Aeroplane Monthly 1984-10
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Personal album
Two of the 15 Martinsyde F.4 Buzzards used by the Finnish Air Force between 1923 and 1939. MA-24 is exhibited now at Tikkakoski.
In 1928 the Finnish Government purchased a Blackburn Ripon IIF to serve as a pattern aircraft for licence-building others in Finland. A total of 25 Ripons was built in Finland and the type served in the Finnish Air Force from 1929-45. During the war the Ripons were used on U-boat patrols, leaflet dropping and for evacuating casualties. Ripon RI-140 survives and has been preserved for a museum.
In 1930 the prototype Vickers Vildebeest, N230, was modified for exhibition at the Paris Air Show. The original Jupiter XF engine was replaced with a Jupiter XIF with Townend ring. Registered G-ABGE for the show, the aircraft was modified further and flown on a sales tour of Baltic ports. This photograph was taken during the tour at Santahamina, Helsinki. A Finnish Air Force Blackburn Ripon is seen at right.
The sole British civil registered example of the Armstrong Siddeley Serval-powered Saro A.19 Cloud. G-ACGO was flown on an extensive European sales tour in July and August 1933 by S. D. Scott and is seen at Helsinki in July.
The VL Saaski II was a successful Finnish-designed biplane flown by both the Finnish Air Force and private owners.
This Koolhoven FK-49, OH-MVE, was delivered to the Finnish Coast Guard in January 1940. The aircraft proved to be unsatisfactory and was scrapped in 1948 after only 18 flying hours.