VL Myrsky
| VL Myrsky | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Fighter plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
December 23, 1941 |
| Commissioning: |
1943 |
| Number of pieces: |
51 |
The VL Myrsky (translated: storm ) was a Finnish fighter aircraft in World War II in 1942. It was manufactured by the state-owned aircraft factory Valtion lentokonetehdas (VL).
history
After the winter war of 1939/40 the Finnish Air Force decided to build a new fighter. The reason was the delivery block for modern hunters shortly before this war. At that time, every sale was tied to political conditions.
The design was carried out by DI Torsti Verkkola and his technical director Erik Wegelius. Due to the scarcity of duralumin , the wings were made from plywood and the fuselage from metal. The engines were of the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 type with a Swedish replica license.
The first prototype was fully functional, but too heavy. After some modifications, three prototypes were made. The first flight took place on December 23, 1941. The first tests, however, showed structural problems at high speeds. All three prototypes were lost in tests, two pilots died and one was seriously injured.
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Production began in 1942 after the Germans had already delivered Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighters to Finland. The series machines were named Myrsky II . A total of 47 machines were built, plus three Myrsky I pre-production models . However, the aircraft did not meet expectations. It was planned to use this type as a hunter for three to four years. However, due to the weaknesses, the Finnish Air Force decided not to use the machines as pure fighters.
An extended version, the Myrsky III with a 1,475 hp Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine , was manufactured and test flown, but the Allies stopped production after ten machines.
Mission history
Fifteen Myrsky flew on September 19, 1943 and a total of 68 sorties between August 9, 1944 and September 3, 1944. During one of the missions, they met Yakovlev Yak-7 fighters, but the aerial combat ended without losses for either side. Two Soviet fighters were shot down during two other missions. On September 3, 1944, six Myrsky bombs bombed Russian positions.
During the Lapland War against Germany, six Myrsky fighters flew a total of 13 sorties. However, the wooden construction of the machines could not withstand the Finnish autumn rain and so the operations had to be canceled.
After a crash in 1947, all the remaining machines were withdrawn from service and scrapped.
Versions
- Myrsky I - one prototype, three pre-production models
- Myrsky II - production aircraft, 47 built
- Myrsky III - planned with a 1,475 hp Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine , not built
Military use
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data VL Myrsky II |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| length | 8.35 m |
| span | 11 m |
| height | 3 m |
| Wing area | 18 m² |
| Empty mass | 2485 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 3213 kg |
| Top speed | 529 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 9000 m |
| Range | 933 km |
| Engines | 1 × 14-cylinder double radial engine Pratt & Whitney R-1830 (SFA-SCG-3) with 794 kW (1,065 PS) |
| Armament | 4 × 12.7 mm MG LKK / 42 2 × 50 kg bombs |
literature
- Kalevi Keskinen, Kari Stenman, Klaus Niska: Suomen ilmavoimien historia 14 - Suomalaiset hävittäjät. AR-Kustannus ky, 1990, ISBN 951-95821-0-X .
- Jukka Raunio: Valtion Lentokonetehdas Myrsky. Suomen Ilmailuhistoriallisen Lehden Erikoisnumero 1. Forssan Kirjapaino Oy, 2002, ISBN 951-96866-4-9 .
- Jukka Raunio: Lentäjän Näkökulma. Forssan Kirjapaino Oy, 1991.