Finishing the MY-14 flaps

Suomeksi

The original flaps of the VL-Myrsky fighter were found in the spring of 2014 in the stores of the Finnish Air Force Museum (until the end of 2015, the Aviation Museum of Central Finland). Until then Aviation Museum Society’s Tuesday Club’s Myrsky team had only one flap at its disposal and the building of the other one was being prepared.

Photo: Reino Myllymäki

The Myrsky flaps are panel flaps, mainly made of duralumin, which can be opened to any position between the extreme positions. They are operated by the same electric motor as the landing gear.

The original green colour of the upper surface of the Myrsky flaps has remained and it was decided to preserve it. The lower surface, instead, will be painted along with the wing to the same paint scheme as the rest of the aircraft.

The flaps were returned to Tikkakoski in the same load with the wings in September 2024. When preparing to join the fuselage and the wing, various preliminary finishing touches have been done to the wing. This has included conservation of original parts, replacing parts bought from shops or refabricated with original parts, and preparing the wing to accordance with the blueprints.

The steel hinges of the duralumin flaps were rusty. They were sandblasted at Tikkakoski.

The drive shaft of the flaps is joined at both ends to bearings. For some reason the drive shaft was lacking the part linking the shaft to the bearing bracket. It had to be refabricated by lathing according to the blueprints.

The MY-14 is again a step nearer to completion.

Photos: Finnish Air Force Museum, unless otherwise mentioned.

Translation to English by Matti Liuskallio.