Let Let Let - Warplanes » Dutch

Fokker D-VII book by Nico Geldhof

Nico — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:36:43 +0000

Latest book published by Geromy is a monograph dedicated to the Fokker D-VII fighter. Being the best German fighter, it was transported after the end of the war from Germany by train in large numbers to the Netherlands by Anthony Fokker. It saw service in countries like Switzerland, Denmark and Russia, but most book details are on D-VII’s operated by the Dutch Landvliegtuigafdeling LVA and the Marineluchtvaartdienst MLD. The D-VII was also used by the airplane department of the Royal Netherlands East Indies army LA-KNIL.

Fokker D.VII book cover

The author Nico Geldhof extensively describes the origins, early development and operational use of the Fokker D-VII in seven separate chapters. He also presents two additional chapters on the technical details of the D-VII and the engines that were used. The book counts 175 B&W photographs, a number of original drawings and a set of colour profiles in a total of 220 pages.

As usual for the Geromy books, they are high-quality hard-cover copies at A4 size with a nice colour artwork on the book cover. The book is completely in the Dutch language.
Price when ordered at Geromy is EURO 44.90 excluding P & P.

Book details:

Title: De Fokker D.VII in dienst van de Nederlandse Militaire Luchtvaart
Author: Nico Geldhof
Type: Hardcover, A4 size on high-quality glossy paper
No. of pages: 220
ISBN no.: 9789080498136
Publisher: Geromy, Gageldijk 83 – Postbus 1040, 3602 AJ/3600 BA Maarssen, The Netherlands
Price: EURO 44.90 + P&P when ordered at http://www.geromybv.nl/

Remark:

Next Geromy monograph books will be on the Fokker G-1 and the Fokker S-14 Machtrainer! Both books are in their final stage of completion.

Nico Braas

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Fokker D.XXI history, camouflage and markings

Nico — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 16:22:29 +0000

This little book, introduced in 2007, is one of a series of monographs (no. 5) released by Dutch Profile of aircraft types used by Dutch forces in the past . Driving person behind this is Mr. Luuk Boerman.

Author of the book is a specialist on this field: mr. Frits Gerdessen. All research on camouflage colours and markings has been done under the supervision of LuukBoerman. In 56 pages, a detailed record is given on:

-Peacetime and wartime operational uses
-Use of a single D-XXI in the Netherlands East Indies
-Design. development and orders
-Individual history of each Dutch D.XXI

Line up of the famous Dutch fighter plane

The books is illustrated with 90 photographs, exclusively on the Dutch aircraft; the D-XXI’s from Finland, Denmark and the single type that went to Spain are only very briefly discussed and maybe this will be material for future Dutch Profile volumes! Further, a number of coloured profiles is given, including top and bottom views.

Most remarkable is the fact that the D-XXI’s colour ‘sandy brown’ that always has been used in colour material until now, is in fact a grey-scale colour (‘beige’) and the book consequently remarks that the replica that is now on static show at the Militaire Luchtvaart Museum at Soesterberg has the wrong colours!

Much emphasis is given on detail of the plane and its various colour schemes, including the schemes used by the Luftwaffe on captured D-XXI’s. That means that is more a book for model aircraft builders interested in the history of the plane they are building rather than a book for aviation historians. For the last group, Peter de Jong’s book is of course recommended, although this is strictly in the French language. At least this Dutch Profile is bilingual in Dutch and English.

Since the book is more dedicated to the model builder, some details are given on available kits and, more important, a decal sheet is shown that can be used for both 1/72 and 1/48 scale kits. Decal sheet can also be ordered at Dutch Profile!

Book details:

Title: Fokker D.XXI History, camouflage and markings
Authors: Frits Gerdessen and Luuk Boerman
Type: soft-cover – A4 size
ISBN: not given
Price: 15 EURO + P & P
Order your copy: see www.dutchprofile.nl
Published by:
Dutch Profile
Kerkstraat 2
2471 AP Zwammerdam
The Netherlands
Free copy provided for review by mr. Luuk Boerman.

Other DUTCH PROFILE volumes:

1. Lockheed (2)12 RNEIAF
2. P-51D/K Mustang RNEIAF
3. Hawker Seafury RNethNavy
4. Netherlands East Indies Spitfires
6. Dutchies in the FAA
7. Grumman TBM Avenger MLD/RNethNavy
8. Brewster B-339B/C ML-KNIL
9. Fokker T.V (in preparation)

[Show as slideshow]

Nico Braas

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Dutch flying boats and amphibians

Nico — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:26:22 +0000

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.

The W.1 was Fokker\'s unsuccessful Schneider Cup racer.

The V.42 in the water. The person in the cockpit could be Adolph Page, the only person who flew it.

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

The B.1 amphibian on land. The hand written text on the picture is most likely from Anthony Fokker!

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.

Fokker B.2 drawings

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 B.2 carrying Dutch military marking

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

Fokker B.4 drawings

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De Operaties Van 320 Squadron

Nico — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:48:57 +0000

Where Nico Geldhof’s book DE VLIEGTUIGEN VAN 320 SQUADRON describes in detail the aircraft of this famous Dutch squadron in British service, he describes in this second volume the operations with these planes.

