Hobby Master Archive

Hobby Master 1/48 Air Power Series HA7009 Brewster Model 239 flown by Ilmari Juutilainen 3/LeLv 24, Suulajarvi, Dec 1942 “Orange 4” LIMITED EDITION

Accurate 1/48 scale Professionally painted Pad applied markings Opening canopy Pilot figure Movable rudder Retractable Landing Gear Specifications for the Brewster Model B-239 Manufacturer - Brewster Aeronautical Corporation, USA Crew - (1) pilot Performance Engine - (1) air-cooled Wright R-1820-G5 Cyclone 9 cylinder 950 HP radial Propeller - Hamilton-Standard variable pitch - metal Maximum Speed - 478 km/h @ 4,750 m (297 mph @ 15,580 ft) Cruising Speed - 380 km/h (236 mph) Maximum Range - 760 km (472 miles) Flight Duration - 4 hours Maximum Ceiling - 9,900 m (32,480 ft)

Dimensions Wing Span - 10.67 m (35 ft) Length - 8.03 m (26.35 ft) Height - 3.66 m (12 ft)

Weight Empty - 2,020 kg (4,453 lbs) Maximum - 2,640 kg (5,820 lbs)

Armament Originally equipped with a single 0.30" machine gun but it was replaced with a 0.50" (12.7 mm). In 1943 all except one Finnish B-239s had four 0.50" machine guns. The wing guns had 400 rounds and fuselage guns 200 rounds each (0.30" had 600 rounds).

In 1939 the US diverted some Brewster Buffaloes to Finland that had USN equipment removed such as self-sealing fuel tanks and pilot armor plus This lighter aircraft also receive a different engine. These aircraft were designated Brewster Model B-239. The Finns added an armored pilot backrest and metric instruments. They also added their own gun-sights and four .50 inch (12.7mm) machine guns. In Finland the aircraft was referred to as the Brewster, never the Buffalo. A few nicknames were given to the Brewster such as Taivaan helmi (“Sky Pearl”) or Pohjoisten taivaiden helmi (“Pearl of the Northern Skies”) also Pylly-Valtteri (“Butt-Walter”), Amerikanrauta (“American hardware” or “American car”) and Lentava kaljapullo (“flying beer-bottle”).

The most famous Finnish pilot of WWII was lentomestari (flight champion) Eino Ilmari “Illu” Juutilainen of 3rd Flight “Knight Flight” LeLv 24 (Fighter Squadron 24). Between June 1941 and February 1943 Juutilainen shot down 28 aircraft while flying his “Orange 4” (BW-364) Brewster B239 before changing to a Messerschmitt Bf-109G. By the end of WWII he had accumulated a total 94 victories and twice won the Mannerheim Cross, the highest award in the Finnish Air Force. LeLv 24 was the most successful with 460 kills flying the Brewsters. The last flight of the Model B-239 in Finland was in September of 1948.