Midnight Hawks is a Finnish aerobatics team. The team is organised by the Finnish Air Force . The aircraft used is the BAe Hawk advanced jet trainer .
72-648: The history of the Midnight Hawks began before World War II, when the Finnish Air Force Academy used Gloster Gamecocks and other aircraft for display flying. The tradition of formation flying continued after the war and it became a trademark of the Finnish Air Force Training Air Wing's annual Midnight Sun Airshow. Midsummer Eve is normally the third Friday in June. Originally the show was just
144-580: A N.A.B. Albatros aircraft from the Nordiska Aviatik A.B. factory with funds gathered by the Finlands vänner ( Swedish for 'Friends of Finland') organization. This aircraft, the first to arrive from Sweden, was flown via Haparanda on 25 February 1918 by Swedish pilot John-Allan Hygerth (who on 10 March became the first commander of the Finnish Air Force) and Per Svanbäck. The aircraft made
216-512: A Kukko captured a Soviet Ilyushin DB-3 bomber. On 29 January 1940, the fighter had strafed a pair of Soviet DB-3s when they landed on Finnish soil (which they mistook for Estonia) to transfer fuel from one plane to the other. The strafed crews hurried into the one plane which had enough fuel remaining and escaped, leaving the DB-3 behind to be captured by the Finns. At least one Kukko remained operational with
288-526: A Swedish National Socialist political party, and brother-in-law to Hermann Goering , had painted his personal good-luck charm on the Thulin Type ;D aircraft. This logo – a blue swastika , the ancient symbol of the sun and of good luck, which was back then still used with non-political connotations – gave rise to the insignia of the Finnish Air Force. The white circular background originated when
360-480: A diverse inventory of Soviet, British, Swedish, French and Finnish aircraft. After leading Finnish politicians held unofficial talks with their Swedish counterparts, Sweden began storing surplus Saab 35 Drakens , intended for transfer to Finland in the event of a war against the Soviet Union. This practice continued until the 1980s. On 22 September 1990, a week before the unification of Germany, Finland declared that
432-636: A front-line squadron. Pilot training takes place at the Air Force Academy in Tikkakoski, with advanced conversion performed at squadron level. In 2023 the English name for the Air Commands was changed to Air Wing. The current Hornet fleet is set to begin being phased out from 2025, and to be completely decommissioned by 2030. The Finnish MoD initiated its Hornet replacement programme in June 2015, and named it
504-430: A later A-5 model in an attempt to stave off obsolescence. Various Russian designs also saw action when lightly damaged "kills" were repaired and made airworthy. Dornier Do 17s (received as a gift from Hermann Göring in 1942) and Junkers Ju 88s improved the bombing capability of the Finnish Air Force. The bomber force was also strengthened with a number of captured Soviet bombers, which had been taken in large numbers by
576-507: A particularly attractive reputation amongst the general public for the aerobatic displays that would often be performed at air shows and other major public events during the latter half of the 1920s. Pilots typically regarded the Gamecock as being an enjoyable aircraft to fly while also being a good gun platform. It was also known for a relatively high number accidents, which was a contributing factor towards its relatively brief service life with
648-617: A result, and often resulted in interception of the attackers by the Finns as the Soviet bombers flew homeward. As the war progressed, the Finns tried desperately to purchase aircraft wherever they could. This policy resulted in a very diverse aircraft inventory, which caused some major logistical problems until the inventory became more standardized. The Finnish Air Force included numerous American, British, Czechoslovakian, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Soviet, and Swedish designs. Other countries, like South Africa and Denmark, sent aircraft to assist in
720-522: A result. During September 1925, the Air Ministry placed an initial order for 30 production aircraft to fulfil Specification 18/25. Further orders would quickly follow; the first production Gamecock flew in March 1926 and was delivered two months later. While the type was often praised for its manoeuvrability and speed, it suffered a high rate of accidents in service, leading to a relatively brief flying career with
