VL Kotka

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Kotka "Eagle"
VL Kotka serial KA-144 in Suomenlinna, circa October 1930
General information
Type	two-seater patrol biplane
Manufacturer	Valtion lentokonetehdas
Primary user	Finnish Air Force
Number built	5 (plus 3 prototypes)
History
Manufactured	1931-19??
Introduction date	1931
First flight	30 September 1930
Retired	1944

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 It was meant as a cheaper replacement (compared to the Blackburn Ripon) for the outdated IVL A.22 Hansas that were in service with the Finnish Air Force.^[1]

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]

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• VL E.32 Kotka III - cancelled third series due to the type being outdated.

 Finland

• Finnish Air Force.

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

• Valtion lentokonetehdas

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Blackburn Ripon

Media related to VL Kotka at Wikimedia Commons