Manufacturer

Valtion Lentokonetehdas / VL

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Finland
Finnish State Aircraft Factory, created February 1928 from former IVL (Ilmailuvoimien Lentokonetehdas = Aviation Force Aircraft Factory) which, from its formation near Helsinki in 1921, had built Hansa-Brandenburg W.33 seaplanes and Caudron C 60 trainers under license for Finnish Air Force, plus the Finnish-designed Kotka maritime reconnaissance/bomber biplane. First VL product was the Saa’ski two-seat trainer, followed by license production of de Havilland Moths and Blackburn Ripons. After producing the Vima light trainer and Tuisku advanced training/ reconnaissance biplanes, the VL was reorganized in 1936 and moved to Tampere, where it produced Pyry monoplane trainers, Fokker C.X. biplanes, Fokker D.XXI fighters and Bristol Blenheim bombers under license. Next indigenous product was single-seat Myrsky fighter of 1942-1945. Became part of Valtion after Second World War.

  1. The names of aircrafts of the State Aircraft Factory (Valtion Lentokonetehdas) since 1933 are different kind of winds. Therefore “Humu” means “Whirl”.

Valmet

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Valmet Oy Kuoreveden Tehdas
Valtion Metallitehtaat Lentokonetehdas
Valmet Oy Tampere
Valmet Aviation Ind
Finavitec OY

Finland
Valmet Oy was shortened title from 1958 of state-owned group (Valtion Metallitehtaat Lentokonetehdas) consisting of several metalworking factories. Kuoreveden Tehdas (Kuorevesi Works) was formerly part of factory group Valmet Oy Tampere, from which it separated in 1974, and became the largest aircraft factory in Finland. Foreign aircraft produced under license included Potez (Air Fouga) Magister jet trainers and 12 Saab Draken fighters. Own designed Leko-70 Vinka two-seat piston-engined trainer evolved by new design group created September 1970, followed in 1985 by the two/four-seat L-80 TP turboprop version. Also flew prototypes of the PIK-23 Towmaster. Valmet also assembled 46 of the 50 BAe Hawk jet trainers for Finnish Air Force. Other activities included overhaul and repair of military and civil aircraft and piston aero engines. The other aviation member of group was Valmet Oy Linnavuoren Tehdas, at Siuro, concerned mainly with overhaul and repair of jet aero engines.

Valmet Aviation Ind followed on from Valmet OY before the latest change to Finavitec OY. Manufactured the L-90TP RediGO turboprop trainer before being sold to Aermacchi of Italy in 1996. Began assembly of 57 F-18C Hornet fighters for the Finnish Air Force from kits, and manufactured parts, plus their engines.

UTVA

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UTVA, Fabrica Aviona

Jugoslavia / Serbia

Utva Aircraft Industry (commonly known as UTVA) is a manufacturer of general aviation aircraft, located in Pančevo, Serbia. Utva in Serbian is the Ruddy Shelduck.

Utva was founded on 5 June 1937 in Zemun (a small town in former Austrohungarian empire), and produced simple gliders. In 1939 Utva began manufacturing light piston engine aircraft.

Four out of five Yugoslav aircraft plants were in close proximity to each other, built in and around Belgrade: Ikarus, Rogožarski, Zmaj and Utva. The fifth one was DFA (Državna Fabrika Aviona – State Aircraft Factory) which was located in Kraljevo. The plant was relocated to Pančevo (a town a few kilometers away from Belgrade, in Vojvodina autonomous province) in 1940. Until the April war, it mainly produced light gliders but it also produced 148 Bucker Jungmann Bu-131D-2 training planes and one acrobatic Bucker Jungmaister Bu-133. The plant escaped the devastation of the other aircraft plants (Ikarus, Rogožarski and Zmaj) and began producing it’s prewar gliders Čavka (Daw) and Ždral (Crane – the bird) and school airplanes Trojka (Three) and Aero 3. Utva also built a lot of Ikarus designs, notably the 212 and 213 models.

Utva produced light utility aircraft, including the Utva 56 four-seater, first flown in 1956, and thereafter developed through a number of U60 air-taxi/tourer/freight/agricultural/ ambulance and floatplane versions. The Utva 65 was originally an agricultural aircraft, developed as the U66 to serve various utility roles and including the armed U66V version. The Utva 75 two-seat trainer/glider-tug/agricultural aircraft entered production in late 1970s. Lasta 1 tandem two-seat piston-engined trainer first flew September 1985 but was superseded before production by the design of the refined Lasta 2. Development started of Utva 95 agricultural aircraft, probably based on Utva 75. Formerly fabricated components for the IAR-93/J-22 Orao and Super Galeb programmes, and produced items for various Boeing airliners.

During the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, the factory was bombed several times and severely damaged.

The factory was heavily bombarded in 1999 and certain parts of it were still off limits due to the unexploded ordnance in 2012. All five original lasta 95 prototypes were destroyed in the factory and the only existing Supergaleb G4MD prototype was lightly damaged. 2012 was back to the basics for Utva. The plant produced Lasta 95 basic trainer and was developing Kobac (sparrow hawk) light COIN aircraft (first flight is expected in 2013).

In 2011, Utva Pančevo was a public company with the headquaters in Pančevo, Serbia, serving 301 employees.