De Havilland Vampire D.H. 100 (VA-2) and Trainer T.55 (VT-9)

The British De Havilland Vampire (nicknamed “Vamppi” or “the Vamp”) was the Finnish Air Force’s first jet fighter – and one of the first jet aircraft to be seen in Finland. Jet aircraft technology had already been introduced in the war planes of late World War II. Most of the European countries had already acquired the technology during the 1940’s, but it took until 1953 for Finland to get its first jets. Up till then, the Air Force pilots were still flying their World-War-era Messerschmitts.

When Finland acquired the Vampires in the early 1950’s, this fighter type was already outdated - the Royal Air Force was replacing Vampires with more modern fighter aircraft. However, as the Cold War was developing, the Western countries were reluctant to sell top military technology to the seemingly neutral Finland, which was actively trying to restore its relations with the neighboring Soviet Union. By the 1950’s, the equipment of the Finnish Air Force had become so outdated that the credibility of Finland’s aerial defence was in doubt. The situation improved in 1963, when the Soviet Union agreed to sell Finland its MiG-21 -type fighters – the world’s top fighter technology of its time - as a gesture of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance.

There are two Vampire-aircraft on display; a two-seater training version on the floor, and a single-seater fighter on the pole. There is also an ejector seat on the ground in front of the Vampire trainer. Ejector seats were introduced with the first jet fighters, since the increasing speed no longer allowed the pilot to bail out of a damaged plane unassisted. The display case next to the ejector seat shows the contents of the survival kit which was attached to the seat.