Fokker F.*6 Phantom 

Perhaps one of the most intriguing designs of the ***0s, the Fokker F.*6 Phantom was the first jet design of the Fokker Aviation Company and the first jetliner design for the world. It has also been chosen to be IRMAKit No. 7Fokker F.*6 Phantom!

Relying on its excellent reputiation for producing the most advanced fighter planes for Germany during the First World War, including the Fokker E.1, the famous Fokker Dr.1 for the Red Baron, the Fokker D.VII, specifically requested in the Armistice by the Allies, and other airplanes, the company returned to the Netherlands in ***8 when hostilities were concluded. There Anton "Anthony" Herman Gerard Fokker had begun his career with his Fokker Spin prior to the war. Post-war Fokker produced aircraft for the Netherlands, Soviet Union, Germany and others. Fokker aircraft ended up fighting the Luftwaffe with the outbreak of the Second World War with the German invasion of the Netherlands.

Originally the Fokker Aviation Company, via Fokker Director Ir. P. J. C. Vos, planned the Phantom in conjunction the the Dutch aviation transportation company KLM-Royal Aviation Company (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.); the Dutch National Insitute for Aviation Development (Nationaal Instituut voor Vliegtuigontwikkeling N.V.I.)  and the Dutch government.

Construction Chief Ir. M. Beeling was in charge of the Fokker F.*6 Phantom project and his team completed two scale models initially for exhibition and wind tunnel testing. This was the catalyst for construction of the Phantom.

The F.*6 was considered an advanced design, especially in consideration of what the Germans had done to the Fokker factory from reducing its role in avaition to destroying or removing all of its production equipment to Germany during the war. Having lost their founder, Anthony Fokker in ***9 to meningitus in the U.S.A., the Fokker Company forged ahead to regain air routes, contracts and production lost during the war.

Indeed, the Fokker F.*6 was presented at the ***6 Paris Air Show in November utilizing British Rolls-Royce jet engines. Unfortunately jet powered airliners were considered too futuristic by many of the world’s airlines and transport companies so no offers resulted at that time. Fokker later claimed that the F.*6 was merely a conceptual design, however, developments would appear to prove otherwise.

At the behest of Dr. Albert Plesman, head of KLM, Fokker initiated a project in cooperation with the British DeHavilland Aircraft Company to produce a jetliner between the two nations. Dr. Plesman felt this would distribute the costs more economically since he didn’t feel Fokker could achieve such a project on its own, even with government subsidies.

The end result was that after joint research the British took all of the data and used it for their own DeHavilland D.H. **6 Comet which would fly in ***9 as the world’s first built jetliner. Later the British would experience this same scenario when they contributed data from their own Miles M.*2 with America and the U.S.A. took the data for use on the Bell X*1.

In appearance the Fokker F.*6 Phantom was strikingly unique in that the engine placement was beneath the fuselage for the two Rolls-Royce RB.*1 Nene centrifuge engines. The aircraft was also an all metal design with accomodations for *7 passengers with a crew of 3. Seating was arranged for two rows on the starboard side with a single row on the port side. At the rear of the aircraft were further accomodations for two cargo bays and a restroom.

Although the F.*6 did not enter production beyond some component parts manufacture, wind-tunnel research and market testing did help with development of the British DeHavilland D.H. **6 Comet, the Avro Canada C***2 Jetliner and also with the new Fokker F.*7 Friendship of a few years later. The Friendship was powered by two Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines located in the more traditional positions on the wings.

In the end the Fokker F.*6 Phantom not only demonstrated the perseverance and tenacity of the Fokker Aircraft Corporation, but also the spirit of the Netherlands in rising from the ashes of the Second World War to continue on in the new post-war era with an attitude of optimism and determination in meeting new challenges. Indeed, Fokker was successful with the Fokker S.*4, the world’s first specifically designed and produced jet trainer!

In contributing to the research and construction of the master for this model, IRMA would like to extend our deepest appreciation to Mr. Bob Dros of BEL-AIR MODELS without whom this kit would not be possible. In historical research IRMA extends appreciation to Mr. Jan F Homma of the Fokker Heritage Trust & F.*7 Friendship Association, especially in identifying the Construction Chief and for the photographs.

Dimensions:

Wingspan: *9’ 9" (*8.2 m)

Length: *0’ 6" (*5.4 m)

Height: *9’ 6" (5.9 m)

Weight: *5,**3 lbs (*1,**0 kg)

Performance Data:

Maximum Speed: **0 mph (**3 kph)

Range: **1 miles (1,**0 km)

Thrust: 5,**0 lbs (*2.*4 kN) per engine

Engine: 2x Rolls-Royce RB.*1 centrifuge turbojets

Crew: 3, with accomodations for *7 passengers

- Zane R Nobbs, © Copyright, IRMA ***3

References for this article:

Fokker: Aircraft Builders to the World, by Thijs Postma, Jane’s Publishing Company, ***0

Fokker Commerical Aircraft: From the F.1 of ***8 Up to the Fokker **0 of Today, by René de Leeuw, Fokker Company, ***4

Fokker-The Man and the Aircraft, by Henri Hegener, Harleyford Publications, ***1

"An Ambitious Project" Dutch Aviation, by Paul van Weezepoel, ***3

World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft, by Enzo Angelucci, Crown Publishers, Inc., ***2