792-726: A stop at Kokkola and had to make a forced landing in Jakobstad when its engine broke down. It was later given the Finnish Air Force designation F.2 ("F" coming from the Swedish word " Flygmaskin ", meaning "aircraft"). Swedish count Eric von Rosen gave the Finnish White government its second aircraft, a Thulin Typ D . Von Rosen, later one of the founding members of the Nationalsocialistiska Blocket (" National Socialist Bloc "),
SECTION 10
#1732852433972864-648: 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. The Finnish Air Force was founded on 6 March 1918. The Finnish Air Force, one of the oldest air forces of the world, pre-dates the British RAF (founded as an independent entity on 1 April 1918) and the Swedish Flygvapnet (founded on 1 July 1926). The first steps in
936-646: The Allies from Russia, four had been gifts from Sweden and eight had been bought from Germany. The Winter War began on 30 November 1939, when the Soviet Air Force bombed 21 Finnish cities and municipalities. The Soviet Union had an estimated c. 5,000 aircraft in 1939, and of these, some 700 fighters and 800 medium bombers came to the Finnish front to support the Red Army 's operations. As with most aerial bombardments in
1008-682: The Finnish Jägers , Lieutenant Bertil Månsson, had received pilot training in Imperial Germany , but he stayed behind in Germany, trying to secure further aircraft deals for Finland. During the Civil War the White Finnish Air Force consisted of: The air activity consisted mainly of reconnaissance sorties. The Germans brought several of their own aircraft, but they did not contribute much to
1080-660: The Kukko ( Finnish language for "rooster"), commenced at the Finnish National Aircraft Factory in 1929. The Kukko was in frontline service with the Finnish Air Force throughout the 1930s, although the type was progressively relegated to training duties towards the end of the decade. Finnish Kukkos saw combat during the Winter War of 1939–1940 against the Soviet Union . In perhaps the type's highest profile engagement,
1152-555: The Reds – the socialist rebels with ties to Lenin 's Bolshevik Party . Finland's White Guard , the Whites , managed to seize a few aircraft from the Soviets, but were forced to rely on foreign pilots and aircraft. Sweden refused to send men and materiel , but individual Swedish citizens came to the aid of the Whites . The editor of the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet , Valdemar Langlet , bought
1224-628: The Royal Air Force (RAF), which typically praised it for its high maximum speed for the era and its manoeuvrability. It was recognised that the Grebe also had some shortcomings, even in its later models. A prominent failing was the unsatisfactory performance of the Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engine, which had developed a reputation with ground crews for its poor reliability as well as being difficult to service. Gloster became keenly interested in
1296-576: The Swiss Alps en route to Finland, killing all on-board (three Finns and one Italian). This day has since become the memorial day for fallen pilots. The Finnish Air Force assigns the matriculation numbers to its aircraft by assigning each type a two-letter code following by dash and an individual aircraft number. The two-letter code usually refers to the aircraft manufacturer or model, such as HN for F/A-18 H or n et, DK for Saab 35 D ra k en, VN for Valmet V i n ka etc. The Whites occupied most of
1368-613: The Wehrmacht during Operation Barbarossa . The bomber units flew assorted missions with varying results, but a large part of their time was spent in training, waiting until the time came to use the aircraft. Thus the bomber squadrons of Flying Regiment 4 were ready for the summer battles of 1944, which included for example the Battle of Tali-Ihantala (June to July 1944). While the FAF was successful in its mission, conditions were not easy. Spare parts for
1440-419: The "HX Fighter Program". A working group was created and it identified suitable aircraft. The final decision for choosing the new Air Force jet is based on five key considerations, which are the multi-role fighter's military capability, security of supply, industrial cooperation solutions, procurement and life cycle costs, and security and defence policy implications. An extensive questionnaire had been sent out
1512-493: The 'Midnight Sun'. The sight of four BAe Hawks in a tight formation became familiar to thousands of airshow spectators around the country. The jet display team started to operate more and more like an official display team, even though it was still without name or official status. In 1997 this changed. In the biggest ever airshow in Finland, Oulu International Airshow, the Finnish Air Force Training Air Wing's jet display team appeared as
