[WWII] VL Myrsky fighter [Finland]

[copeab]

VL Myrsky fighter
Copyright 2011 by Brandon Cope

The Myrsky (“Storm”) was the only Finnish production combat aircraft designed and built in any numbers during the war. It was a fairly conventional low-wing monoplane with low performance, with wooden wings and a wood and fabric covered steel-tubed fuselage. The materials were the result of wartime shortages of light metals but proved to cause problems; the glue used to hold the wood in place on the wings reacted poorly to the cold of the Finnish winters and the humidity when things warmed up. At least two planes came apart in flight. While the plane first flew in 1941, it didn't enter production until late 1943. A total of 15 Myrsky saw service in the closing stages of the Continuation War as reconnaissance aircraft. The rest of the production run was delivered during the Lapland War, were they were used primarily for ground attack. As best is known, no Myrsky were shot down in combat and none were shot down by Russian or Soviet forces, but there were numerous non-combat losses .

A total of 51 VL Myrsky were built, 47 being the Myrsky II version. Because of the low quality of workmanship and continued accidents after the war, surviving planes were completely pulled from service by 1948.

The Myrsky II had a crew of one and used 39.7 gallons of aviation gas per hour at routine usage.

Subassemblies: Medium Fighter chassis +3, Medium Fighter Wings +2, three retractable wheels +0.
P&P: 794-kW HP aerial H'P gasoline engine with 794-kW prop and 81-gallon standard fuel tanks [Wings]; 2,000-kW batteries.
Occ: 1 CS Cargo: 1 Body

Armor
Body/Wings: 2/3W
Wheels: 2/3

Weaponry
2¥Medium Aircraft HMG/12.7mm Browning LLK/42 [Body:F] (260 rounds each)*
2¥Medium Aircraft HMG/12.7mm Browning LLK/42 [Body:F] (220 rounds each)*
* Link fires guns in pairs or all four together

Equipment
Body: Medium radio receiver and transmitter, navigation instruments, autopilot. Wings: One 300-lb hardpoint each.

Statistics
Size: 27'x36'x10'
Payload: 0.8 tons
Lwt: 3.53 tons
Volume: 200
Maint.: 53 hours
Price: $14,000

HT: 8
HP: 120 Body, 80 each Wing, 12 each Wheel

aSpeed: 329
aAccel: 7
aDecel: 19
aMR: 4.75
aSR: 1
Stall: 83 mph

Design Notes
The historical wing area of 194 sf has been used. Design speed was 318 mph. The weight and cost pf the wings were multiplied by the Wooden Armor modifiers to increase weight. Loaded weight was still increased 18% to match historical.

While sources agree that te wings had a wooden frame and the fuselage a steel tube frame, and that the rear part of the fuselage were covered with fabric, they disagree as to the covering of the wings and forward fuselage. I have chosen those listing plywood covering as it improved weight, which was already too low).

The wing hardpoints were normally used to carry 220-lb bombs, but could also be used for 40.5 gallon drop tanks.

Variants
The Myrsky I was armed ith two LLK/42 MGs in the nose and two or four 7.92mm Mgs (Aircraft LMGs) in the wings. Four built.

[johndallman]

I'd never even heard of this one. Wikipedia has a picture, and claims the engines were Pratt & Whitney R-1830s from German war booty. Presumably from shot-down B-24 Liberators?

[copeab]

Originally Posted by johndallman

I'd never even heard of this one. Wikipedia has a picture, and claims the engines were Pratt & Whitney R-1830s from German war booty. Presumably from shot-down B-24 Liberators?

Out of the list of aircraft who used that engine, the B-24 seems most likely, but there were other types used in the European Theatre:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt_%...p#Applications

I'll add that Sweden had a license-built version Wiki claims was supplied to Finland for the Myrsky. I've seen the Myrsky engine listed as 749-kW and 794-kW, btw. I went with 794-kW since it got speed closer to the historical number and it also is what 1,065 hp converts to.