 164 mph)
* Cruise speed: 235 km/h (127 knots, 146 mph) (econ cruise)
* Stall speed: 85 km/h (46 knots, 53 mph)
* Range: 942 km (509 nmi, 585 mi)
* Service ceiling: 4,600 m (15,100 ft)
* Rate of climb: 5.3 m/s (1,050 ft/min).

Source: Wikipedia.org.