Lauri Olavi Pekuri (né Ohukainen; 6 November 1916, in Helsinki, Finland - 3 August 1999, in Spain) was a Finnish Air Force ace and jet aircraft pioneer.

Pekuri was sent to Parola and Tyrväntö during the Winter War where he got to fly second-line Gloster Gamecocks, Bristol Bulldogs and ASJA Jaktfalk fighters.

On 4 October 1941, Pekuri fought his first air battle against a Soviet I-153 fighter, which crashed mainly due to pilot error.

He managed to down two Soviet Hawker Hurricanes, but his Brewster Buffalo (BW-372) was also hit and he was forced to make an emergency landing on a lake.

The Germans were surprised that not one single plane was destroyed during transport, when they themselves suffered losses up to 20% since they employed less qualified pilots to do the work.

Contrary to the original plans, this squadron of Bf 109s did not participate in the Lapland War due to a similar type used by Germans, and the dangers of misidentification.

He became the first Finn to break the sound barrier, in an RAF Folland Gnat F.1 numbered GN-101, while flying in passive glide in Finnish airspace.

The main reasons given were that the weapons were insufficient (giving the impression that no air-to-air missiles were usable) and that manufacturing had been terminated in favour of soon-to-be Mach 2-class fighters already planned for the Soviet air force.

[2] During evaluations of future fighters, Pekuri was the first Finnish pilot to break Mach 2 while flying a Dassault Mirage III.