# Valmet Vihuri > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Valmet_Vihuri > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Valmet_Vihuri.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valmet_Vihuri > Source revision: 1338991951 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|1950s Finnish military trainer aircraft}} {{More footnotes needed|date=February 2010}} {{Infobox aircraft |name=Valmet Vihuri |image=Valmet Vihuri.JPG |caption= |type=Trainer |manufacturer=[Valmet](/source/Valmet) |designer= |first_flight= February 6, 1951 |introduction= |retired=1959 |status= |primary_user=[Finnish Air Force](/source/Finnish_Air_Force) |more_users= |produced= |number_built=51 |program cost= |unit cost= |developed_from= |variants= }} '''Valmet Vihuri''' ([Finnish](/source/Finnish_language) for ''Gale'') was a [Finnish](/source/Finland) advanced two-seat fighter trainer aircraft, serving in the [Finnish Air Force](/source/Finnish_Air_Force) between 1953 and 1959.{{efn|This aircraft is not to be confused with the Finnish fast bomber variant of [De Havilland Mosquito](/source/De_Havilland_Mosquito), with [DB 605](/source/DB_605) engines, a project which never materialized. In 1943 the FiAF HQ asked VL if it would be possible to build a copy of the Mosquito with DB605 engines. Two crashed British aircraft would have been requested from Germany to serve as models. The primary attraction was the wooden construction (something that the VL was familiar with). The inquiries indicated that serial production could be started sometime in 1946, as there were other aircraft on queue, and there were difficulties in getting just about everything needed to produce a new aircraft. The new aircraft was also to be named "Vihuri".}} Only a few airframes have survived, including one at the [Central Finland Aviation Museum](/source/Central_Finland_Aviation_Museum) in Finland. ==History== In spite of their economic problems, the aircraft manufacturer [Valmet](/source/Valmet) began designing a new aircraft at the beginning of the 1950s, to replace the aging Finnish Air Force (FAF) [VL Pyry](/source/VL_Pyry)s. [Martti Vainio](/source/Martti_Vainio) was the chief designer of the project. Most of the planning was made by the aeronautical engineers L. Hämäläinen and T. Mäntysalo in 1948–49. The [Bristol Mercury](/source/Bristol_Mercury), then being manufactured under [license](/source/Manufacturing_license) in Finland for the [Bristol Blenheim](/source/Bristol_Blenheim) bomber, was chosen as the engine, since it was readily available. The prototype (VH-1) made its first flight on 6 February 1951, in [Tampere](/source/Tampere), piloted by captain [Esko Halme](/source/Esko_Halme). After successful test flights, the FAF ordered 30 production aircraft, called '''Valmet Vihuri II''', on 27 February 1951. In the autumn of 1954, the Air Force ordered a further 20 aircraft of the developed version '''Valmet Vihuri III'''. All the aircraft of the third version were handed over to the Air Force on 15 January 1957. Valmet built 51 Vihuris in three different models in [Kuorevesi](/source/Kuorevesi) and Tampere. The aircraft had the registration codes VH-1 through VH-51. ==Operational use== thumb|right|Vihuri canopies used as roof windows The Vihuri aircraft became the most-used aircraft in FAF service by the mid-1950s. The aircraft was subject to many accidents, and the press raised much concern over this. The safety of the Vihuri even became a matter for the government. In May 1959, the aircraft was permanently grounded. Attempts were made to sell the aircraft to [Tunisia](/source/Tunisia), without success. After inspection, it became apparent that the type and its design were sound; most of the accidents were due to pilots' often grave violations of flight regulations, and the fact that all airframes were well worn by the end of the 1950s. The other problem was the engines. The engines used, [Tampella Mercury](/source/Bristol_Mercury), were recycled engines of wartime [Bristol Blenheim](/source/Bristol_Blenheim) bombers which were already worn out. The planes were sold for scrap to Moser OY. One airframe, VH-18, survives in the [Central Finland Aviation Museum](/source/Central_Finland_Aviation_Museum), and the fore fuselage of another, VH-25, is being restored. The canopies of the scrapped aircraft remain today as the roof windows of the [Kuusakoski](/source/Kuusakoski) metal-recycling plant in [Espoo](/source/Espoo). ==Operators== ;{{FIN}} *[Finnish Air Force](/source/Finnish_Air_Force) ==Surviving aircraft== The [Central Finland Aviation museum](/source/Central_Finland_Aviation_museum) is displaying the VH-18, which is the only preserved Vihuri.