320 Squadron

The book starts with a detailed account of the operations during five days war of the Marineluchtvaartdienst against invading German forces. With the personnel and Fokker T-VIIIW floatplanes escaping to England. the squadrons 320 and 321 were formed operating under Coastal Command. The T-VIIIW was soon replaced by the Lockheed Hudson and both squadrons, later joined into the single squadron 320, flew many missions within the European war theatre. Later in the war, 320 was placed under the supervision of Bomber Command when it was re-equipped with B-25 Mitchell bombers. The missions continued for the full five year and 320 squadron ended the war with the De Havilland Mosquito

Nico Geldhof gives in this hard cover book at A4 size a very detailed story of the operations from 320 squadron,. At the end of the book, a bitter sum is given: 163 people were killed and 71 aircraft were lost during 5475 sorties and 14,346 flying hours!

While DE VLIEGTUIGEN VAN 320 SQUADRON was already a thick book, we can only describe this book as HUGE with its 500 pages and more than 400 photographs, most of them rare and from personal collections! The price of this standard work is high: almost EURO 70. However, both ‘flagships’ of the publisher Geromy are really worth buying as reference works! Just like the first volume, knowledge of the Dutch language is essential since no English text or summary is given.

Book details:
Title De Operaties van 320 squadron
Author Nico Geldhof
Publisher Geromy B.V., Gageldijk 83- P.O. Box 1040, 3600 BA Maarssen -The Netherlands
Website www.geromy.nl
ISBN 90-672-0396-3
Price EURO 69.90 [excluding shipment costs]

Nico Braas

Sample publication is provided by Geromy B.V.

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De Vliegtuigen van 320 squadron

Nico — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:45:22 +0000

The naval 320 Squadron operated in the United Kingdom during the Second World War as a unit consisting of Dutch people who had escaped at the start of the war to England. They started their operations under British supervision with their own Fokker T-VIIIW floatplanes flown over to England, but these were soon replaced by more modern flying types.

320-squadron

The Dutch author Nico Geldhof presents in this book a detailed overview of all the aircraft types used during the war by 320 Squadron. Aircraft types included are: Fokker T-VIIIW, Avro Anson, Lockheed Hudson, North American B-25 Mitchell, Airspeed Oxford and the De Havilland Mosquito. Except for an extensive type description, also the engines used on these types are described in detail! At the end of the book additional data is given on bomb-aiming devices, bombs, aircraft armament, radar installation, navigation equipment and camouflage and markings.

It is a THICK book of 325 pages with some 200 photos and many drawings.
One condition to fully appreciate the contents of this book is knowledge of the Dutch language since no English text or summary is given.

The book is hardcover at A4 size and in spite of its high price it is excellent value for money as a reference book!

Book details:
Title De Vliegtuigen van 320 squadron
Author Nico Geldhof
Publisher Geromy B.V., Gageldijk 83- P.O. Box 1040, 3600 BA Maarssen -The Netherlands
Website www.geromy.nl
ISBN 90-672-0397-1
Price EURO 49.90 (excluding shipment costs)

Remark: the publisher has released in the same range a similar, even thicker, book with a detailed account of the wartime operations of 320 squadron!

Nico Braas

Sample publication is provided by Geromy B.V.

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The Dutch Naval Air Force against Japan

Nico — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:42:33 +0000

‘The Dutch Naval Air Force against Japan’ is a recent book release from McFarland Publishers in the US. It is written by Tom Womack, vice president of a large PR firm in Dallas Texas. Mr. Womack was apparently intrigued by the fierce war that was fought at the Second World War between Japanese forces invading the Netherlands East Indies and the Dutch naval air force Marineluchtvaartdienst or MLD.

Dutch Naval Air force

In the Netherlands the story is well known and documented in a number of books and magazine publications. However, if you do not master the Dutch language, these books are only interesting for the pictures and they will definitely not give a good account across the Dutch borders of what has actually happened.

The general impression that the Dutch MLD only fled without doing too much battle with the Japanese is totally incorrect. The MLD fought a hard and bitter war against overwhelming Japanese forces with many losses of planes and fatal casualties and there were many dramatic and heroic moments during this war. Womack gives now for the first time in the English language an extensive and detailed account of this battle in a clear and easy to read style. From the literature list it is evident he has extensively used Dutch publications and archives and I understood he even learned the difficult Dutch language! The book is not a luxury edition printed on high quality glossy paper, but that means it can be sold at a very reasonable price.

Womack uses in his publication only 35 photographs, but most of them are from private collections and were never published before!

In short it is, to use a Dutch phrase, ‘een prima boek!’ (an excellent book!).

Book details:

Author: Tom Womack
Title: The Dutch Naval Air Force against Japan – The defence of the Netherlands East Indies, 1941-1942.
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc Publishers, Jefferson – North Carolina and London.
Published Feb. 2006. ISBN 0-7864-2365-X
Soft-cover, 207 pages with 35 photos and 6 map drawings.
Price $35

Nico Braas

Author grant thanks to Mr. Tom Womack and publisher for the sample book.

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