CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Myrsky prototype MY-1 on the ice of Lake Pyhäjärvi near the State Aircraft Factory at , perhaps in January 1943. Its maiden flight had WORKSHOP taken place on 23 December 1941. The part-restored fuselage of VL Myrsky II At this stage the MY-14 on display in the aircraft had tailplane Museum at Tikkakoski this July. bracing struts, an REINO MYLLYMÄKI exhaust collector and a Hamilton Standard Hydromatic propeller. ILMAVOIMAMUSEO ARCHIVE

The last complete Myrsky was MY-16, dumped at the edge of Kauhava air base. The young man standing with it is Hannu Valtonen, later a Finnish Air Force MiG-21 pilot and the museum chief at Tikkakoski. ILMAVOIMAMUSEO ARCHIVE

The only in-service photo of MY-14, possibly taken at Tampere in August 1944. The aircraft was delivered on 2 August that year and was moved to its base at Mensuvaara a week later. ILMAVOIMAMUSEO ARCHIVE

The starting-point for the restoration of MY-14’s fuselage was a rusty frame. STORM BREWING ILMAVOIMAMUSEO

hen the chairman of arose. Factors included the lower aircraft would be purchased from four 7.7mm (0.3in) machine guns in France. The available version The sole surviving example ’s national cost involved when compared with abroad. The specification was very and the engine a 1,060hp Bristol was the 1,050hp R-1830‑SC3-G. defence committee, Field licence-building the Fokker D.XXI. demanding — only the Heinkel Taurus III, subsequently changed Development of the Myrsky of Finland’s only indigenous Marshal Baron Carl Gustaf Another driver was the promising He 112, , to the 1,100hp Pratt & Whitney prototype accelerated. TMannerheim realised in late 1938 prototype of the Pyry fighter trainer Supermarine Spitfire, Seversky R-1830-S3C3-G Twin Wasp due to The situation of the Ilmavoimat’s production fighter, the VL that war could break out in Europe produced by Finland’s state aircraft EP-1 and all five domestic fighter imposition of a British embargo. fighter squadrons was quite poor at any time. With hostilities in mind, factory, the alternatives met it. But none of in the summer of 1942. Their best Myrsky — its name meaning he recommended that Finland (VL), which made its maiden flight the foreign types were available to asset was the Brewster B-239. should purchase military aircraft on 29 March 1939. Some days later Finland. The with the Soviet Germany had sold only obsolete ‘storm’ — is well on the way to from abroad as soon as possible. It the VL received a call to tender for On 8 June 1939, the defence Union temporarily halted the design captured French fighters to Finland: had acquired seven Fokker D.XXIs the proposed domestic fighter. It ministry ordered the indigenous of the new fighter, now called the VL 24 Morane-Saulnier MS406s and becoming a unique museum in 1937 and the licence-production worked day and night on the project fighter design from the VL. The new Myrsky. However, the prototype was 29 Curtiss Hawk 75As. The only of 35 more was in progress. during April and May. In all, five specification demanded a 540km/h ordered on 20 December 1940 and way to ensure fighter deliveries exhibit in its homeland The Finnish Air Force, or alternative proposals were put (335mph) top speed, a climb time serial MY-1 flew for the first time seemed to be domestic production. Ilmavoimat, began its search for new forward. to 6,000m (19,685ft) of not more on 23 December 1941. Two weeks The air force thus ordered three WORDS: REINO MYLLYMÄKI fighter aircraft the following winter. The Finnish defence council than seven minutes and a landing later the VL learned that Finland pre-production Myrsky Is on 30 Around that time, the possibility decided to establish a new fighter speed not exceeding 115km/h could buy Twin Wasp engines May 1942 and 47 series production of domestic fighter production squadron on 6 June 1939. Its (71mph). The armament was from German ‘war booty’ holdings Myrsky IIs on 18 August, well

