- Kurt Berger
Kurt Volmar Berger (born 1896, died 1977) was an aviation engineer and the chief designer at the Finnish aircraft manufacturing company
Valtion Lentokonetehtaat .K. V. Berger's father, Arnold Berger, was a minister and his mother was Fanny Berger. He became an abiturient from "Helsingin Uusi Yhteiskoulu" in 1916 and began studies as an electrical engineer at the
Helsinki University of Technology the same autumn, but volunteered for service with the Helsinki Jaeger Brgade.In 1918 he traveled to
Libau in Germany, to start pilot training with floater-equipped aircraft. However, his studies were interrupted by the end ofWWI and Germany's loss. Berger managed to receive his international civil pilot papers in 1921.In order to continue with his studies, he enrolled the East London Collage in 1919 (nowadays called
Queen Mary, University of London ), graduating on 5 September 1922. He was appointed Engineer at theFinnish Air Force Headquarters atSantahamina on 1 November 1923, and later Chief Engineer in 1 March 1924. He was therefore sent to the Finnish Air Force Aircraft Manufacturers company ("Ilmavoimien Lentokonetehdas"), where he would design theIVL C.24 ,IVL Haukka I ,IVL Haukka II ,IVL Sääski andIVL Kotka aircraft.Berger also participated in the Finnish Air Force's purchases of foreign fighters from i.e
Czechoslovakia ,Great Britain ,Italy andFrance in the late 1920-ies and 1930-ies.Berger was acquitted from his position at the VL during a company restructuring in 1933 and he continued to work as aircraft inspector at
Lentoasema I and Flight Regiment 2. After the Soviet-FinnishWinter War 1939-40 he supervised the assembly of theBrewster Buffalo fighters in Sweden, as well as served as Chief Engineer of Maintenance and Office Engineer at the Finnish Air Force Headquarters. After the wars he continued as a private entrepreneur.References
* Raunio, Jukka: "Valtion lentokonetehtaan historia Osa 1: Pioneerivuodet 1921-1932". Halli: Jukka Raunio, 2005. ISBN 951-96866-6-7.
* Heinonen, Timo: "Thulinista Hornetiin - 75 vuotta Suomen ilmavoimien lentokoneita." Tikkakoski: Keski-Suomen ilmailumuseo, 1992. ISBN 951-95688-2-4.
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