Vintage Aviation

High-quality vintage aircraft parts for simulator and static use

I have been an aviation history enthusiast for decades. Nowadays I am also an entrepreneur and manufacturer of old aircrafts reproduction parts for simulator and static use under trade name Vintage Aviation.

It all started as I rebuilt my old glider for airworthy condition. After I had made the maiden flight of the restored glider in 2014, I was wondering what I do next at the workshop. I had acquired some Supermarine Spitfire drawings, so why I would not do few parts of this famous aircraft? The first component I made was the throttle quadrant. Soon I noticed, that there were many enthusiasts all over the world, who have been waited for a high-quality Spitfire parts for simulator use.

The Spitfire is my passion, but I am interesting in all kind of vintage aircrafts: warbirds, commercial aircrafts and vintage gliders. In addition to the Spitfire parts, I hope I can soon offer some DC-3 cockpit components.

The most important thing of these handcrafted reproduction components is that they should be as accurate as possible. They are manufactured mostly according to the original drawings and parts. If the dimensional drawings are not available I use other sources e.g. photographs. The goal is to maintain the history of aviation and old manufacturing techniques alive. However, in order to keep costs rational in the small series, it is necessary to use new techniques. 3D printing technology has enabled manufacturing of difficult casting parts at a reasonable price.

The key feature with Vintage Aviation parts is that they are mainly manufactured using the same materials as the original ones. It’s not enough that the parts look correct; to touch them must feel just like it did in the past days. So, the choice of material is important. Plastic may be used for the parts which were plastic-like, such as bakelite. But if the component was originally made from aluminium, it is made from aluminium at the workshop  also.

I have partners worldwide, aviation professionals and enthusiasts, with whom I share my knowledge and expertise of the history of aviation. Several enthusiasts have already chosen a throttle quadrant made in my workshop for their static or simulator Spitfires all over the world. Here in Finland, my main partner is Ilmailutekniikka (Aviation Technology), which is a company with experience in aviation maintenance and manufacturing since the early sixties.

I want to serve the aviation history enthusiasts and provide the best components for historic aircraft simulators, replicas and aviation museums. If there is anything I can help you, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I am more than happy to help you. Please also remember to follow the Workshop News and my blog Fiver Flights, where I write about flying with my restored vintage glider. Feedback can be read from the Testimonial page.

Thank you for visiting the Vintage Aviation website,

Harri