SECTION 20
#17328524339721584-572: The American Brewster Buffalo was the FAF's main fighter until 1943. Results with this fighter were very good, even though the type was considered to be a failure in the US Navy and with British and Dutch Far East forces. In Finnish use, the Brewster had a victory rate of 32:1 – 459 kills to 15 losses. German Bf 109s replaced the Brewster as the primary front-line fighter of the FAF in 1943, though
1656-549: The BBC reported that the FAF had "quietly stopped" using the symbol in the emblem of the Air Force Command. The von Rosen aircraft received the designation F.1. Its pilot, Lieutenant Nils Kindberg, flew the aircraft to Vaasa on 6 March 1918, carrying von Rosen as a passenger. As this gift ran counter to the policy of the Swedish government, and no flight permit had been granted, Sweden fined Kindberg 100 Swedish crowns for leaving
1728-601: The Buffalos continued in secondary roles until the end of the fighting. Other types, including the Italian Fiat G.50 and Curtiss Hawk 75, also proved capable in the hands of well-trained Finnish pilots. The principle reconnaissance type was the German Arado Ar 196 , which had been purchased in 1943 and continued to serve throughout the war, though by mid-1944 the planes' pre-war roots were showing and were subsequently modified to
1800-547: The Continuation War against the Soviet Union started in 1941. It had been considerably strengthened and consisted of some 550 aircraft, though many were considered second-rate and thus "exportable" by their countries of origin. Finland purchased a large number of aircraft during the Winter War, but few of those had reached service during the short conflict. Politics had also played a role, since Hitler did not wish to antagonize
1872-494: The Continuation War. The end of World War II in 1945 and the Paris peace talks of 1947 brought about some limitations imposed on the FAF. For example, the Finnish Air Force could have: These revisions followed Soviet demands closely. When Britain, fearing that the provisions only augmented Soviet air defences, tried to vary some of the conditions, the Soviets opposed such proposals. The revisions were again revised in 1963, and Finland
1944-581: The FAF planes were scarce — parts from the US (Buffalo and Hawk), Britain (Hurricanes), and Italy (G.50) were unavailable for much of the war. Repairs took often a long time, and the State Aircraft Factory was burdened with restoration/repair of captured Soviet planes and of foreign aircraft with many hours of flight time, and with the development of indigenous Finnish fighter types. Also, one damaged bomber took up workshop space equalling three fighters. Finland
2016-447: The Finnish Air Force up until September 1944, at which point the last example was scrapped. Data from The Era-Ending Gamecock General characteristics Performance Armament Related development Related lists Finnish Air Force The Finnish Air Force ( FAF or FiAF ; Finnish : Ilmavoimat , lit. 'Air forces'; Swedish : Flygvapnet , lit. 'Air arm')
2088-452: The Finnish arsenal were British-designed and -built Bristol Blenheim bombers. The primary fighter aircraft, the Fokker D.XXI, featured a cheap but maneuverable design with fabric-covered fuselage and fixed landing-gear. On paper, the Finnish air assets should have been no match for the attacking Soviet Red Air Force . However, the Finnish Air Force had already adopted the finger-four formation in
2160-510: The Finnish war effort . Many of these purchases and gifts did not arrive until the end of the hostilities, but would see action later during the Continuation and Lapland wars . To make up for its weaknesses (few and obsolete fighters) the FAF mainly focused on attacking enemy bombers from directions that were disadvantageous to the enemy. Soviet fighters were usually superior in firepower, speed and agility, and Finnish pilots avoided them unless
2232-604: The Finns painted over the advertisement from the Thulin air academy. The swastika was officially taken into use after an order by Commander-in-Chief C. G. E. Mannerheim on 18 March 1918. The FAF changed its aircraft insignia, which resembled the swastika of the Third Reich , after 1944 due to an Allied Control Commission decree, which prohibited fascist organizations. It nevertheless continues to feature in some unit emblems, unit flags and decorations, including on uniforms. In 2020,
Midnight Hawks - Misplaced Pages Continue
