Let Let Let - Warplanes

Fokker designs:

Fokker W.1

The first flying boat designed under the leadership of Anthony Fokker was the W.1. It was built in Germany in 1913 before the outbreak of the First World War as a Schneider Cup contender. It only made a few hops and crashed already during the first flight tests.

The W.1 was powered by a 70 hp Renault engine.

Fokker V.42

Originally, this type was designed as V.40 during the First World War as an unmanned flying bomb, to be towed by a Fokker D.VII fighter. After the war, Fokker developed in further into the V.42. It was built at the Veere workshop in the province of Zeeland as a small glider in flying boat form, although it was before flight-testing also fitted with wheels. It was a few times tow-launched by a power boat during unmanned experiments carrying only ballast and one single time flown by pilot Adolph Page before all experiments were terminated in 1921.

Fokker B.1

Designed by H. Rethel shortly after the end of the First World War as a four-seat patrol flying boat for use by the Dutch navy MLD in the Dutch East Indies, the Fokker B.1 made its first flight in September 1922. Anthony Fokker himself was the pilot on this occasion. Just like the V.42, the B.1 was also built at the Fokker workshop at Veere. The B.1 was of mixed construction. The hull was completely made of light-alloy while the biplane wing and tail surfaced were made of wood and fabric. For use on land, it could be fitted with a wheel undercarriage. After completion of the test flights, the B.1 was shipped to the East Indies for operational testing. The conclusion was that because of the constantly leaking fuselage, the B.1 was unsuitable and no more machines wereordered. The single B.1 was eventually scrapped with the arrival of the first Dornier Wal flying boats.

Power plant: Napier Lion liquid-cooled in-line engine of 450 hp, driving a four-bladed pusher propeller
Wing span: 18.12 m
Length: 11.86 m
All-up weight: 2600 kg
Max. speed: 185 km/h at sea level

Fokker B.2

The next Fokker design was developed in 1923 as the B.2. Just like the B.1 it had a light-alloy hull and biplane wooden wings with fabric covered control surfaces. The B.2 was intended as a three-seat sea-reconnaissance plane with the possibility to be hoisted on board of warships and to be launched by a catapult. Just like the B.1 it could be fitted with a wheel undercarriage for land operations. The first flight was made on 15 December 1923 from the water of Schellingwoude near Amsterdam. The B.2 was also tested by the Dutch navy for operational use, but just like the B.1 it was found to be unsuitable. Although the B.2 carried Dutch military markings, the single prototype built was never purchased by the Dutch navy! Fokker tried unsuccessfully to sell the B.2, but after a short time it was scrapped.

Power plant: Rolls Royce Eagle VIII liquid-cooled in-line engine of 360 hp, driving a four- bladed tractor propeller
Wing span: 13.50 m
Length: 9.91 m
All-up weight: 2400 kg
Max. speed: 190 km/h at sea level