Saab Completes Gripen F Maiden Flight; AFE26 Event Prospectus Released
Why It MattersThe successful debut of the Gripen F variant advances Saab's fighter program milestones alongside broader business-aviation and space-launch developments tracked across the industry.
Saab has completed the first flight of the Gripen F, the two-seat variant of the Gripen E, taking off from Saab's airfield in Linköping, Sweden, and remaining airborne for 40 minutes. The flight was flown by Saab chief test pilot Jakob Högberg and Brazilian Air Force test pilot Lieutenant Colonel Aviator Abdon de Rezende Vasconcelos, verifying the aircraft's core systems and initial flight performance.
Separately, the 2026 Affordable Flying Expo Event Prospectus has been released, detailing plans, opportunities, costs, and ambitions for AFE26, set for November 13–15 at the SUN 'n FUN Aerospace Expo campus in Lakeland, Florida. The event will focus on new aircraft, expanded pilot privileges, new engines and avionics, and efforts to bring more people into personal aviation.
These stories, along with Apollo's acquisition of Atlantic, NASA personnel changes, a projection of 1,000 launches per year by 2030, and the Phenom 300EV's triple certification, were covered in the Airborne-Unlimited episode for Monday, August 31, 2026.
