Private company

Valtion lentokonetehdas

Logo: (SVG-tiedostoksi muuttanut Markus Säynevirta ), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons³

Former finnish airplane manufactory

Valtion lentokonetehdas (State aircraft factory) was a Finnish aircraft manufacturing company that was founded on 23 February 1928 from the IVL or I.V.L. factory (Ilmailuvoimien lentokonetehdas, Finnish Air Force Aircraft Factory), founded in 1921. The company was transferred from being subordinate to the Finnish Air Force to being subordinate to the Ministry of Defence. The company, and its products were named with the prefix VL.² It employed 1,697 people in 1941.¹ It ceased to exist in 1951.¹ Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1921Founded¹

Industryaircraft industry¹
HeadquartersTampere¹

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Products and brands

airplane

Listed on Wikidata.¹

Island factory

The company began its production at Suomenlinna and Santahamina in Helsinki. The factory did not have an airport, only the sea and sea ice could be used for take-off and landing. Most of the aircraft built in Helsinki were seaplanes. In Helsinki the aircraft built were small compared to the Bristol Blenheim bombers built under licence in the late 1930s. Much of the final assembly was done outdoors. The company was looking for a new production facility further away from the Soviet Union. Helsinki was seen as a bad location for an armaments factory from a strategic viewpoint.

Aircraft

Ilmailuvoimien Lentokonetehdas

IVL A.22 Hansa (Hansa-Brandenburg W.33)

IVL C.24

IVL C.25

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Caudron C.60

IVL D.26 Haukka I

IVL K.1 Kurki