The Jaktfalken ("Gerfalcon") was a private venture by Svenska Aero AB. This company, with its (rather small) production facilities at Lidingö near Stockholm was a subsidiary company to Heinkel in Warnemünde in Germany. It gave Heinkel the possibility to manufacture aircraft without problems with the conquering countries after the WWI, which prohibited aircraft industry in Germany for a lot of years. The German engineer and pilot Carl Clemens Bücker (1895 - 1976) became managing director for the company from the start in 1921 until it was taken over by ASJA in 1932.

Bücker was an experienced test pilot when had come to Sweden in 1920. He became a Swedish citizen in 1921 and was employed as test pilot by the Swedish navy. After the years in Sweden, Bücker moved back to Germany and started his own aircraft factory Bücker Flugzeugbau at Johannisthal near Berlin which in the beginning produced sport and trainer aircraft. Examples are aircraft as Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann, Bücker Bü 133 Jungmeister and Bücker Bü 181 Bestmann. In 1935, the factory was moved to Rangsdorf. During the WWII, the production also consisted of other aircraft and aircraft parts ordered by the Luftwaffe. After the war, Bücker returned to Sweden and became again a Swedish citizen.

Jaktfalken proved to be successful and in the same class as the best available foreign fighter aircraft. The engine was an Armstong Siddely Jaguar delivering 500 hp. The single-seated fighter was armed with two 8 mm machine-guns.

The design was a good also concerning maintenance aspects. The fuselage consisted of a fabric-covered frame of steel tubing. The fore and aft parts were covered with easy removable aluminium plating.
 
In 1930, the Jaktfalken was bought by the Air Force and given the designation J 5. Further aircraft were ordered, but due to modifications, they were given the designations J 6, J 6A and J 6B.
The single J 5 was subject to hard trials and written off after only 89 hours in the air. One more ”J 5” was made by Svenska Aero AB and sold to the Norwegian Air Force.

Length: 7,10 m. Span: 9,00 m.  Height: 3,46 m. Maximum take-off weight: 1,475 kg. Max. speed: 300 km/h. 

© Lars Henriksson

Updated 2010-07-20