"Pearl of the sky" was one of the nicknames Finnish pilots gave to the Brewster F2A-1 export model B-239. It was a de-navalized version of the Buffalo (naval equipments such as tailhooks and life-raft containers removed) also lacking self-sealing fuel tanks and cockpit armor which made it somewhat lighter than the original F2A-1. The engine was an export-approved Wright R-1820-G5 950 hp nine-cylinder radial engine. Armored backrests, metric instruments, Finnish Väisälä T.h.m 40 sight and four .50 cal machine guns were added after the delivery. The contract between Finland and USA to buy 44 B-239's was made on 16 Dec 1939, but the plane didn't participate in Winter War (30 Nov 1939 - 13 Mar 1940). However, it played very important role in Continuation War (25 Jun 1941 - 19 Sep 1944) and took also part in Lapland War (Oct 1944 - 25 Apr 1945). The B-239 was claimed with 477 Soviet Air Force warplanes destroyed with a victory ratio of 26:1. The top scoring Brewster ace was 1st Lt Hans "Hasse" Wind (78 victories in total) with 39 victories of which 28 in BW-393. BW-393 may still officially be the highest-scoring fighter airframe with 41 kills, but after evaluation of claims against Soviet actual losses, BW-364 was actually credited with 42 1/2 kills. BW-364 (depicted here) was mostly flown by the FAF's highest scoring ace, WO Ilmari "Illu" Juutilainen (94 1/6 victories) who achieved 34 victories with Brewster. Juutilainen (21 Feb 1914 - 21 Feb 1999) flew 437 sorties with Fokker D.XXI, B-239 (LeLv 24) and Bf-109-G2 & 6 (LeLv 34), and was decorated with VM 2, VR 4, VR 4 tlk, VR 3, VR 3 tlk, 2x MR 2 (VM = Medal of Liberty, VR = Cross of Liberty, VR 1 being the highest and VR 4 the lowest, tlk = with oak leaves). Juutilainen and Wind were the only pilots in FAF to receive the Mannerheim Cross 2nd Class twice (a total of 191 Mannerheim Crosses were awarded in 1941-45, four of them twice). Mannerheim Cross is the highest rank-independent decoration. Credits: Base mesh by Briney Textures and cockpit interior by me (both quick and dirty job, textures have seams, panel lines are incorrect because I used wrong references, and camo isn't aligned between wings and fuselage as it should). Pilot is Apollo