The Story of a Finnish Pilot Who Proved His Buffalo Could Fly Against All Odds: “Watch Me Make This Thing Fly”

A Plane Few Wanted

In 1940 the Brewster Buffalo was considered a failure. American and British pilots called it slow, heavy, and unreliable. The U.S. Navy retired it quickly, and other nations dismissed it as unsafe for combat. Yet Finland, a small country facing invasion, had few choices. Through a loophole in American neutrality laws, Finnish officials purchased forty-four of these rejected fighters at a low price.

Finland’s air force had barely more than a hundred operational aircraft. Their main opponent, the Soviet Union, fielded thousands. The Buffalo seemed a poor answer to this threat, but the Finns saw potential where others saw only problems. They received lighter versions of the fighter and immediately began to adapt them for their own needs. Mechanics strengthened engines, added pilot armor, and fitted four heavy machine guns. Each plane was treated as irreplaceable.

Training Above All

The transformation was not only mechanical. Finnish commanders believed that the pilot mattered more than the aircraft. Training was relentless. Recruits practiced until they could hold fire until they were within fifty meters of a target, a range where every shot counted. New pilots flew with veterans until their skill and discipline matched the squadron’s high standards.

This focus paid off quickly. Early in the war Finnish Buffalo units destroyed enemy bombers without losing a single plane. Their method was patient and calculated. Pilots attacked only when conditions favored them, avoided unnecessary dogfights, and struck with precision before withdrawing to safety.

Turning Weakness into Strength

The Buffalo’s supposed flaws became advantages in the north. Its steady handling made it an excellent gunnery platform. Its range, short by U.S. Navy standards, suited the limited distances over Finland. Built originally for carrier use, it was tough enough to operate from frozen lakes and rough forest airstrips.

Tactics evolved as well. Pilots developed the “swarm,” where one pair of aircraft lured the enemy while another dove from above. Soviet formations often outnumbered the Finns ten to one, but these small teams repeatedly broke up larger groups and inflicted heavy losses.

Results that Surprised the World

By the end of World War II, Finnish Buffalo squadrons recorded 459 confirmed victories while losing only fifteen of their own in combat, a kill ratio of thirty-two to one. Individual pilots flew hundreds of missions without losing a wingman. Some became among the highest-scoring aces of the entire conflict.