 At the beginning of the war , Finland had a very small air force , with only 114 combat planes fit for duty . Missions were very limited , and fighter aircraft were mainly used to repel Soviet bombers . Strategic bombings could also double as opportunities for military reconnaissance . Old @-@ fashioned and few in number , aircraft could not offer support for Finnish ground troops . In spite of losses , the number of planes in the Finnish Air Force had risen by over 50 % by the end of the war . The Finns received shipments of British , French , Italian , Swedish and American aircraft . 
