VL Myrsky (Storm) Fighter / Fighter-Bomber / Reconnaissance (1943)
The indigenous Finnish VL Myrsky fighter series led a relatively short operational life and low production numbers.
The Myrsky was of conventional design arrangement as piston-powered aircraft of the time go. The type was characterized by its low-monoplane wing assemblies (fitting ahead of center) and its forward-mounted radial piston engine powering a three-bladed propeller. The cockpit was set along the center of the design with good views to either side and rather limiting views forward overlooking the long nose. The empennage was traditional in its arrangement with a short, rounded vertical tailfin and applicable rounded horizontal tailplanes. The undercarriage was retractable and made up two single-wheeled main landing gear legs and a tail wheel. The Myrsky was managed by a single pilot. Wingspan measured 11 meters with a fuselage length of 8.35 meters. Construction was of wood and metal.
The Myrsky was completed with an SFA-Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp R-1830-SC3-G series 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine of 1,650 horsepower output and fitted to a compartment ahead of the cockpit. This supplied the mount with a top speed of 328 miles per hour with a service ceiling of 29,500 feet and operational range of 580 miles. The engine was originally an American product produced under license in Sweden before making its way into the Finnish product.
Armament was a keen consideration for any fighter and the Myrsky was given 4 x 12.7mm LKK/42 heavy machine guns, all fitted to the forward fuselage and synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades. Provision was made for the carrying of 2 x 100 kilogram conventional drop bombs for strike sorties.
First flight of a prototype was recorded on December 23rd, 1941 and the aircraft was assigned the designation of "Myrsky I" . Three pre-production aircraft were then constructed for trials and testing quickly revealed several notable design flaws, particularly with the wings which were prone to break from the fuselage under certain stresses. The landing gear legs also proved weak and new processes were introduced to both areas for added strength. As a result of such dangerous issues, not one of the four completed airframes would survive their trials - all being lost to accident and two test pilots being killed in the process.
In 1943, production was underway for the revised "Myrsky II" of which 47 aircraft were ultimately completed. The aircraft was then placed into operational service with awaiting Finnish reconnaissance and fighter groups in August of 1944 and saw service in the "Continuation War" (June 1941-September 1944) against the Soviet Union (Finland was allied to Nazi Germany by this time, thusly its aircraft carried the recognizable German Swastika in light blue on a white circle roundel). Myrskys were used in both fighter and fighter-bomber roles which complemented the arrival of very capable Messerschmitt BF 109G fighters being delivered from Germany. By all accounts, the Finnish design was adequate in the roles presented though it is said that her pilots never held a true appreciation for the type mostly due to less than stellar performance. The continuation war ended with a Soviet victory solidified through the Moscow Armistice. Finland then turned on the Germans in the "Lapland War" which spanned October 1944 to the end of World War 2 in April of 1945, officially ending German influence in the country.
The Myrsky II managed an existence that outlasted the war for she was still being actively flown well into 1947 and ultimately retired from Finnish Air Force service in 1948. An improved variant, the "Myrsky III", entered construction but none were completed and thusly never saw operational service. In all, 51 Myrsky I and Myrsky II aircraft were produced and all served with Finland. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
MilitaryFactory.com does NOT sell equipment/weaponry. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information. Our disclaimer. Email corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com.
Specifications for the
VL Myrsky (Storm)
Fighter / Fighter-Bomber / Reconnaissance
Country of Origin: Finland
Manufacturer: Valtion lentokonetehdas - Finland
Initial Year of Service: 1943
Production: 51
Focus Model: VL Myrsky (Storm)
Crew: 1
Length: 27.40ft (8.35m)
Width: 36.09ft (11.00m)
Height: 9.84ft (3.00m)
Weight (Empty): 5,478lbs (2,485kg)
Weight (MTOW): 7,083lbs (3,213kg)
Powerplant: 1 x SFA-Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp R-183-SC3-G 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine developing 1,065 horsepower.
Maximum Speed: 329mph (529kmh; 286kts)
Maximum Range: 580miles (933km)
Service Ceiling: 29,495ft (8,990m; 5.6miles)
Rate-of-Climb: 50 feet per minute (15m/min)
Hardpoints: 2
Armament Suite:
STANDARD:
4 x 12.7mm LKK/42 machine guns in fuselage
OPTIONAL:
2 x 220lb bombs underwing
Variants:
Myrsky I - Prototype Designation; appearing in December of 1941; 4 examples completed.
Myrsky II - Initial Production Models; 47 examples completed.
Myrsky III - Proposed follow-up variant of 1943; never produced.
