Arrival of the Midnight Hawks

Date range is an estimate. Photographer unknown

This Hound was delivered to the Finnish AF in February 1962 and served until wfu in September 1979. It was then used for ground instruction and stored at Utti (UTI) and is now on display at this super museum with the tailboom and rear doors inside the hulk.

This Draken was built in December 1974 and flew with the Finnish AF from October 1975 until May 2000. It is now on display at this very interesting and friendly museum in Eastern Finland.

This Magister flew with the Finnish AF from June 1962 until December 1988 and retired with the most flight hours for any of the type in service. It is now in storage at this very interesting museum.

The Finnish Defence Ministry bought 12 Gnats in October 1956 and allocated serials GN-101 to 110 for the fighters, and GN-112 and 113 for the photoreconnaissance versions. The planes were allocated to Hävittäjälentolaivue 11 based at Jyväskylä (EFJY). Despite the Gnat's positive features, it was a new and untried aircraft with deficiencies and design flaws. Unfortunately, it was troublesome in service, demanding repairs, modifications and technical issues that required constant attention. Four of the twelve were lost in service but this example is now a nice gate guardian at this super museum.

This C-47A was built at Oklahoma City and Taken on Charge with the USAAF as 43-48254. In October 1947 the plane started flying with Aero O/Y (the forerunner to Finnair) as OH-LCF 'Kyytipoika'. Its military career resumed in February 1960 when it went to the Finnish AF as DO-4. The plane was earmaked for preservation and by May 1982 became part of the (predecessor museum to the) Suomen Ilmavoimamuseo.

In June, 1942 this plane along with 7 other B-239s engaged 10 Soviet Hurricanes. The pilot, Lt. Pekuri, shot down two Hurricanes but his damaged plane crashed on Lake Big Kolejärvi, near Segezha, Russia and sank. Lt. Pekuri survived and in 1950 became the first Finnish pilot to exceed the speed of sound. After an undertaking by the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida the wreck was rediscovered in 1998 and recovered. Since 2009, the aircraft, as the world's only surviving Brewster, has been on loan to the Suomen Ilmavoimamuseo where it is preserved in its battle damaged state.

Later N275RX.

This is the only remaining Gloster Gauntlet and flew previously with the RAF as K5271. When the Winter War broke out in 1939, Finland began looking for war material from any available sources. The Federal Government of South Africa donated 29 aircraft, 24 of which were brought to Finland. The Gauntlet was retired 1945 and this is the only surviving example.