VL Pyry
| Pyry | |
|---|---|
| 300px | |
| VL Pyry at the Finnish Aviation Museum | |
| Role | Reconnaissance/fighter |
| Manufacturer | Valtion lentokonetehdas |
| First flight | 29 March 1939 |
| Introduction | 1941 |
| Retired | 7 September 1962 |
| Status | Retired |
| Primary user | Finnish Air Force |
| Number built | 41 |
VL Pyry (Finnish language for blizzard) was a Finnish low-winged, two-seated fighter trainer aircraft, built by the State Aircraft Factory (Valtion lentokonetehdas) for use with the Finnish Air Force. The Pyry was in use from 1939 to 1962. The aircraft was a mixed construction of wood, steel, fabric, and duraluminium.
Contents
History
The Finnish Air Force ordered a prototype of the aircraft in 1937. It was to be called VL Pyry I and carried the identification number PY-1.
The chief designer was Arvo Ylinen, and the other persons of the design team were Martti Vainio, Torsti Verkkola, and Edward Wegelius.
The first flight was made on March 29, 1939 by the factory test pilot. The FAF ordered 40 aircraft in May and the aircraft were quickly constructed and were ready in the spring of 1941. These were designated VL Pyry II and their identification numbers ran from PY-2 - PY-41.
Operational history
The first unit to be equipped with Pyrys was the Air Force School in Kauhava, in 1941. Around 700 pilots were trained in the aircraft and the type accumulated over 56,000 flying hours over a service life of 20 years. PY-1 and PY-27 made last flights of the Pyry in Härmälä on 7 September 1962.
The first accident with a Pyry happened in March 1943, when Major E.O. Ehrnrooth, commander of a Messerschmitt Bf 109 squadron, fatally overstressed his aircraft.
Operators
Specifications (VL Pyry II)
Data from [1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 7.7 m (25 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan: 9.8 m (32 ft 2 in)
- Height: 2.55 m (8 ft 4 in)
- Wing area: 12.7 m2 (137 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 1,045 kg (2,304 lb)
- Gross weight: 1,535 kg (3,384 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-975-E3 Whirlwind nine-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 340 kW (450 hp) at 2,250 rpm for take-off
- Propellers: 2-bladed variable-pitch propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 330 km/h (205 mph; 178 kn)
- Cruising speed: 286 km/h (178 mph; 154 kn)
- Range: 1,050 km (652 mi; 567 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 5,600 m (18,373 ft)
- Rate of climb: 5 m/s (980 ft/min)
- Time to altitude: 1,000 m (3,300 ft) - 2 minutes 28 seconds
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- 2,000 m (6,600 ft) - 5 minutes 7 seconds
- 3,000 m (9,800 ft) - 8 minutes 27 seconds
- 4,000 m (13,000 ft) - 12 minutes 43 seconds
- 5,000 m (16,000 ft) - 20 minutes 10 seconds
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- Wing loading: 120.87 kg/m2 (24.76 lb/sq ft)
- Power/mass: 0.201 kW/kg (0.068 hp/lb)
Armament
- Guns: 1x 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Browning machine gun with 480 rounds
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons
