VL Kotka

VL Kotka on Tikkakoski airport in March 1940.

VL E.30 Kotka, KA-147, in Vesivehma in 2006

VL Kotka ("Eagle") was a Finnish two-seat, biplane maritime patrol aircraft, designed and built by the Valtion lentokonetehdas or VL ("State Aircraft Factory"). It was meant as a cheaper replacement (compared to the Blackburn Ripon) for the outdated IVL A.22 Hansas that were in service with the Finnish Air Force.^[1]

The prototype made its first flight on September 30, 1930. In 1931, the State Aircraft Factory began production of a series of five aircraft. These were used as liaison aircraft until 1944.^[2]

One aircraft (KA-147) is on display at the Päijät-Häme Aviation Museum.^[3]

Versions

• VL E.30 Kotka - prototype (KA-144) and three of the production aircraft (KA-145 – KA-148).
• VL E.31 Kotka - the last, more modified series production aircraft (KA-149).

Operators

 Finland

• Finnish Air Force.

Specifications (KA-147, land aircraft)

Data from ^[4]

General characteristics

• Crew: Two
• Length: 10.25 m (33 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan: 12.70 m (41 ft 8 in)
• Height: 3.80 m (12 ft 6 in)
• Wing area: 50.0 m² (538 ft²)
• Empty weight: 1,380 kg (3,042 lb)
• Loaded weight: 2,380 kg (5,250 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-1820-E Cyclone radial engine, 429 kW (575 hp)
• Propellers: Hamilton Standard DWG No 35 B2-2^[2] propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 225 km/h (140 mph)
• Range: 650 km (400 miles)
• Service ceiling: 5,600 m (18,400 ft)

Armament

• Guns:
  • 7.7 mm Vickers machine gun on left side of the fuselage (500 rounds)
  • 2 × 7.7 mm Lewis machine guns in the observer's cockpit (8 × 97 rounds)
• Bombs: 3 × 100 kg or 6 × 50 kg bombs under the fuselage

See also

Valtion lentokonetehdas

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Blackburn Ripon

References

Citations

1. "Ilmavoimien käyttämät konetyypit 1930-luku" (PDF). puolustusvoimat.fi (in Finnish). Suomen puolustusvoimat. p. 3. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
2. Raunio 2005: pp. 154–159
3. "VL E.30 Kotka II". lahdenilmasilta.fi (in Finnish). Lahden Ilmasilta. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
4. Keskinen, Stenman, Niska: pp. 48-49

• Raunio, Jukka (2005). Valtion Lentokonetehtaan historia. Osa 1: Pioneerivuodet 1921–1932 (in Finnish). Forssan Kirjapaino Oy, Forssa. ISBN 951-96866-6-5.
• Keskinen, Kalevi, Niska, Klaus & Stenman, Kari (1995). Suomen ilmavoimien historia 15 - Meritoimintakoneet (in Finnish). Tampere: Apali Oy. ISBN 952-5026-03-5.

External links

Media related to Valtion Lentokonetehdas aircraft at Wikimedia Commons