2304-471: The Fokker D.XXI and Gloster Gladiator , had been replaced with new aircraft in front-line combat units. The FAF's main mission was to achieve air superiority over Finnish-held territory and to prevent Soviet air power from reinforcing the Red Army's front lines. The fighter squadrons proved very successful in the Finnish offensive of 1941. A stripped-down, more manoeuvrable, and significantly lightened version of
2376-446: The Gamecock I entered service with 43 Squadron at RAF Henlow , with 23 Squadron , also based at Henlow, following in May that year; 23 Squadron would also be the last of the six RAF squadrons operating the fighter, flying its examples up until July 1931. 3 Squadron and 17 Squadron operated Gamecocks that had been modified for these squadron's night interception duties. The type acquired
2448-414: The Gamecock. in the place of the somewhat unreliable Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar . Various structural improvements were made to the fuselage, the armament was also revised to include internally-mounted machine guns . On 22 February 1925, the prototype Gamecock performed its maiden flight . Evaluation flights at RAF Martlesham Heath resulted in considerable praise for the aircraft; few changes were made as
2520-527: The Midnight Hawks. Immediately the name spread around the country and the wider world - the Finnish Air Force Display Team Midnight Hawks had been born. All the members of the team are flight instructors in the Finnish Air Force Academy, and in active service. They usually hold the rank of Captain or Major. [REDACTED] Media related to Midnight Hawks at Wikimedia Commons Gloster Gamecock The Gloster Gamecock
2592-592: The Midnight Sun Airshow. The formation flying had been part of the normal training syllabus and no special team names or aircraft had been used. There had been several nicknames for the teams, often based on the name of the team leader, but no official team name had been used until 1997. The flight instructors had simply showed their skills and aircraft to the spectators. The aircraft flown have been Training Air Wing's standard trainer aircraft. Between 1960 and 1980 Saab Safir and Fouga Magister were used, and from
2664-494: The RAF – of the 90 operated by the service, 22 were lost in landing or spin accidents, often involving structural failure. The Gamecock also shared the earlier Grebe's undesirable tendency for flutter . To reduce this problem, Gloster tested alterations to improve the aircraft's flying qualities. The improved Gamecock II was introduced in 1928 with a longer upper wing and a modified tail unit, amongst other refinements. Gloster promoted
2736-469: The RAF. The aircraft served considerably longer with the Finnish Air Force ; it was produced under licence for the service under the local name Kukko and saw action during the Winter War of 1939–1940 against the Soviet Union . The origins of the Gamecock can be found in the earlier Gloster Grebe . During the mid-1920s, this fighter had proven itself to be relatively popular amongst the pilots of
2808-536: The Soviet Union by allowing aircraft exports through German-controlled territory during the Winter War. In addition to Fokker fighters and Bristol Blenheim bombers built under license, new aircraft types were in place by the time hostilities with Soviet Union resumed in 1941. Small numbers of Hawker Hurricanes arrived from the United Kingdom, Morane-Saulnier M.S.406s from France, Fiat G.50s from Italy, and one liaison aircraft . Numerous Brewster F2A Buffaloes from
2880-611: The Training Air Wing's Midsummer party for the families, relatives and the people of the Kauhava village where the academy was located. Over the years this event has grown to become the Midnight Sun Airshow and Festival with many foreign participants and over 20,000 spectators. Because of the midnight sun the airshow starts at around 7 p.m. and lasts until midnight when the last display is flown. Finnish Air Force Training Air Wing's flight instructors have always performed formation flying in
2952-606: The Whites during the war was flown over Lyly . It was a reconnaissance-gathering mission as the front-line moved south. As the line neared Tampere , the base moved first to Orivesi and then to Kaukajärvi near Tampere. The contribution of the White air force during the war was almost insignificant. From 10 March 1918, the Swedish Lt. John-Allan Hygerth led the Finnish Air Force. He was however replaced on 18 April 1918, due to his unsuitability for
Midnight Hawks - Misplaced Pages Continue
