View Full Version : Finnish Brewster Buffalo (Merged)
Finn´s want their Brewster Buffalo back from the Yanks.
Fins' pride in the fighter plane that would not die
(http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article301684.ece)http://www.warbirdalley.com/images/buffalo-01.jpg
As recovered from lake:
http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Buffalo_wreck_Finland.jpg
LowNSlow
26th Jul 2005, 11:45
I seem to recall that the USN lays claim to any shot down and recovered USN airframe regardless of age, location or how much money has been spent recovering it. Maybe the Finns should claim a similar stance. Give the old Buffalo to the Finns, they were the only ones who ever loved her.
I liked the bit where the pilot was given back his shot glass and flask! Hardy chaps those Finns!!
Onan the Clumsy
26th Jul 2005, 22:54
Not that I want to hijack the thread, but...In Finland, where many believe the nation has been robbed of its heritage, there is acute melancholy at the prospect In Finland, I thought there was acute melancholy at just about everything.
H.Finn
27th Jul 2005, 05:28
Onan, you obviously have never visited Finland. Now that we are going to insults, I'd just like to tell you that the UK is generally known here as the "Western Russia", for obvious reasons. So much for this.
Back to topic: The airplane in the nice photo of ORAC's contribution is actually a VL Humu, which is a Finnish made copy of Brewster 239, with a wooden wing and a captured Russian M-63 engine. Only the prototype was built before the war ended. It is now preserved in the Finnish AF museum next to Jyväskylä airport.
It looks like a Brewster, but I (we) still want the real one back!
LowNSlow
27th Jul 2005, 09:52
Onan, just to confirm what H.Finn said, Finns aren't sad, Mad as a cut snake yes, mad no. All the ones I have met (mostly in bars it must be said) have been very charming, entertaining and share a massive dislike of Russia!
Onan the Clumsy
27th Jul 2005, 16:26
Sorry, I forgot I wasn't on JetBlast.
I saw a program once about Finland and that was the point they made accompanied with some amusing shots of stern faced people riding the bus (yes I know). They even had a picture of Sibelius similar to this:
http://www.helsinki.fi/kasv/nokol/sibbe.jpg
Note: I took the time to make sure I spelled his name correctly.
The program was focussing on the tango halls deep in the forests. Apparently it's quite the rage - or it was at the time. THey also showed film of Finns becoming quite animated (relatively speaking at least) at the prospect of a quick tango.
So sorry for the hijack and sorry for the glib comments about your national composure. (FWIW in England, if you give someone a uniform, they turn into Hitler).
So what's it really like?
CoodaShooda
28th Jul 2005, 05:11
So what's it really like?
25 years ago, Helsinki reminded me of Melbourne (Australia) - grey stone buildings, trams, Olympic complex etc etc.
The forests, the lakes......the saunas.
Great people, great country - certainly not "a poor second to Belgium, when going abroad"
Only downside was having to spell my out 4 letter anglo saxon name while they had no trouble spelling my (then) fiancee's 27 letter/umpteen syllable Finnish name. Oh..and when my translater went off to bed in the middle of an indepth discussion of the Finnish/Russian relationship.
Melancholy - No
Alcoholy - Definitely :E
Woomera
28th Jul 2005, 11:22
That thing actually flew?????????
:confused:
Interesting CofG I'm sure.........
treadigraph
28th Jul 2005, 12:28
From what I've read, it didn't exactly inspire a great deal of affection in its pilots...!
H.Finn
28th Jul 2005, 12:43
Except in Finland, where it achieved the highest kill to loss ratio of WWII. But our version was lighter and de-navalised etc...
Funny how one group of people can hate a plane while another group love the same machine. The RAF hated the P39 and the Russians thought it was the bee's knee's, while almost everyone hated the poor old Buffalo while the Finn's loved it. Its also worth noting that everyone hated the B26 Marauder until they were shown how to use it. You can always work on an aircrafts structure and engines and you can always tailor its operations to suit its capabilities, but its a lot harder to fix negative attitudes, especially when the whole organisation is infected.
Unabashed Buffalo Fan
Dear friends
I have a question about the WW2 fighter, the Brewster F2A Buffalo.
Being build in a relatively reduced number of around 500, does anyone excist today ???
I know, that one was raised from a Finish lake year back, but besides that ???
Anybody, who knows, if there has been made scale down replicas of it ??
Brgds
SE210
See here (http://www.warbirdforum.com/dutchbuf.htm)