Fokker D.XXIII

Fokker D.XXIII

Picture - Model of the D.XXIII

Role: Single-seat fighter
National origin: Netherlands
Manufacturer: Fokker
Designed by: Marius Beeling
First flight: 30 May 1939
Number built: 1

The Fokker D.XXIII was a Dutch single-seat fighter designed and built by Fokker. Only one aircraft was flown before the country was invaded by the Germans in May 1940.

Development

The Fokker D.XXIII was designed as a twin-engined single-seat aircraft. To overcome the problems of asymmetric flight it had a tractor engine at the front and a pusher engine at the rear. The D.XXIII was a cantilever monoplane with the twin tail units on booms. The pilot had an enclosed cockpit in between the tractor and pusher engines and it had a retractable tricycle landing gear.

The prototype first flew on 30 May 1939 powered by two Walter Sagitta I-SR liquid cooled vee piston engines. The trial flights identified problems with the cooling of the rear engine and general engine performance. It was proposed to use Rolls-Royce or Daimler-Benz engines in the production aircraft. Concerns were also raised about the pilot clearing the rear propeller if he had to bailout and an ejector seat was studied. The programme was abandoned in May 1940 when the German forces invaded the Netherlands.

Specifications

Data from

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 10.2 m (33 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in)
Height: 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 18.5 m (199 sq ft)
Empty weight: 2,180 kg (4,806 lb) equipped
Max takeoff weight: 2,950 kg (6,504 lb)
Powerplant: 2 x— Walter Sagitta I-SR liquid-cooled 12-cylinder Vee piston engine, 400 kW (530 hp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 525 km/h (326 mph; 283 kn) estimated
Range: 840 km (522 mi; 454 nmi)
Service ceiling: 9,000 m (29,528 ft)

Armament

Guns: two 7.9mm (0.31in) machine guns and two 13.2mm (0.52in) machine-guns (planned not fitted to prototype)

Bibliography

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.

Fokker D.XXIII Pictures

More aircraft.

Source: WikiPedia