3024-693: The airbases that the Russians left in Finland after the Russian pilots had returned to Russia. The Reds possessed a few airbases and a few Russian aircraft, mainly amphibious aircraft – they had 12 aircraft in all. The Reds did not have any pilots themselves, so they hired some of the Russian pilots who had stayed behind. On 24 February 1918 five aircraft arrived at Viipuri, and were quickly transferred to Riihimäki. The Reds established air units in Helsinki, Tampere, Kouvola, and Viipuri. There were no overall headquarters, but
3096-468: The aircraft were captured by the Whites, while the rest were destroyed. In January 1918, the Whites did not have a single aircraft, let alone pilots, so they asked the Swedes for help. Sweden, a neutral country, could not send any official help. Sweden also forbade its pilots to aid Finland. Despite this official stance, however, one Morane-Saulnier Parasol , and three N.A.B. Albatros arrived from Sweden by
3168-498: The beginning of the 1980s Valmet Vinka and BAe Hawk Mk 51. So for the last forty or so years the Finnish Air Force Training Air Wing has had two formation display teams; one flying with the basic prop trainer , and the second with the jet fighter trainer. Both teams had performed almost solely at the Midnight Sun Airshow once in a summer. During the 1990s the Finnish Air Force Training Air Wing's jet display team started to expand their appearances, performing in airshows other than just
3240-482: The country without permission. The F.1 aircraft is considered by some to be the first aircraft of the Finnish Air Force, which did not exist during the Civil War, while the Red side flew a few aircraft with the help of some Russian pilots. The F.1 aircraft was destroyed in an accident which killed its crew, not long after it had been handed over to the Finns. On 7 September 1920, two newly purchased Savoia flying boats crashed in
3312-403: The early stages of World War II , the damage to Finnish industry and railways was quite limited. At the beginning of the Winter War, the Finnish Air Force was equipped with only 18 Bristol Blenheim bombers and 46 fighters (32 modern Fokker D.XXIs and 14 obsolete Bristol Bulldogs ). There were also 58 liaison aircraft, but 20 of these were only used for messengers. The most modern aircraft in
3384-541: The end of February 1918. Two of the Albatross aircraft were gifts from private citizens supporting the White Finnish cause, while the third was purchased. It was initially intended that the aircraft would support the air operations of the Whites, but the aircraft ultimately proved unsuitable. Along with aircraft shortages, the Whites also did not have any personnel, so all the pilots and mechanics also came from Sweden. One of
3456-453: The enemy was in a disadvantageous position. As a result of these tactics, the Finnish Air Force managed to shoot down 218 Soviet aircraft during the Winter War while losing only 47 to enemy fire. Finnish anti-aircraft guns also had 314 confirmed downed enemy planes. 30 Soviet planes were captured – these were "kills" that landed more or less intact within Finland and were quickly repaired. The Finnish Air Force found itself better prepared when
3528-512: The engine bay. One of the more distinctive changes on the new aircraft was the adoption of internally-mounted machine guns in place of the Grebe's external armament arrangement along the top of the fuselage. Less than six months after the specification, Gloster had completed construction of the prototype, J7497 , which was fitted with the Jupiter IV engine; by this time, orders for a further two prototypes had been ordered. On 20 February 1925, it
3600-516: The final round. The cost for 64 aircraft was € 4.703 billion, and the initial weapons package ( € 754.6 million) and other associated costs (service equipment, reserve and replacement parts, training equipment and other systems and services were € 2.920 billion) bringing the package to € 8.378 billion. Additionally € 780 million are going to be used to upgrade facilities, and € 840 million are saved for later expenses, such as air-to-ground weapons, resulting in total expenses of € 9.998 billion, below
3672-776: The government of Finland stipulated a budget ceiling of € 10 billion for the HX fighter programme. In December 2015 the Finnish MoD sent a letter to Britain, France, Sweden and the US informing them that the fighter project had been launched in the Defence Forces. The request for information concerning the HX Fighter Program was sent in April 2016. Responses were received from all five participants in November 2016. The official Request for Quotation
SECTION 50
