SAAB J35Ö Draken "Austrian Black Special"

Plastic model kit for a Saab J35Ö Draken "Austrian Black Special"
   Limited Edition  

• Scale: 1:48
• Dimensions (built): Length 323.5 mm / Wingspan 198 mm
• Decals (markings)
  • Austrian Air Force, 1st Fighter Squadron; special livery marking the aircraft's retirement ("21", 2005)
• Unassembled and unpainted
• Paint and glue not included

The Saab J 35Ö Draken "Austrian Black Special" featured a spectacular special livery unveiled to mark the retirement of the Draken from Austrian Air Force service in 2005. Finished entirely in black and bearing a striking "Dragon Knights" design, the aircraft bade farewell to a type that had formed the backbone of Austrian airspace surveillance since 1988. The J 35Ö was based on modernized Swedish J 35D Drakens and was equipped with twin 30mm cannons, an upgraded cockpit, and self-protection systems retrofitted at a later stage. Following the lifting of neutrality-related restrictions, it could also be armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. The Draken proved itself a reliable interceptor throughout its service life before being replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon. Thanks to its unique black livery and symbolic status as a farewell aircraft, the "Austrian Black Special" is regarded today as one of the most famous and impressive special schemes ever applied to a European military aircraft.