Operators: Finland
BY DECADE:
• 1900 to 1909
• 1910 to 1919
• 1920 to 1929
• 1930 to 1939
• 1940 to 1949
• 1950 to 1959
• 1960 to 1969
• 1970 to 1979
• 1980 to 1989
• 1990 to 1999
• 2000 to 2009
• 2010 to 2019
• 2020 to 2029
• VIEW ALL
• Compare Aircraft
BY TYPE:
• Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
• Attack Helicopters
• Bomber Aircraft
• Medium Bombers
• Heavy Bombers
• Close-Air Support (CAS)
• Commercial Aircraft
• Dive Bombers
• Electronic Warfare Aircraft (EWA)
• Experimental / X-Planes
• Fighter Aircraft
• Floatplane Aircraft
• Flying Boat Aircraft
• Aerial Refueling Tankers
• Helicopters (ALL)
• Interceptor Aircraft
• Multi-Role Aircraft
• Navy Carrier Aircraft
• Night Fighters
• Reconnaissance / Scout
• Search & Rescue (SAR)
• Scout Helicopters
• Special Purpose
• Torpedo Bombers
• Trainer Aircraft
• Transport Aircraft
• Transport Helicopters
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
• Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs)
COLLECTIONS:
• 4th Generation Fighter Aircraft
• 5th Generation Fighter Aircraft
• US X-Planes
• Classic US Warbirds
• French Military Helicopters
• Grumman "Cats"
• Howard Hughes Aircraft
• Indian Air Force
• Israeli Air Force
• Libyan Aircraft
• Modern Chinese Aircraft
• Modern Chinese Fighters
• Modern Military Aircraft
• Modern North Korean Aircraft
• Modern Trainer Aircraft
• Modern US Aircraft
• Mikoyan Aircraft
• Sukhoi Aircraft
• Syrian Aircraft
• Top 10 Fighter Aircraft of All Time
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT:
• Arab-Israeli War (1948)
• Cuban Missile Crisis (1959-1962)
• Falklands War (1982)
• Indo-Pak War (1965, 1971)
• Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)
• Lebanon War (1982)
• Operation Allied Force (1999)
• Operation Desert Storm (1991)
• Six Day War (1967)
• Spanish Civil War (1936)
• Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989)
• Yom Kippur War (1973)
MISCELLANEOUS:
• Aircraft Cockpits
• Aircraft Manufacturers List
• Aircraft Timeline
WORLD WAR 2:
• 1939 Aircraft
• 1940 Aircraft
• 1941 Aircraft
• 1942 Aircraft
• 1943 Aircraft
• 1944 Aircraft
• 1945 Aircraft
• 1946 Aircraft
• Australian Aircraft
• Battle of Britain Aircraft
• Bombers
• Four-Engine Bombers
• British Aircraft
• British Bombers
• British Transports
• Dive Bombers
• Canadian Aircraft
• Fighters
• Chinese Aircraft
• French Aircraft
• German Aircraft
• German Fighters
• German Flying Boats
• German Jets
• Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe
• Italian Aircraft
• Imperial Japanese Aircraft
• Imperial Japanese Fighters
• Mitsubishi Bombers
• Navy Aircraft
• Pearl Harbor
• Polish Aircraft
• Romanian Aircraft
• US Aircraft
• US Bombers
• US Navy Aircraft
• Soviet Aircraft
• Torpedo Bombers
• Transport Aircraft
• Tuskegee Airmen Aircraft
• W.A.S.P. Aircraft
• WW2 Aircraft Ranked by Speed
• VIEW ALL
WORLD WAR 1:
• 1914 Aircraft
• 1915 Aircraft
• 1916 Aircraft
• 1917 Aircraft
• 1918 Aircraft
• Aircraft Timeline
• Austro-Hungarian Aircraft
• Bomber Aircraft
• British Aircraft
• Fighters
• Flying Boats
• French Aircraft
• Imperial German Aircraft
• Italian Aircraft
• Scout Aircraft
• Russian Empire Aircraft
• US Aircraft
• WW1 Aircraft Ranked by Speed
• VIEW ALL
KOREAN WAR:
• Australian Aircraft
• Korean War Aces
• Korean War Jets
• North Korean Aircraft
• US Military Aircraft
• VIEW ALL
VIETNAM WAR:
• Helicopters
• North Vietnam Air Force
• US Airpower
• VIEW ALL
COLD WAR:
• 1950s French Aircraft
• British V-Bombers
• Cold War Bombers
• Soviet Aircraft
• Soviet Bombers
• Soviet Interceptors
• Soviet Helicopters
• Strategic Air Command
• US Aircraft
• US Bombers
• US Interceptors
• VIEW ALL
©2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • Content ©2003-2013 MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Site Contact Email: militaryfactory at gmail dot com. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® trademarks and protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws.
Top MF Stuff: 2013 Military Pay Scale | Military Ranks | WW2 Weapons | Sniper Rifles | Kts to Mph | WW1 Aircraft | Automatic Rifles | Aircraft Cockpits | Vietnam War Weapons | Main Battle Tanks | Submachine Guns | Shotguns | French Military Victories
Most photographic images appearing on this site are courtesy of the United States Department of Defense and are approved for public use. Other images acquired through the public domain. Digital art work courtesy of Dan Alex. Business Consulting by Kyle Williams. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information.