#17328524339723744-699: The history of Finnish aviation involved Russian aircraft. The Russian military had a number of early designs stationed in the Grand Duchy of Finland , which until the Russian Revolution of 1917 formed an autonomous grand duchy under the Russian Empire. Soon after the Finnish declaration of independence of 6 December 1917, the Finnish Civil War of January to May 1918 broke out, in which the Soviets sided with
3816-453: The individual units served under the commanders of the individual front lines. A flight school was set up in Helsinki, but no students were trained there before the fall of Helsinki. Two of the aircraft, one reconnaissance aircraft ( Nieuport 10 ) and one fighter aircraft ( Nieuport 17 ) that had arrived at Riihimäki were sent to Tampere, and three to Kouvola. Four Russian pilots and six mechanics also arrived at Tampere. The first war sortie
3888-452: The introduction of the aircraft. The air-to-ground package might consist of GBU-53/B SDB II bombs, GBU-31 JDAM bombs, JSM and AGM-158B-2 JASSM-ER missiles, which all were offered in the deal. The DSCA notification also mentioned BLU-117 , BLU-111 and BLU-109 bombs, as well as AGM-154C-1 Joint Stand Off Weapons (although the latter is unlikely as production ended in 2023). Note: Three C-17 Globemaster III 's are available through
3960-628: The limit of € 10 billion. Costs per aircraft frame is € 73.48 million. The aircraft are planned to be delivered between 2026 and 2030, and is expected to replace the F/A-18s during the period 2028–2030. The F-35s are intended to be in service until the 2070s. The FAF expects the annual operating costs not to exceed € 254 million, which are the current operating costs for the F/A-18 fleet. The first weapons package will include AIM-9X Block II+ Sidewinder and AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM missiles, and later on air-to-ground weaponry will be obtained when they reach sufficient maturity and will match their shelf life with
4032-529: The limiting treaties were no longer active and that all the provisions of the Paris Peace Treaties were nullified. In the 1990s, with the Cold War over, the Finnish Air Force ended its policy of purchasing Soviet/Russian aircraft and replaced the Saab Draken and MiG-21s in its fighter wing with US F/A-18C/D Hornets . As of 2021 the FAF is organized into three Air Commands, each assigned to one of Finland's three air-defence areas. The main Wing bases are at Rovaniemi , Tampere and Kuopio-Rissala , each with
4104-468: The mid-1930s, which proved a much more effective formation than the Vic formation that many other militaries continued to use in 1939. To prevent their aircraft from being destroyed on the ground, the Finns distributed their aircraft to many different airfields and hid them in the nearby forests. The Finns constructed many decoys and built shrapnel-protection walls for the aircraft. Soviet air-raids on Finnish airfields usually caused little or no damage as
4176-437: The name Gamecock ; these were to be powered by the improved Jupiter VI engine, as fitted to the third prototype. During March 1926, the first production aircraft performed its maiden flight; delivered of the type commenced two months later. During July 1926, a second order from the Air Ministry for 40 more Gamecocks was received by Gloster; in November of that same year, another 18 aircraft were also ordered. During March 1926,
4248-400: The neutral USA strengthened the FAF. A few dozen Curtiss Hawk 75s captured by the Germans in France and Norway were sold to Finland when Germany began warming up its ties with Finland. Finns reconditioned captured Tupolev SBs , Ilyushin DB-3s , and Polikarpov I-153s for service. The FAF proved capable of holding its own in the upcoming battles with the Red Air Force. Older models, such as
4320-403: The overall outcome of the war. The first air-force base of independent Finland was founded on a lake shore near Kolho . The base could operate three aircraft. The first aircraft arrived by rail on 7 March 1918, and on 17 March 1918 took off from the base for the first time. In 1918 the Finns took over nine Russian Stetinin M-9 aircraft that had been left behind. The first air operation of
4392-402: The position and numerous accidents. The German Captain Carl Seber took over the role and commanded the air force from 28 April 1918 until 13 December 1918. By the end of the Civil War, the Finnish Air Force had 40 aircraft, of which 20 had been captured from the Reds (the Reds did not operate this many aircraft, but some had been found abandoned on Åland ). Five of the aircraft had been flown by
SECTION 60
