The Saab 90 Scandia was a Swedish twin-engine airliner designed and built by Saab (Svenska Aeroplan AB) shortly after World War II. It was Sweden’s attempt to enter the commercial aviation market and compete with aircraft like the Douglas DC-3, which dominated short-to-medium haul routes at the time.

✈️ Overview:

• Role: Short- to medium-range passenger airliner
• Manufacturer: Saab (Sweden)
• First flight: November 16, 1946
• Introduced: 1950
• Retired: Mostly out of service by the 1970s
• Total built: Only 18 aircraft

🛠️ Design & Specs:

• Engines: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-2180-E Twin Wasp E radial piston engines (1,650 hp each)
• Cruise speed: ~280 mph (450 km/h / 240 knots)
• Range: ~1,200 miles (1,930 km)
• Service ceiling: ~24,000 ft (7,300 m)
• Passenger capacity: 32 to 40 passengers
• Crew: 3 (typically)

🧱 Key Features:

• Low-wing monoplane design
• Tricycle landing gear – More modern and stable on the ground compared to taildraggers like the DC-3
• Pressurized cabin? – Nope, unpressurized, so it was limited in altitude
• All-metal construction – Built for durability
• Tail configuration: Conventional tail with a single vertical fin

🔧 Development & Use:

• Saab developed the Scandia in the late 1940s, targeting the same market as the DC-3
• Although it was modern and had better ground handling, it entered the market too late — jet and turboprop designs were on the horizon, and the DC-3 was already entrenched worldwide
• Main operator: VASP (Viacao Aérea São Paulo) in Brazil, which used them heavily in domestic routes
• Only one or two were used in Europe, mainly as test or demonstration aircraft

🪦 Why It Didn't Succeed:

• Too few built – only 18 total
• Tough competition – The DC-3 was cheaper and already widespread
• Late entry – The aviation market was shifting toward pressurized, faster aircraft

🛩️ Legacy:

• Though not widely adopted, the Saab 90 Scandia helped Saab gain experience in civil aviation
• That knowledge eventually contributed to Saab's later designs, including the more successful Saab 340 turboprop