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CLOCKWISE before delivery of the Ilmavoimat’s each are needed for the two wing LEFT: FROM RIGHT: first Bf 109 in March 1943. halves. The wing ribs are constructed The Myrsky II has a Members of the The pre-production Myrskys from birch veneer and strengthened detachable engine Finnish Aviation arrived during the summer of with pine strips. The fuselage rack, onto which the Museum Society’s ‘pot plate’ and the Tuesday Club 1943. They were soon destroyed: formers transform the box shape of powerplant itself strengthened the serial MY-2 when it ran out of fuel, the steel tube frame into a rounded are installed, as wing ribs using glued MY-3 because of aeroelastic flutter shape, and have the same structure well as the complex pine strips. of the elevators and MY-4 due to as the ribs. The structure of the exhaust pipework. LASSI KARIVALO aileron flutter caused by incorrect ailerons, as well as the vertical and ILMAVOIMAMUSEO balancing. The first series production horizontal stabilisers, is the same as A 1947-model Elliott BELOW LEFT: of London band- Myrsky was taken on strength on 23 in the wing: wooden spars and ribs Conservator Harri saw in the hands of December 1943, but deliveries were covered with plywood. Huopainen tries the 1942-model Matti slow. When the Soviet Union started It took two years to make the pilot’s armoured Patteri, the Myrsky the Vyborg-Petrozavodsk offensive wooden wing components. The rib seat for size after project manager. on 10 June 1944, only four Myrsky blanks were cut from plywood using its installation. LASSI KARIVALO IIs had been supplied, and they a laser belonging to Riihimäki-based ILMAVOIMAMUSEO Skilled carpenter were used as test aircraft. Although ProLaser. Otherwise, the production Mika Rautasaari Germany delivered more powerful process was mostly manual work. installs the lower Bf 109Gs to Finland, the need for The original Myrsky II wing was decking of the fighters was urgent. one 11m (36.1ft)-long component. Myrsky’s fuselage, Tiedustelulentolaivue 12 — TLeLv The project steering committee which needed a 12, or Reconnaissance Squadron decided to divide the wing into lot of handiwork. ILMAVOIMAMUSEO 12 — became the Myrsky’s first user. two halves and bolt them together Its transition from the Fokker D.XXI using three steel plates. This made started at Tampere in July 1944 and production of the wing easier, and it continued at the squadron’s base at will be simpler to move MY-14 in the Mensuvaara. The Myrsky came into museum. Assembly of the port wing operational service on 17 August, but half started on 17 October 2017. It it only fought in a few aerial battles was removed from the jig on 19 May before the end of the Continuation 2018, allowing the starboard half to War. Those engagements resulted take its place. After that, the building in damage to two Soviet fighters, of the wing halves continued an La-5 and a Yak-9. A Myrsky simultaneously. detachment participated in the Lapland War but just 32 sorties were flown due to poor weather. The lack of the original landing Otherwise the Ilmavoimat was gear was a problem. Only some parts mostly grounded by order of the have been preserved, and certain Allied Control Commission until design drawings were missing too. August 1945. Matti Patteri had to design the complex undercarriage partly by using existing drawings and some After World War Two, the Myrsky photos as a basis. Patria and its sub- II was used as an intermediate contractors helped a great deal by fighter trainer, bridging the gap manufacturing the shock-absorbing between the VL Pyry and the struts, but many components were Bf 109G. The Myrsky suffered many The Myrskys were scrapped in the Fokker D.XXI and the VMT agreement with Patria whereby the MY‑14 engages about 15 volunteers made by Patteri himself, with the structural problems, especially in the 1952-53. Just one complete example, Pyörremyrsky, a subsequent Finnish aerospace company would including the project manager help of Vantaa Vocational College. wooden wing due to poor-quality MY-16, survived at Kauhava air Finnish-designed fighter of which provide financial and practical Matti Patteri. The landing gear will not be fully organic glues (casein) and lacquers. base. Along with some Hawk 75s just one example was built, enabled support. Completion was aimed Production of the Myrsky’s operational as some items are Furthermore, the undercarriage and Bf 109s, it met its end during the restoration of the Myrsky II. The for August 2019, 75 years after the wooden wing parts by the Tuesday unavailable, but it will be possible to was weak, and the engine keen the summer of 1965. However, three example in question is MY-14, one Myrskys were taken into service. Club began in move it up and to overheat. On 9 May 1947, Capt steel tube Myrsky fuselage frames of the 11 Myrskys that flew for more The division of work between the August 2015. The down. Kauko Ikonen was killed in the crash were found in Jämsä in the late than 100 hours. Tuesday Club and the Tikkakoski wing has two box The Tuesday Club Before the of serial MY-28, causing all Myrskys 1970s. They had lain in the open for The Ilmavoimamuseo, the restoration team was based on spars with three wing halves to be grounded. The Paris peace more than 25 years. Pete Virtanen Finnish Aviation Museum (Suomen their respective skills. The Tuesday plywood waists. concentrates on the can be covered treaty had, in any case, limited the bought them and donated them ilmailumuseo) and the Finnish Club concentrates on the wooden The flanges are wooden structures, with plywood, number of combat aircraft Finland to the Ilmavoimat. They arrived Aviation Museum Society unveiled structures like the wing, including made of pine all the internal could possess to 60. At the time at the Suomen Ilmavoimamuseo, the Myrsky project on 16 March 2013. the landing gear. The Tikkakoski and laminated and Tikkakoski on structures and it had 100 Bf 109Gs, and all other the Finnish Air Force Museum, at The aircraft will be restored to static personnel look after the metal ones birch veneer fittings must be fighters, such as the Myrsky, were Tikkakoski in the early 1980s. About display condition. However, both the such as the fuselage, the engine and lumber. Due the metal ones made. There are abandoned. Between them, the 51 2,500 drawings had almost been Ilmavoimamuseo restoration team the weapons. to the tapered two racks for Myrskys amassed only 3,051 flying burned at the Hallinportti Aviation and its counterpart at the society, The Tuesday Club consists of configuration, there are a lot of ribs 100kg (220lb) bombs or 150-litre hours, prototype MY-1 notching up Museum in Halli, but they were known as the Tuesday Club, were some 50 volunteers who preserve, with different shapes. Since every (33-gallon) drop tanks and they need the most. Production took more than rescued to the Ilmavoimamuseo involved in other tasks and it was restore and rebuild aircraft and rib is divided into three parts — the pipework for compressed air and one million working hours, equating at the start of the 1990s. These two unclear how the Myrsky effort would their parts in collaboration with the leading-edge, middle and trailing- fuel, contained in the leading-edge to some 10 per cent of the VL’s events, together with the will to be funded. On 23 April 2014, the Suomen ilmailumuseo. It has several edge elements — there are 75 structure. The trailing-edge structure capacity in 1943-44. recreate the missing link between Aviation Museum Society signed an jobs on the go at any one time. different wing rib parts, and two of takes in the ailerons, the flaps and

