The Swedish MiGs

+JonathanRL · August 28, 2012

So I was bored, and decided to play around a little with skins and decals, this time creating a small alternate history where Sweden goes for MiGs instead of homegrown industry. Tell me what you think of both the skins and the story. No decision is made about release yet, but I am considering it.

A/J 31 Slaghöken

After the 1952 election where the Communist Party won a grandslam election in a very disputed outcome, there was already plotting on how this could be used to benefit the benefactors of the party. While turning Sweden into a new Eastern Block state was encouraged by Stalin, it was felt that this would result in civil war and most likely a NATO Intervention. In fact, there was only one area where the Communist Party could work without major turmoil in the country.

While the decision certainly was not popular and the word "Treason" was thrown around enough to fill a dictionary, the Party decided to cut the Defense Budget with 40% and discontinuing work on further aircraft types on Saab. In secret, most of the plans was forwarded to the Soviet Union, and the Swedish Air Force, now had to rely on aging Vampires, Mosquitoes and Tunnans who refits into F version had been cancelled. In an attempt to soften the criticism around the decision, Sweden purchased new fighters from the Soviet Union, and chose the MiG-17 to replace the Vampires. That the replacement aircraft was fewer then the aircraft they replaced was waved away by the argument that the MiG 17 was a superior fighter.

They where operated by the Swedish Air Force until late 1965 as both Fighter and Attack Aircraft.

J-31B Natthöken

Finding the MiG 17 woefully inadequate for Night Fighting duties, the Air Force began bargaining for the purchase of a Night Fighter. The Communist Government who had won another election (and almost provoked civil unrest to boot) decided to oblige them. In 1956, the decision was made to purchase Radar Equipped MiG-17PF who could serve as night fighting aircraft. The Aircraft had a rather dull and undistinguished career where the many interceptions of Soviet spy aircraft heading to Norway was soundly ignored.

In 1961, a crude radar guided missile was developed by the remains of Saab and was modified to be fitted to the Aircraft.

More coming soon...