Valtion lentokonetehdas
Encyclopedia
was a Finnish
aircraft manufacturing company that was founded on 23 February 1928 from the IVL or I.V.L. factory (Finnish Air Force Aircraft Factory). The company was transferred from being subordinate to the Finnish Air Force
to being subordinate to the Ministry of Defence. The company, and its products were named with the prefix VL.
and Santahamina
in Helsinki
. The factory did not have an airport, only the sea and sea ice could be used for take-off and landing. Most of the aircraft built in Helsinki
were seaplane
s. In Helsinki the aircraft built were small compared to the Bristol Blenheim
bombers built under licence in the late 1930s. Much of the final assembly was done outdoors. The company was looking for a new production facility further away from the Soviet Union
. Helsinki was seen as a bad location for an armaments factory from a strategic viewpoint.
, which was also a potential bombing target since it was the biggest industrial city in Finland. The build up of the factory and the airport around it gave work to hundreds of people in the depression of the 1930s. Politically Tampere was in the left what almost led to the factory being located to Vaasa
.
Valtion lentokonetehdas was moved to Härmälä, near Tampere in 1936. During the Second World War, the VL serviced and assembled German (Junkers Ju 88
) and British (Bristol Blenheim
) bomber aircraft.
The Tampere factory employed 665 persons in 1936 and 1,697 persons by 1941. A major part of the work of the factory was overhaul and repair of military aircraft, building new aircraft was a secondary function and the design of indigenous aircraft a tertiary function.
During the wars, the production was dispersed all over Finland to avoid destruction of the whole factory at once; the engine factory was moved to Kokkola
, the woodworking factory to Kylmäkoski
, stores to Viiala
and Pirkkala
. Other facilities were located at Pori and Kolho. The Karhumäki brothers' factory was entirely transferred under VL's supervision at the end of the war.
. The ownership of the factory was moved to the ministry of trade and industry.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
aircraft manufacturing company that was founded on 23 February 1928 from the IVL or I.V.L. factory (Finnish Air Force Aircraft Factory). The company was transferred from being subordinate to the Finnish Air Force
Finnish Air Force
The Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...
to being subordinate to the Ministry of Defence. The company, and its products were named with the prefix VL.
Island factory
The company began its production at SuomenlinnaSuomenlinna
Suomenlinna, until 1918 Viapori , or Sveaborg , is an inhabited sea fortress built on six islands , and which now forms part of the city of Helsinki, the capital of Finland.Suomenlinna is a UNESCO World Heritage site and popular with both tourists and locals, who...
and Santahamina
Santahamina
Santahamina is an island and neighbourhood of Eastern Helsinki, Finland. At present it is a military base housing the Guard Jaeger Regiment, making access restricted...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. The factory did not have an airport, only the sea and sea ice could be used for take-off and landing. Most of the aircraft built in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
were seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
s. In Helsinki the aircraft built were small compared to the Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
bombers built under licence in the late 1930s. Much of the final assembly was done outdoors. The company was looking for a new production facility further away from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Helsinki was seen as a bad location for an armaments factory from a strategic viewpoint.
Expansion to Tampere
In the 1930s the factory was moved to TampereTampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, which was also a potential bombing target since it was the biggest industrial city in Finland. The build up of the factory and the airport around it gave work to hundreds of people in the depression of the 1930s. Politically Tampere was in the left what almost led to the factory being located to Vaasa
Vaasa
Vaasa is a city on the west coast of Finland. It received its charter in 1606, during the reign of Charles IX of Sweden and is named after the Royal House of Vasa...
.
Valtion lentokonetehdas was moved to Härmälä, near Tampere in 1936. During the Second World War, the VL serviced and assembled German (Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
) and British (Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
) bomber aircraft.
The Tampere factory employed 665 persons in 1936 and 1,697 persons by 1941. A major part of the work of the factory was overhaul and repair of military aircraft, building new aircraft was a secondary function and the design of indigenous aircraft a tertiary function.
During the wars, the production was dispersed all over Finland to avoid destruction of the whole factory at once; the engine factory was moved to Kokkola
Kokkola
Kokkola is a town and municipality of Finland.The town is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Central Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is...