#17328524339724464-426: The producers asking what their products can offer Finland in form of capabilities, cost, security of supply and the domestic industry's role, as well as security and defence policy impacts. The goal is to retain the numerical strength of the FAF fighter fleet, which means that the goal is to obtain some 64 aircraft. The MoD has estimated that the programme will cost somewhere between 7–10 billion Euros. In October 2019,
4536-404: The project immediately thereafter. Gloster's design team, headed by Henry Folland , had also identified numerous improvements, typically relating to the aircraft's structure, that could be made. The fuselage was composed almost completely out of wood, although steel tie-rods were used for internal bracing, as well as a combination of aluminium and asbestos for a fireproof bulkhead at the back of
4608-410: The replacement of the Jaguar with another engine and took an interest in the promising Bristol Jupiter radial engine that could deliver similar performance to the Jaguar while lighter and considerably less complex. During the summer of 1924, the Air Ministry issued Specification 37/23 , which was tailored around the development of a Jupiter-powered version of the Grebe. Gloster commenced work on
4680-425: The trials were considered to be a clear success. By July 1925, in excess of 50 flying hours had been attained with the first prototype; no major changes were made at this stage of the aircraft's development as no major flaws or concerns were reported. Having been sufficiently convinced, in September 1925, the Air Ministry placed an initial order for 30 production aircraft to meet Specification 18/25, which were given
4752-415: The type to overseas operators and the Finnish Air Force had shown interest in the Gamecock I, resulting in an aerial demonstration being performed over Helsinki on 25 March 1927. The following year, the Gamecock II won a Finnish government contest, leading to a licensing arrangement being made with Gloster, along with an order for a pattern aircraft. Licensed production of the Gamecock, known locally as
4824-430: Was a biplane fighter designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Gloster . The Gamecock was a development of the earlier Grebe Mk III , an early interwar fighter procured by the Royal Air Force (RAF). Work on the type commenced in 1924 as a response to Air Ministry Specification 37/23 . The principal difference between the two aircraft was the adoption of the Bristol Jupiter radial engine for
4896-484: Was allowed to buy guided missiles and a few bombers that were used as target-tugs. The FAF also used a loop-hole to strengthen its capabilities by purchasing large numbers of two-seater aircraft, which counted as trainer aircraft and were not included in the revisions. These aircraft could have secondary roles. During the Cold War years ( c. 1947 to c. 1991 ), Finland tried to balance its purchases between east, west and domestic producers. This led to
4968-408: Was delivered to RAF Martlesham Heath to commence a comprehensive evaluation; its maiden flight was performed two days later. Within weeks of its arrival, the prototype's Grebe-style unbalanced rudder was replaced by a redesigned horn-balanced counterpart. It was determined to possess excellent manoeuvrability, in part due to its engine being placed so close to the aircraft's centre of gravity, and
5040-414: Was flown on 1 March 1918 over Naistenlahti. It seems likely that the Reds also operated two aircraft over the Eastern front. The Reds mainly performed reconnaissance, bombing sorties, spreading of propaganda leaflets, and artillery spotting. The Reds' air activity was not particularly successful. Their air operations suffered from bad leadership , worn-out aircraft, and un-motivated Russian pilots. Some of
5112-511: Was required to expel or intern remaining German forces as part of its peace agreement with the Soviets in September 1944. As a result, the Finns' fought their final air battles against retreating Luftwaffe units. The Finnish Air Force did not bomb any civilian targets during either war. Overflying Soviet towns and bases was also forbidden, as to avoid any unneeded provocations and to spare equipment. The Finnish Air Force shot down 1,621 Soviet aircraft while losing 210 of its own aircraft during
5184-584: Was sent in the spring of 2018. The goal is to start the fighter candidates’ environmental testing in Finland in 2019. The buying decision took place in 2021. On 10 December 2021, it was announced that Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II was the winner of the HX program. It was also revealed that neither the Dassault Rafale , Saab JAS 39 Gripen nor the Eurofighter Typhoon had gone through to
#971028