VL Sääski

VL Sääski II

Picture - Preserved VL Sx¤x¤ski II at the Finnish Aviation Museum

Role: Trainer aircraft
Manufacturer: Valtion lentokonetehdas
Designed by: Kurt Berger and Asser Jx¤rvinen
First flight: 1928
Introduced: 1928
Primary user: Finnish Air Force
Number built: 38

VL Sx¤x¤ski II was the first series produced aircraft that had been designed in Finland. The aircraft was built by the State Aircraft Factory (Valtion lentokonetehdas) (abbrevated either V.L. or VL) and was a two-seat, biplane, single-engined trainer constructed out of wood.

The aircraft was designed by Kurt Berger and Asser Jx¤rvinen in 1927 and the prototype was financed by own means by a ten person construction team in the A.E. Nyman workshop. The prototype was called Sx¤x¤ski I and it was ready in early spring 1928. The aircraft's civil registration code was "K-SASA" and it was sold to the Finnish Air Force on June 25, 1928. The constructors of the aircraft formed a company called Sx¤x¤ski in 1928, obtained the manufacturing licence from the designers and built four improved Sx¤x¤ski II's for civil use with the State Aircraft Company. Due to lack of orders and the near bankruptcy of the company, the FAF ordered 10 Sx¤x¤ski II aircraft. These were built in 1930.

Two further orders came from the air force and the total production of the aircraft numbered 32 aircraft between 1930 and 1932. The second series (beginning with Sx„-127) differed from the former, by having a greater span. This version was called Sx¤x¤ski IIA. The aircraft was considered to be safe and reliable and it was also equipped with floaters. The floater version was still able to do aerobatics.

Use in Finland

The Finnish Air Force had 33 Sx¤x¤ski-aircraft between 1928-1943: the 32 series produced aircraft had the identification codes Sx„-113, Sx„-117 - Sx„-126 (version II), Sx„-127 - Sx„-148 (version IIA), the prototype, had the identification code Sx„-95 (version I), it had formerly been known under the civil registration code K-SASA. There were a further five Sx¤x¤ski 's in the civil market. The aircraft was primarily used as a trainer, but also for aerial photographing, machine gun exercises and as a liaison aircraft for the army.

One Sx¤x¤ski IIA is preserved today and on display at the air museum in Vantaa. Another one, the former coast guard aircraft LK 1 is on display at Maritime Centre Vellamo in Kotka, Finland.

Operators

Finland Finnish Air Force

Specifications (VL Sx¤x¤ski)

Picture - Sx¤x¤ski II LK-1 in Maritime Centre Vellamo in Kotka, Finland

General characteristics

Crew: Two
Length: 7.4 m (24 ft 3 in)
Wingspan: 9.9 m (32 ft 6 in)
Height: 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 24 m² (258 ft²)
Empty weight: 609 kg (1,342 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 913 kg (2,013 lb)
Powerplant: 1x— Siemens-Halske Sh 12 9-cyl. radial engine, 90 kW (120 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 145 km/h (90 mi/h)
Range: 3 h 30 min ()
Service ceiling: 4,500 m (14,760 ft)
Rate of climb: 2.3 m/s (450 ft/min)

VL Sääski Pictures

More aircraft.

Source: WikiPedia