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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 It was meant as a cheaper replacement (compared to the Blackburn Ripon) for the outdated IVL A.22 Hansas that were in service with the Finnish Air Force.[1]

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)

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 witted 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• VL E.32 Kotka III - cancelled third series due to the type being outdated.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

See also

• Valtion lentokonetehdas

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Blackburn Ripon

References

Citations

External links

Media related to VL Kotka at Wikimedia Commons

На других языках

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[de] VL Kotka

VL E.30 Kotka war ein zweisitziger finnischer Doppeldecker von 1930. Gefertigt wurde er von der staatlichen Flugzeugfabrik Valtion lentokonetehdas (VL). Das Flugzeug wurde als Seeaufklärer von der finnischen Luftwaffe ab November 1930 verwendet. Sie sollte dort die veralteten Blackburn Ripon ersetzen.

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- [en] VL Kotka

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[it] VL Kotka

Il VL E.30 Kotka (in finlandese Aquila) era un bombardiere e ricognitore sviluppato dall'azienda finlandese Valtion Lentokonetehdas negli anni trenta per la Suomen ilmavoimat e costruito in alcuni esemplari.

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