Luftwaffe VL Näätä

[comrade harps]

NSGr.8, Kemijärv, Finland, January 1944

In the mid-1930s, Finland acquired production rights for the Fiat C.R.32, but soon found problems with its Fiat A.30 water-cooled engine during the harsh winter months. To overcome this, the air-cooled Fiat A.74 radial engine was substituted to produce the Fiat C.R. 39. This was put into production by VL as the Karhu (bear) in 1938.


During the Winter War with the Socialist Union of 1939-40, the Finnish government instructed VL to produce an indigenous monoplane fighter using non-strategic materials. The resultant Näätä was clearly influenced by the Fiat C.R. 39 and C.R.42, which had also entered Finnish service during the conflict. Although slow and generally obsolete, the Näätä was a sound design and it entered service in mid 1942.  It was chiefly used as a light attack aircraft and the last of 57 produced was withdrawn from Finnish service in 1947.


In December 1943, the Luftwaffe established the night harassment unit Nachtschlachtgruppe 8 at Pori in Finland, equipping it with the German Ar 66 and second-hand and new production Martens. By late January, 1944, NSGr.8 had black and white painted, ski-equipped Näätäs operational from Kemijärv in northern Finland against the Red Army. Sources differ, but it generally agreed that between 15 and 20 Näätäs were taken on charge by NSGr.8. Three NSGr.8 Näätäs were flown to Elvenes in Norway in the aftermath of the Finnish surrender of July, 1944, where they were abandoned.

[Taiidantomcat]

That two tone scheme is great!!  I like the dual color cross 

[Pablo1965]

That two tone scheme is great!!  I like the dual color cross 

Congratulations is a great idea. and the nice fuselage of the CR-42 show all Its brightness.