Rahul Sharma (Editor)

VL Kotka

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Top speed
  
225 km/h

Length
  
10 m

Wingspan
  
13 m

VL Kotka httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

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 It was meant as a cheaper replacement (compared to the Blackburn Ripon) for the outdated IVL A.22 Hansas that were in service with the Finnish Air Force.

Contents

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.

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

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

    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 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

    • References

    VL Kotka Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA