VL Kotka

Finnish maritime patrol aircraft

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Kotka "Eagle"

VL Kotka serial KA-144 in Suomenlinna, circa October 1930
Role	two-seater patrol biplane Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Valtion lentokonetehdas
First flight	30 September 1930
Introduction	1931
Retired	1944
Primary user	Finnish Air Force
Produced	1931-19??
Number built	5 (plus 3 prototypes)

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 It was meant as a cheaper replacement (compared to the Blackburn Ripon) for the outdated IVL A.22 Hansas that were in service with the Finnish Air Force.^[1]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 - this machine was built by the Finnish Government Aircraft Works, and was a prototype fitted with floats and a Bristol "Jupiter IV" engine.
VL E.30 Kotka I KA-145, 147 & 148 - three of the production aircraft (KA-145 – KA-148) fitted with regular landing gear (and could equip skis) and Wright R-1820-E Cyclone radial engines, 429 kW (575 hp).
VL E.30 Kotka I KA-146 - this machine was a Kotka I fitted with the same or very similar floats to the ones the KA-144 Kotka prototype had.
VL E.31 Kotka II KA-149 - the last, more modified series production aircraft fitted with a Pratt & Whitney R-1690-B Hornet engine, (575 hp).
VL E.32 Kotka III - cancelled third series due to the type being outdated.

Operators

Finland

Finnish Air Force.

Specifications (KA-147, land aircraft)

Data from ^[4]

General characteristics

Length: 10.25 m (33 ft 8 in)
Wingspan: 12.7 m (41 ft 8 in)
Height: 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 50 m² (540 sq ft)
Empty weight: 1,380 kg (3,042 lb)
Gross weight: 2,380 kg (5,247 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-1820-E Cyclone 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 429 kW (575 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed Hamilton Standard DWG No 35 B2-2^[2]

Performance

Maximum speed: 225 km/h (140 mph, 121 kn)
Range: 650 km (400 mi, 350 nmi)
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

References

Citations

^ "Ilmavoimien käyttämät konetyypit 1930-luku" (PDF). puolustusvoimat.fi (in Finnish). Suomen puolustusvoimat. p. 3. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
^ ^a ^b Raunio 2005: pp. 154–159
^ "VL E.30 Kotka II". lahdenilmasilta.fi (in Finnish). Lahden Ilmasilta. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
^ 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.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)