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D.XXI, but the seat itself has been reproduced. The retractable tailwheel has been repaired, and all its ancillary equipment preserved, repaired or reproduced and installed in the fuselage. The aluminium firewalls had mostly disappeared and needed to be replicated. A comparison between the remains of the firewalls and the design drawings showed that some feed-throughs had been closed, so new ones were opened. The Myrsky’s armament consists of four VKT 12,70 LKk/42 heavy machine guns manufactured by the State Rifle Factory (Valtion Kivääritehdas, VKT). This gun is an illegal copy of the Belgian-built FN Browning M.1939 but differs in calibre, this being 12.7mm (0.5in) on the Finnish weapon rather than 13.2mm (0.52in). Sufficient guns have been found for the project and the case boxes have been preserved, ABOVE: three driving gears for the ailerons, out by Valo-Steel Mentanova using but the cartridge boxes are missing. The wings will flaps and undercarriage. A lot of moulds furnished by Patteri. They will be reproduced, as will the be covered with technology in a small space! The Ilmavoimamuseo is the sole fuel and oil tanks. plywood sheets, Two original but damaged aviation museum in Finland which MY-14 will receive a 1,200hp one of which is being fitted onto the duralumin elevators have been has permanent aircraft preservation R-1830-S1C3-G Twin Wasp engine flap compartment preserved. They will be restored staff. Although the team has more from the air force museum’s by Tuesday Club and fitted to MY-14, although this expertise in metal aircraft, one collection. The unit was previously in member Heikki example was originally equipped of the four is a skilled carpenter. a Douglas C-47. As used in the C-47, Kaakinen. LASSI KARIVALO with wooden elevators and rudder. Conservator Harri Huopainen is the engine has an exhaust collector Matti Patteri rebuilt the rudder at one of the few professionals in ring, while the Myrsky engine has an early stage of the project. All the Finnish museums who are trained separate exhaust pipes with tapering trim tabs are original. in aircraft preservation. ends in order to produce extra thrust. Patteri has made all the necessary The Myrsky II project started at Rauno Pylväläinen of Patria Aviation jigs as well as the moulds needed Tikkakoski by disassembling the welded the complex exhaust system to produce items such as the NACA three fuselage frames and digitising in 340 working hours. Installation cowling, which consists of eight the design drawings. The latter work on the fuselage formers and aluminium segments. Antero process was carried out with the aid the frames for access panels is in Flander of of the Äänekoski progress. The original canopy has metalworking The rebuild of Vocational been repaired, and the Perspex firm Flanco College. Some glazing is currently going in. shaped the Myrsky MY-14 is 2,500 drawings The rebuild of MY-14 is the upper part of the are now saved biggest aircraft restoration project cowling as well the biggest aircraft in PDF and TIFF in Finnish history. So far, the as the outer and formats. The number of working hours spent on inner sections restoration project in three fuselage it has exceeded 20,000. However, it of the air duct Finnish history frames consisted has gone over-budget, so donations using moulds of many small are welcomed. The project has also produced by Patteri. Teemu parts. Further important items been delayed — the new target for Lehtinen from GA Telesis Engine were found in storage with the the Myrsky’s unveiling is the spring Service welded the parts together. Ilmavoimamuseo, the Suomen of 2021 when Patria, the successor Flander shaped the so-called ‘pot ilmailumuseo and the Hallinportti of the old State Aircraft Factory, plate’, the front plate of the engine Aviation Museum. Collectors will celebrate its centenary. Before mounting, from steel sheets less than have donated or exchanged that, there remains a lot of work to 1mm (0.04in) thick. The shaping of Myrsky components to help in the be done by the Tuesday Club the aluminium wing root fairings restoration. and the restoration team at will be one of his next jobs. MY-14’s fuselage frame has been Tikkakoski. Some of the Myrsky’s aluminium sand-blasted and painted, after parts were made using the which assembly of the preserved ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: technique called pressure turning. or repaired parts could begin. The The author thanks Erja Reinikainen The spinner is original but its cockpit is fairly complete in terms of and Jukka Raunio. mounting ring and rear panel were the dashboard, dials and equipment. missing, as were the wheel well The armour plating on the seat back For more information and to make covers. These have all been turned is an original part used in a Fokker donations, visit vlmyrsky.fi

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