Photo: SA-kuva (Finnish Armed Forces photograph, Wartime Photograph Archive). Photographer Eino Itänen.

Photo: SA-kuva (Finnish Armed Forces photograph, Wartime Photograph Archive). Photographer R.Stjernberg.

The extraordinary Päijät-Hämeen ilmailumuseo near Lahti, in a very dark wooden storage hangar on the former WW2 Vesivehmaa air base is a collection of extremely rare and historic items run by a volunteer organisation that saved from scrapping many significant airframes stored there in the 1960s. Blackburn Ripon IIF RI140 is the only surviving example of this inter-war torpedo bomber anywhere in the world. One of 25 built under licence by the State Aircraft Factory between 1930 and 1934, it was also used for reconnaissance, liaison and target tug work.

Photo: SA-kuva (Finnish Armed Forces photograph, Wartime Photograph Archive). Photographer Eino Itänen.

During Finnish Winter War (1939-40) in Karelia on the ice of Lake Ladoga (Laatokka in Finnish or Ladozhskoye Ozero in Russian). Photo: SA-kuva (Finnish Armed Forces photograph, Wartime Photograph Archive). Photographer not known.

'The Home Fleet's summer exercises. A Blackburn Ripon plane dropping a torpedo which can be seen [in uncropped photo] striking the water. This picture was taken from H.M. aircraft carrier Furious.' Some searching reveals that the year was 1933 and the unit the FAA's No 811 Sqn, with a red fuselage band. S1572 was built as a Ripon IIA but may have been modified to IIC standard with metal wings.

The Finnish Air Force purchased the production licence and a pattern aircraft in 1928. The State Aircraft Factory delivered 25 Ripons in three lots between 1930 and 1934. The Ripon was used in reconnaissance, liaison, bombing and target tug duties. The last Ripon flight was February 16th, 1945. RI-140 is the sole survivor of the type in the World. [Nikon D750 + Tamron SP 24-70mm/2,8G VC]

Photo: SA-kuva (Finnish Armed Forces photograph, Wartime Photograph Archive). Photographer Lassi Hämäläinen.