Cheers Jorel! You may have notice your influence on '
Pariisilainen' in Reply #750
Uuden Hävittäjän Projekti - the Daimler-Benz powered Tuulihaukka DerivativesVL D.42d 'Mersuhaukka II' ConceptAnother project under UHP was a refinement of the Arsenal airframe to better suit the German Daimler-Benz engine. Responding to the fate of the D.33d demonstrator, an entirely new undercarriage was adopted. This was the Italian Magnaghi system from the
Ilmavoimat's Fiat G.50 '
Fiiu' fighter. Also inspired by the Fiat was a new, steel-tube wing centre section (to whichwould be attached outer panels consisting of roughly the outer two-thirds of the original VG.33's wooden wing - increasing span to 13 m).
The new centre section attached to a lengthened Tuulihaukka fuselage. A DB 601E (or DB 605A) engine was to be installed in an almost unchanged Bf 109 cowling. The longer fuselage left space for an optional MG 151/20
motor-kanone as well as cowl-mounted 12.7 mm LKk/42 VKT machine guns (Browning M2 copies).
The new outer wing panels allowed fixed armament to be fitted inboard compared to the guns' original mounting points. This also meant more relative space between the spars allowing internally wing-mounted LKK/42 machine guns or MG 151/20. A light bomb rack could be fitted behind the retracted main wheels (since the D.33's central radiator had been replaced by twin Bf 109-style radiator baths outboard on either side of the centre section).
Ilvamoimat inspectors were very impressed with the D.42d concept but found it a somewhat over-elaborate development. It seemed to these officials that a simpler solution could be found by combining the features of the radial-engined D.42w and Daimler-powered D.42d.
The D.43d Haukka IIIThe D.43d was effectively a DB 605A-powered development of VL's stillborn D.42w concept. The basic
Tuulihaukka fuselage and wing remained largely unchanged but the forward fuselage was now made up of welded steel tubes. The lowered wing gave the 3 metre diameter VDM 9 propeller the ground clearance it required.
A minor difference in the D.43d airframe was an enlarged vertical tailplane of simplified shape. The radiator was also enlarged and moved aft. This was to help restore balance (aided by some rearrangement of internal equipment). With all these changes, the Ilmavoimat redubbed the aircraft
Haukka (
Hawk) to differentiate the D.43d from earlier D.33 types still in service.
Haukka armament was to consist of twin LKk/42 machine guns. Optionally, a
motor-kanone could be fitted as could four rifle-calibre wing guns. In the event, most D.43d were delivered to tactical recce units and mounted only the twin cowl guns. Those
Haukka that did reach fighter units tended to have a third, engine-mounted LKk/42 although a few did receive the rarer MG 151/20 cannon.
'
Justiina' (bottom) is a typical tactical recce D.43d
Haukka. Note that, although the
Ilmavoimat has applied a new 'HA' type code, the numerical sequence carries on from the D.33 types.