Fokker D XXI

1936

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Fokker D XXI

Designed by a team led by Dr-Ir Erich Schatzki and retaining traditional Fokker-type mixed construction, the D XXI was conceived in answer to a specification formulated by the KNIL (Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger), the aviation element of the Royal Netherlands Indies Army, and was flown as a prototype on 27 February 1936. In the event, the initial production order was placed by the Finnish government, which acquired a manufacturing licence, a contract subsequently being issued in the Netherlands on behalf of the homebased LVA (Luchtvaartafdeling). The latter purchased 36 D XXIs powered by the 825hp Bristol Mercury VIII nine-cylinder radial engine and armed with four wing-mounted 7.9mm FN-Browning M.36 guns. Seven were acquired from the parent company by Finland, with delivery flights commencing 27 August 1937, and a further 35 were licence-built by VL (Valtion Lentokonetehdas), these being armed with four 7.7mm Brownings, two being fuselage mounted, and having PZL- or Tampella-built Mercury VII engines of 840hp. Two D XXIs were purchased by Denmark which subsequently licence-built a further 10, these mounting a pair of 20mm Madsen cannon and two 7.9mm machine guns, and licence manufacture was also initiated in Spain by Hispano Aviacion, assembly being undertaken at the SAF-15 factory at La Rabasa, Alicante. At least one D XXI was completed and flown in Spain with a Soviet M-25 engine taken from an I-16 before the production facility was overrun by Nationalist forces. At that time, 50 sets of wings, 25 fuselages and 25 undercarriages for D XXIs were discovered. The D XXI was offered by Fokker with various engines, including the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp Junior, and the basic D XXI was further developed with this engine in Finland by VL. The last Finnish-built Mercury-engined D XXI was fitted with a Finnish-designed retractable undercarriage after suffering a landing accident. It was test flown on 19 June 1941, the fixed gear being restored after another landing accident a month later.

Fokker D XXI

Specification 
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight2050 kg4520 lb
  Empty weight1450 kg3197 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan11.00 m36 ft 1 in
  Length8.20 m27 ft 11 in
  Height2.95 m10 ft 8 in
  Wing area16.20 m2174.38 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed460 km/h286 mph
  Range930 km578 miles

3-View 
Fokker D XXIA three-view drawing (1280 x 952)

Comments
lxbfYeaa, e-mail, 14.03.2024 05:25

20

reply

R.D. Sumangil, e-mail, 30.01.2012 00:38

It's a beautiful airplane. Where can I get good three-view drawings that I can use to build a radio control model of the Fokker DXXI?

reply

Jarno, e-mail, 13.07.2011 16:50

This aircraft might be ugly to look at, small and not looking like much of a match for anything. But in fact these were a match for most of the aircraft up to 1946. It was highly pretty fast and feared by the Germans and Japanese, also all captured aircraft were used by the Germans to defend from incoming bombers and fighters. leo rudnicki,s claim for retractable gear might be true. But thanks to the war that never got done and plans to update this Fokker was already underway. Updates would include a new faster engine, retractable gear, 4 bladed prop and the possibility for external tanks for longer range. This updated version would have been for the Dutch airforce only and was to be ready with 1941, but due to the war it was scrapped.

reply

leo rudnicki, e-mail, 14.04.2009 19:46

Dr Schatzki didn't like Corporate interference in his design and went to Koolhoven to develop the FK.58 with retractable gear. Reminds me of Roy Fedden and Donovan Berlin at Bristols and Curtiss. If Geoffrey De Havilland worked for a corporation, the Mosquito would look just like the Albemarle, the Bristol /Armstrong-Whitworth glider tug. Luckily for Britain, the Albemarle appeared just when they needed a good glider tug.

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