Storm Brewing Ilmavoimamuseo
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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Myrsky prototype MY-1 on the ice of Lake Pyhäjärvi near the State Aircraft Factory at Tampere, 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 Finnish Air Force 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 Finland’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, Messerschmitt Bf 109, 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 Valtion lentokonetehdas 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 Winter War 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 16 www.aeroplanemonthly.com AEROPLANE OCTOBER 2019 AEROPLANE OCTOBER 2019 www.aeroplanemonthly.com 17 WORKSHOP VL Myrsky 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.