U.S. spies over Finland with courtesy

Discussions on other historical eras.
Post Reply
User avatar
Hanski
Member
Posts: 1887
Joined: 24 Aug 2002, 20:18
Location: Helsinki

U.S. spies over Finland with courtesy

#1

Post by Hanski » 26 Jan 2014, 00:01

In these days of surveillance and espionage scandals, even among friends, I was amused today when visiting the Central Finland Aviation Museum in Tikkakoski. The display item below is self-explanatory.
Attachments
US recce.jpg
US camera.jpg
US label.jpg
Last edited by Hanski on 26 Jan 2014, 20:47, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
Hanski
Member
Posts: 1887
Joined: 24 Aug 2002, 20:18
Location: Helsinki

Re: U.S. spies over Finland with courtesy

#2

Post by Hanski » 26 Jan 2014, 20:31

Referring to the last sentence in the Museum text above:

The Ilyushin Il-28 (Илью́шин Ил-28, NATO reporting name Beagle) was obtained from the Soviet Union for the Finnish Air Force for the roles of aerial photography, maritime surveillance, and target sleeve towing for the firing practice of interceptors and anti-aircraft artillery crews. Paris Peace treaty of 1947 prohibited bombers from the arsenal of Finland, but nevertheless the first aircraft coded NH-1 was delivered to Finland in January 1960 fully equipped for bombing, with the bomb sight, bomb racks, and the twin tail cannons in place. The three remaining aircraft designated as NH-2, -3, and -4 were of the Il-28R tactical photo reconnaissance version, with extra fuel in bomb bay and wingtip-tanks, and with one forward firing cannon removed.

The production of the Il-28 had ended in 1956 and it was already obsolete as a bomber when delivered to Finland. Finns installed in the bomb bay two aerial photography cameras and in between the winch for the steel wire of the target sleeve, as seen from the photo below, one of the planes using the "gift" Fairchild K-38 camera as told above. There are also two containers visible on the port side of the fuselage for collecting atmospheric samples, including radioactive particles that were observed after Soviet nuclear testing above Novaya Zemlya.

The Il-28 served in the Finnish Air Force in the years 1960-81. The museum aircraft NH-4 is on display in Tikkakoski.
Attachments
Ilyushin 28R.jpg
Bomb bay.jpg


Post Reply

Return to “Other eras”