Valmet Tuuli III (TL-1) returned to Finnish Aviation Museum

Lauantai 13.3.2021 - Tuesday Club member


Suomeksi

The restoration of Valmet Tuuli III (TL-1), which remained a prototype, is a joint venture of the Wednesday Club of the Finnish Aviation Museum and the Tuesday Club of the Aviation Museum Society. The restoration project started in 2016. When Tuuli III had been dismantled in the restoration space of the Finnish Aviation Museum, the fuselage, wings and parts of the tail were taken to the Tavastia Vocational College in Hämeenlinna.

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Photo: The photo archive of the Finnish Aviation Museum / Kauko Tuomikoski's collection.

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The aim was that the aircraft’s surface treatment is done by the students of the Tavastia Vocational College. This included the cleaning and painting of the surfaces. The work was started by degreasing the tail parts and wing surfaces. After that the silver paint surface was removed with Nitromors paint stripper, dry ice blowing and grinding.

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Photo: Antti Laukkanen.

The wings and tail parts had already been painted with yellow adhesion primer (acid primer), when it was discovered that the surfaces of Tuuli III had originally been clean aluminium surfaces. Only the belly, the leading edges and some decorative elements had been painted. The aim was to restore Tuuli III into its appearance during the test flight time. This meant that the adhesion primer, which had been sprayed on the wings, had to be removed. The fuselage surfaces had not yet been painted with undercoat paint at the vocational college.

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In February 2020 the students of the Tavastia Vocational College attended a surface treatment course at the aviation museum. They learned how to polish aluminium surfaces, using the Tuuli III fuselage as the target. After this the aim was that the Tavastia students continue with the polishing work.

However, Tuuli III work was interrupted in Hämeenlinna, because the Vocational College has been mainly remote in education due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, the space where the Tuuli III has been stored at the vocational college was needed for other purposes. Therefore, it was decided that the Tuuli III is returned to the Finnish Aviation Museum.

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When the Covid-19 pandemic situation allows, the volunteer activities at the museum will be started again and the restoration of Tuuli III can be continued. Surface treatment of the fuselage and wings will be the following phase and after that the aircraft will be assembled and the engine restoration continued.

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At the moment there is no vacant indoor space in the museum for continuing the restoration of Tuuli III. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the restoration work of VL Myrsky II (MY-14) and Caudron C.50 (CA-50) is still unfinished. For now, Valmet Tuuli III is stored at the museum premises in the new storage tent. The restoration work of Tuuli III can be continued in the tent, at least to some extent, during the summer period.

Photos: Lassi Karivalo except if separately otherwise mentioned.

Translation: Erja Reinikainen.

Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Valmet Tuuli III, OH-XTL, TL-1