Our second aircraft is the superb looking Gripen fighter plane (WOW033) from
Sweden. Entering service in 1997 and now flying with several airforces
around the world, the Gripen has to be one of the most beautiful and
aerodynamic modern fighters in service today. The Gripen is a single seat
aircraft powered by a Volvo RM12 Afterburner fan engine. there is also a 2
seat trainer version. The Gripen is in service with Sweden, Hungary, Czech
Republic, South Africa and Brazil which has also stated interest in a
carrier version. The Gripen is designed to operate from a snow strip of 800m
plus and can be rearmed and refuelled in less than 10 minutes under combat
conditions. Capable of speeds up to MACH 2 the Gripen is one of the most
cost effective and flexible fighters on the market today. The Gripen is just
over 46ft long with a wingspan of approximately 27ft, our 1/35 scale sample
is what I would describe as a nice size and is actually longer in length
than our 1/30 scale ME262! Unfortunately we only have 2 Gripen available
although another version may come later, the retail price for this model is
$599 and I can guarantee they will not be around for long!