The Thulin Typ D was a Swedish copy of the French Morane-Saulnier L "Parasol" reconnaissance aircraft.
History[]
In 1914 Dr. Enoch Thulin bought the licence to build Morane-Saulnier Ls in his own AB Thulinverken factory in Landskrona. Five Typ Ds were built, the first one made its first flight on 2 August 1915. Two Thulin Ds were delivered to the Swedish Air Force, and the remaining three to Thulin's flying school in Ljungbyhed. The Air Force's Typ Ds were retired in 1918.
Count Eric Von Rosen bought one of the flying school's Typ Ds in 1918 and donated it to the Finnish White Guards, making it the first aircraft of the Finnish Air Force. The aircraft arrived on 6 March but its career was short: it was destroyed in a fatal accident on 16 April. A second Typ D was donated by the organization Finlands vänner (Finland's Friends) and arrived on 19 March 1918, but was damaged beyond repair just nine days later.
Survivors[]
- A replica of the FAF's first Typ D is on display at the Finnish Air Force Museum in Tikkakoski, Finland.
- The damaged fuselage of the FAF's second Typ D is also at the Finnish Air Force Museum, but not on display.
Specifications[]
- Crew: 2
- Length: 6.54 m (21 ft 5 in)
- Wingspan: 11 m (36 ft 1 in)
- Height: 3.1 m (10 ft 2 in)
- Maximum take-off weight: 585 kg (1,290 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Thulin A 9-cylinder air-cooled rotary piston engine, 90 hp (67 kW)
- Propeller: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller
- Maximum speed: 115 km/h (71 mph, 62 kn)