Valtion lentokonetehdas
| Company type | State-owned enterprise |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation manufacturing |
| Predecessor | IVL (Ilmailuvoimien lentokonetehdas) |
| Founded | 1928-02-23 |
| Defunct | 1951 |
| Fate | Merged into Valmet |
| Successor | Valmet Lentokonetehdas |
| Headquarters | Helsinki (initially), later Tampere, Finland , Finland |
Area served | Finland |
| Products | Military and civilian aircraft, aircraft maintenance and repair |
| Owner | Finnish government |
Number of employees | 1,697 (1941) |
| Parent | Ministry of Defence (initially), later Ministry of Trade and Industry |
Valtion lentokonetehdas (State Aircraft Factory) was a Finnish aviation manufacturing company established on 23 February 1928, evolving from the IVL (I.V.L.) factory (Ilmailuvoimien lentokonetehdas, Finnish Air Force Aircraft Factory), which had been founded in 1921.
Initially operating under the Finnish Air Force, the company later came under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence. Both the enterprise and its products carried the prefix VL.
Island facility
Production initially took place at Suomenlinna and Santahamina in Helsinki. Without access to an airfield, take-offs and landings relied solely on sea and sea ice. The majority of aircraft produced in Helsinki were seaplanes. Compared to the Bristol Blenheim bombers manufactured under license during the late 1930s, the Helsinki-built planes were relatively small. Much of the final assembly occurred outdoors. Strategically, Helsinki was considered an unsuitable location for an armaments factory due to its proximity to the Soviet Union, prompting the search for a more secure site.[1]
Relocation to Tampere
In 1936, operations shifted to Härmälä near Tampere, Finland’s largest industrial city and therefore also a potential bombing target. The establishment of both the factory and its adjacent airport provided employment for hundreds during the economic depression of the 1930s. Political leanings in Tampere were leftist, which nearly resulted in relocating the factory to Vaasa.
Throughout Second World War, VL was responsible for servicing and assembling German (Junkers Ju 88) and British (Bristol Blenheim) bomber aircraft. Employment at the Tampere site grew from 665 workers in 1936 to 1,697 by 1941. The factory’s primary role focused on maintenance and repair of military aircraft; manufacturing new planes was secondary, while designing indigenous aircraft ranked third.
To mitigate risk during wartime, production was decentralized across Finland: engine manufacturing moved to Kokkola, woodworking operations to Kylmäkoski, and storage facilities were relocated to Viiala and Pirkkala. Additional sites operated in Pori and Kolho. At war’s end, the entire factory of the Karhumäki brothers was incorporated under VL’s management.[2]
Integration into Valmet after the Second World War
Following the conclusion of World War II, the Finnish government undertook a consolidation of its industrial enterprises, incorporating VL into the organization known as Valtion Metallitehtaat (VMT, or State Metal Works), which was subsequently renamed Valmet. Control of the factory was transferred to the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
In 1945, with World War II ending, Valtion Lentokonetehdas together with several other state-owned factories were combined under the umbrella company Valtion Metallitehtaat Lentokonetehdas (State Metal Factories, commonly abbreviated as V.M.T. or VMT). This entity’s scope extended beyond aircraft manufacturing to include a broad range of products such as household machinery and engines.
The Finnish aircraft design sector experienced a period of stagnation for several years until 1951, when a new aircraft design took flight. That same year, Valtion Metallitehtaat Lentokonetehdas was rebranded as Valmet OY Lentokonetehdas (Valmet Aircraft Factory), with its branches referred to as Valmet Oy Tampereen tehdas ja Kuoreveden tehdas (Valmet Oy Tampere and Kuorevesi works). The company underwent multiple name changes from the 1960s onward. In 1963, Karhumäki’s Kuorevesi facility was incorporated into Valmet, focusing primarily on maintenance services for the Ilmavoimat (Finnish Air Force). By 1967, Valmet centralized all aviation operations at Kuorevesi. The name changed again in 1974 to Valmet Lentokonetehtaat (Valmet Aviation Industries), and in 1989 to Valmet Lentokoneteollisuus (Valmet Aircraft Industries). Ultimately, on September 5, 1996, Valmet transitioned into Patria Finavitec Oy.
Ilmailuvoimien Lentokonetehdas
Valtion Lentokonetehdas
- VL D.27 Haukka II
- VL Sääski (Mosquito)
- Koolhoven FK.31
- VL E.30 Kotka
- VL F.30 Paarma
- Letov Š-218 Smolik
- VL Tuisku
- VL Viima
- VL Pyry
- VL Myrsky
- VL Humu
- licensed production
Valmet
- Valmet Vihuri
- Valmet Tuuli
- Fouga CM 170R Magister
- Valmet L-70 Miltrainer Vinka
- BAE Hawk
- Valmet L-80 Turbo-Vinha
- Valmet PIK-23 Towmaster
- Valmet L-90TP Redigo
- licensed production
References
- ↑ Raunio, Jukka. Valtion lentokonetehtaan historia – Osa 1: Pioneerivuodet 1921–1932. Kuorevesi, Finland: Jukka Raunio, 2005. ISBN 951-96866-6-5
- ↑ Raunio, Jukka. Valtion lentokonetehtaan historia – Osa 2: Tampereella ja sodissa 1933–1944. Kuorevesi, Finland: Jukka Raunio, 2007. ISBN 978-951-96866-8-4
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