{{cite web |title=Perusnäyttely |url=https://ilmavoimamuseo.fi/nayttelyt/perusnayttely |website=Suomen Ilmavoimamuseo |access-date=15 November 2022 |language=Finnish}} It gathered 802 flying hours, after which the aircraft served as an educational machine at the Air Force Academy in Kauhava.{{cite web |title=Valmet Vihuri II (VH-18) |url=https://www.ilmailumuseot.fi/tuotteet.html?id=20170/250089 |website=Ilmailumuseot.fi - Aviationmuseums.fi |access-date=15 November 2022 |language=Finnish, English}}{{Failed verification|date=November 2022}} ==Specifications (Valmet Vihuri II) == {{Aircraft specs |ref=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1956–57Bridgman 1956, pp. 125–126. |prime units?=met |genhide= |crew=2 |capacity= |length m=8.8 |length ft= |length in= |span m=10.4 |span ft= |span in= |height m=3.86 |height ft= |height in= |wing area sqm=18.86 |wing area sqft= |wing area note= |aspect ratio=5.7:1 |airfoil=NACA 0019-64 (root), NACA 23009 (tip) |empty weight kg= |empty weight lb= |empty weight note= |gross weight kg=2678 |gross weight lb= |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg=2884 |fuel capacity={{convert|195|L|USgal impgal|abbr=on}} normal fuel, {{convert|260|L|USgal impgal|abbr=on}} auxiliary tanks |more general= |eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=[Bristol Mercury](/source/Bristol_Mercury) VIII |eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled [radial engine](/source/radial_engine) |eng1 kw= |eng1 hp=820 |prop blade number= |prop name= |prop dia m= |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop note= |perfhide= |max speed kmh=432 |max speed mph= |max speed kts= |max speed note=at {{convert|3700|m|ft|abbr=on}} |cruise speed kmh=327 |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed note=at {{convert|1000|m|ft|abbr=on}} (econ. cruise) |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |range km= |range miles= |range nmi= |combat range km= |combat range miles= |combat range nmi= |endurance= |ceiling m=8900 |ceiling ft= |g limits= |roll rate= |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin=2263 |more performance= |guns=2× 7.7 mm Browning machine guns |bombs=4× 25 kg bombs |rockets= |missiles= |hardpoints= |hardpoint capacity= |hardpoint rockets= |hardpoint missiles= |hardpoint bombs= |hardpoint other= |avionics= }} ==See also== {{aircontent |similar aircraft= *[Avro Athena](/source/Avro_Athena) *[Boulton Paul Balliol](/source/Boulton_Paul_Balliol) *[CAC Winjeel](/source/CAC_Winjeel) *[Fiat G.49](/source/Fiat_G.49) *[I.Ae. 22 DL](/source/I.Ae._22_DL) *[Macchi M.B.323](/source/Macchi_M.B.323) *[Piaggio P.150](/source/Piaggio_P.150) *[Yakovlev Yak-11](/source/Yakovlev_Yak-11) }} ==References== ===Footnotes=== {{Notelist}} ===Notes=== {{Reflist}} ===Bibliography=== {{Refbegin}} * Bridgman, Leonard. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1956–57'', New York: The McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1956. * Kalevi Keskinen, Kari Stenman, Klaus Niska: ''Suomen ilmavoimien historia 14 - Suomalaiset hävittäjät'', AR-Kustannus ky, 1990. {{ISBN|951-95821-0-X}} {{Refend}} ==External links== {{Commons category}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060925111248/http://www.sci.fi/~ambush/faf/vihuriscrap.html Pictures from the scrapping of the Vihuris] {{Valtion lentokonetehdas aircraft}} Category:1950s Finnish military trainer aircraft Category:Valmet aircraft Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft Category:Aircraft first flown in 1951 Category:Low-wing aircraft Category:Single-engined piston aircraft --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Valmet Vihuri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valmet_Vihuri) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valmet_Vihuri?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.