, the woodworking factory to Kylmäkoski
Kylmäkoski
Kylmäkoski is a former municipality of Finland. It was consolidated with the town of Akaa on January 1, 2011.It was located in the Pirkanmaa region. The municipality had a population of 2,610 and covered a land area of . The population density was .The municipality was unilingually...
, stores to Viiala
Viiala
Viiala is a former municipality of Finland. On 1 January 2007, it was consolidated with Toijala to form the town of Akaa.Viiala is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Pirkanmaa region. The municipality had a population of 5,329 and covered an area of 56.78 km2 of which...
and Pirkkala
Pirkkala
Pirkkala is a municipality of Finland.It is located some south-west from Tampere in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Pirkanmaa region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is...
. Other facilities were located at Pori and Kolho. The Karhumäki brothers' factory was entirely transferred under VL's supervision at the end of the war.
Part of Valmet after WWII
After World War II, the Finnish state consolidated its industrial assets, and VL was integrated as part of VMT (Valtion Metallitehtaat, State Metal Works), later ValmetValmet
' was a Finnish state-owned conglomerate. Valmet was formed in 1951, when the state of Finland decided to group their various factories working on war reparations to the Soviet Union under one company...
. The ownership of the factory was moved to the ministry of trade and industry.
Aircraft
- IVL A.22 HansaIVL A.22 Hansa-Sources:* Keskinen, Kalevi; Niska, Klaus; Stenman, Kari; Geust, Carl-Fredrik: Suomen museolentokoneet, Forssan kirjapaino, 1981, ISBN 951-9035-60-5.-See also:...
- IVL C.24IVL C.24-See also:...
- IVL C.VI.25IVL C.VI.25-Sources:* Heinonen, Timo: Thulinista Hornetiin, Keski-Suomen ilmailumuseon julkaisuja 3, 1992. ISBN 951-95688-2-4.-See also:...
- IVL D.26 Haukka I
- IVL K.1 KurkiIVL K.1 Kurki-Sources:* Hallinportti Aviation museum: I.V.L. D.26 Haukka I ja D.27 Haukka II" brochure, summer 2005.-See also:...
- IVL D.26 Haukka II
- VL SääskiVL SääskiVL Sääski II was the first series produced aircraft that had been designed in Finland. The aircraft was built by the State Aircraft Factory VL Sääski II was the first series produced aircraft that had been designed in Finland. The aircraft was built by the State Aircraft Factory (Valtion...
I - VL SääskiVL SääskiVL Sääski II was the first series produced aircraft that had been designed in Finland. The aircraft was built by the State Aircraft Factory VL Sääski II was the first series produced aircraft that had been designed in Finland. The aircraft was built by the State Aircraft Factory (Valtion...
II - VL Viima I
- VL Viima II
- VL PaarmaVL PaarmaVL Paarma was a Finnish biplane, two-seated trainer aircraft, designed by the State Aircraft Factory for use with the Finnish Air Force. A prototype was constructed in 1930-31 and made its maiden flight on March 20, 1931. The aircraft was however under-powered, and the flight characteristics were...
- VL Kotka I
- VL Kotka II
- VL TuiskuVL TuiskuThe VL Tuisku was a Finnish trainer aircraft designed in the 1930s. It was a two-seat, single-engined biplane with a welded steel framework, covered with fabric...
I - VL TuiskuVL TuiskuThe VL Tuisku was a Finnish trainer aircraft designed in the 1930s. It was a two-seat, single-engined biplane with a welded steel framework, covered with fabric...
II - VL Pyry
- VL MyrskyVL Myrsky-Bibliography:* Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume One. London: Macdonald & Co. Ltd., 1960. ISBN 0-356-01445-2....
- VL HumuVL HumuVL Humu was a Finnish fighter aircraft, designed by the State Aircraft Factory in 1944. The Humu was based on the American Brewster F2A design...
- VL PyörremyrskyVL Pyörremyrsky-Bibliography:* Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume One. London: Macdonald & Co. Ltd., 1960. ISBN 0-356-01445-2.-External links:* Pictures of the VL Pyörremyrsky:...