Vehicle Type: Fighter
Sweden (Finnish Sub-Tree)
Proposed Rank / BR: Rank I / ~1.7 BR
- Yes, as a Tech Tree vehicle
- Yes, as an Event vehicle
- Yes, as a Premium vehicle
- No
Overview
The VL Humu “Whirlwind” was a 1944 Finnish fighter prototype designed by Valtion lentokonetehdas as a local, wood-constructed reproduction of the American Brewster F2A Buffalo (B-239). Designed due to wartime material shortages, it integrated a wooden wing structure and a captured Soviet Shvetsov M-63 radial engine. Only one prototype (HM-671) was produced and flight-tested in August 1944 before the program was cancelled due to the end of the Continuation War and poor flight performance.
In War Thunder, the VL Humu would serve as a unique low-tier premium or event fighter in the Swedish aviation tree (under the Finnish sub-tree line), offering a distinctive hybrid between American airframe design and Soviet engine power.
Origins and Service
During the Continuation War, the Finnish Air Force achieved notable operational success with its fleet of 44 Brewster B-239 fighters. In 1942, facing severe war-related attrition and acute metal shortages, Finnish authorities tasked VL engineers led by Martti Vainio alongside Torsti Verkkola and Arvo Ylinen—with building a domestic copy of the Brewster airframe.
To conserve strategic metals, the design team engineered a wooden wing structure to replace the original metal wings, while keeping the steel frame fuselage, this in turn brough about the elimination of the wing MGs and bomb stations. The aircraft was configured to use captured Soviet flight instruments and a captured 940 hp Shvetsov M-63 9-cylinder radial engine.
VL Humu in 1944
Design Flaws and Flight Testing
The conversion to wooden construction and non-native components introduced severe performance penalties:
- Excess Weight: The completed prototype (registration HM-671) ended up 250 kg heavier than calculated.
- Altered Balance: Moving fuel tanks from the wings to the rear fuselage drastically shifted the centre of gravity, deteriorating manoeuvrability and handling characteristics.
- Underpowered: The M-63 radial engine provided insufficient power for the heavier airframe, capping maximum speed at just 430 km/h.
The Humu took its maiden flight on August 8, 1944. Flight testing totalled 19 hours and 50 minutes. Test pilots and military evaluators concluded that the aircraft was underpowered and completely obsolete compared to contemporary fighter designs.
Cancellation and Preservation
With the conclusion of the Continuation War in September 1944, the project was formally cancelled. Only one prototype was produced. HM-671 was placed into long-term storage in 1945, undergo restoration between 1972 and 1974, and is now preserved on static display at the Central Finland Aviation museum.
VL Humu in the Central Finland Aviation Museum
Specifications & Armaments
- Crew: One
- Length: 8.03 m (26 ft 4 in)
- Wingspan: 10.67 m (35 ft 0 in)
- Height: 3.66 m (12 ft 0 in)
- Wing area: 19.40 m² (208.8 ft²)
- Max. takeoff weight: 2,895 kg (6,380 lbs)
- Powerplant: 1 × Shvetsov M-63 9-cyl., 700 kW (940 hp)
- Maximum speed: 430 km/h (267 mi/h)
- Service ceiling: 8,000 m (26,250 ft)
- Rate of climb: 13.3 m/s (43.6 ft/s)
Armament
2x 12.7 mm LKK/42 machine guns
Bombs: N/A
Its place in War Thunder
- Historical Significance: Represents Finland’s domestic wartime aviation ingenuity and resourcefulness under extreme material shortages.
- Firepower: Armed with two cowl-mounted 12.7 mm heavy machine guns, offering tight group accuracy despite a relatively low overall weight of fire compared to late-war fighters.
- Role: Energy fighting and low-tier dogfighting. Works best when retaining speed and engaging turn-fighters from an altitude advantage rather than engaging in prolonged turn fights.
Sources
VL Humu Fighter Prototype. (2025). Militaryfactory.Com. VL Humu Fighter Prototype
Warbird Alley: Brewster Buffalo / VL Humu . (2016). Warbirdalley.Com. Warbird Alley: Brewster Buffalo / VL Humu
Lednicer, D. (2010). The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage. In Illinois.edu. https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html
