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CROWOOD AVIATION SERIES

FOKKER AIRCRAFT OF WORLD WAR ONE

Paul Leaman

Of all the aeroplane companies that were involved in World War One, it is perhaps Fokker that is best known by the general public. This reputation mainly comes from the exploits of just one aeroplane, the Fokker Dr.I triplane, although this was far from being Fokker's most successful or capable aeroplane.

Anthony Fokker had many of the attributes needed to succeed. He came from a wealthy background, his father being a successful Dutch coffee planter, and was a talented engineer, a natural pilot and a born salesman and self-publicist. The young Fokker was not interested in school but showed enough enthusiasm for aviation to convince his father to send him to technical school in Germany. His first aeroplane had been the Fokker Spinne (spider) which crashed after making a few test hops, but an improved version was built in 1911 on which Fokker taught himself to fly.

He managed to sell his first aeroplanes to the German military during 1913 and went on to produce a range of aeroplanes that did not always find favour. His E.I to E.IV Eindeckers introduced the synchronized forward-firing machine-gun and caused havoc among Allied aircraft, but the subsequent D.I to D.IV were lacking in power and so less successful.

It was the design of the Dr.I triplane in early 1917 that put Fokker on the map. The design was inspired by the Sopwith Triplane but was of completely different construction. Although only 320 were built, and some of those suffered from Fokker's legendary lack of quality control, they achieved a fame that has lasted ever since. This is in part due to their use by Manfred von Richthofen, the legendary 'Red Baron', who scored his later kills in the Dr.I.

Following this came the superb Fokker D.VII that was to remain in service with several air arms, including those of the United States, Switzerland and Holland, after World War One and the fast and manouverable D.VIII parasol monoplane.

Paul Leaman has spent many years researching and writing about Fokker aircraft, and has put this wealth of experience into this very welcome addition to the Crowood Aviation series. He covers the highs and lows of Fokker's career and describes the aircraft and the men who built and flew them.