N.V. Koolhoven was an aircraft manufacturer based in Rotterdam , Netherlands . From its conception in 1926 to its destruction in the Blitzkrieg in May 1940, the company remained the second major Dutch aircraft manufacturer (after Fokker ). Although many of its aircraft were as unsuccessful economically as they were brilliant from a design standpoint, the company managed to score several 'hits', amongst them the FK-58 single-seat monoplane fighter, the FK-50 twin-engine passenger transport, and the FK-41 , built in England under licence by Desoutter .
21-488: In 1920, aircraft designer Frederick "Frits" Koolhoven returned from England to his native Netherlands. The postwar years had not been good to him; the British Aerial Transport Company for which he was chief designer went bankrupt and all other manufacturers were struggling for survival too hard to think of hiring. The Netherlands, Koolhoven hoped, would be better. But there he found that while
42-422: A bathtub-like open cockpit. The cantilever parasol wing was mounted above and behind them, with the main wheels of the fixed undercarriage directly below the wing, at the sides of the fuselage. The engine, driving a pusher propeller , was mounted on the aircraft centerline at the aft portion of the wing. The conventional empennage was carried on a boom extending below the propeller arc. The wing, including engine,
63-764: A holding. Over the next ten years various attempts were made to start up new projects, but apart from the construction of two prototype sailplanes nothing happened and in 1956 N.V. Koolhoven Aeroplanes closed and was liquidated. Apart from the Heidevogel of 1911, Koolhoven designed 59 aircraft, which he consecutively numbered FK-1 to FK-59. About half of these were design studies that were never built. Koolhoven designed projects FK-1 to FK-28 in England for Armstrong Whitworth and BAT , projects FK-29 to FK-34 for N.V.I. and projects FK-35 to FK-59 for his own company. The first 'true' Koolhoven airplane therefore would have been
84-458: The F.K.30 and then going from F.K.35 to F.K.59 . It however also notes that the designs F.K.37, 38, 39 and 59 were never built, while only giving pictures of wooden models for the designs F.K.35 and F.K.36 . Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation only lists the Koolhoven designs F.K.40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 46 , 48 , 49 , 51 , 52 , 53 and 58 but mentions a F.K.50-b bomber project, which
105-581: The Spyker automobile factory. In 1921, a group of businessmen founded the Nationale Vliegtuig Industrie (N.V.I. - "National Aircraft Industry", Inc.), and hired him as their chief designer. The company lasted only four years. As with BAT, N.V.I. turned out many technically advanced designs, which attracted attention from all over the world but virtually no orders. At the demise of N.V.I. Koolhoven convinced several shareholders that
126-687: The Blitzkrieg on 10 May 1940 at the outbreak of World War II. Frederick Koolhoven was convinced that the bombing had everything to do with his contribution as an aircraft designer in England during World War I. For unknown reasons (possibly to avoid persecution for his work in the UK during World War I, or for illegal aircraft sales to the Spanish Republic ) he became a very inactive member of the National Socialist Movement in
147-909: The Dutch air force from the mid-1930s until the Second World War , the Koolhoven F.K.52 biplane which was used by the Finnish Air Force and the Koolhoven F.K.58 single-seat monoplane fighter. The latter was the plane ordered by France and flew in the Armée de l'Air during the Battle of France A complete list of the Koolhoven aircraft and projects is given below: [REDACTED] Media related to Koolhoven Vliegtuigenfabriek at Wikimedia Commons Frederick Koolhoven Frederick (Frits) Koolhoven (11 January 1886 – 1 July 1946)
168-537: The FK-35. However, on formation of the N.V. Koolhoven, Frits Koolhoven took with him the design of the FK-30 "Toerist" light sportsplane originally designed for NVI, but not built. Several "Toerists" built by the new FK Koolhoven therefore constitute the earliest airplanes of that company, if not by production date, then at least by numbering. The website of the Koolhoven foundation lists 26 Koolhoven designs, starting with
189-413: The Koolhoven factory and within a few hours, the company had been reduced to a pile of rubble and all drawings, models, and documentation of Koolhoven's projects were destroyed. Today, the only photographs remaining of Koolhoven's planes are newspaper clippings and private snapshots. Frederick Koolhoven died of a stroke on 1 July 1946. His company, although without means of production, continued to exist as
210-564: The Koolhoven foundation site doesn't. The best-known of those designs are the F.K.41 high-wing monoplane, which was built under licence as the Desoutter Mk.II and the F.K.50 twin engine transport monoplane, two of which were used by the Swiss aircraft company Alpar [ de ] . Amongst the military designs, the most successful were the Koolhoven F.K.51 biplane reconnaissance aircraft, which saw service in extensive numbers in
231-471: The Netherlands (NSB). After the war he was captured by the Dutch police because of this membership but he was released several days later. Frederick Koolhoven died of a stroke at Haarlem in 1946. Koolhoven F.K.30 The Koolhoven F.K.30 Toerist was a small sport aircraft built in the Netherlands in 1927, intended for use by aeroclubs. The fuselage carried the pilot and one passenger in tandem in
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#1732790108268252-481: The Netherlands' new airline KLM was a willing taker for all the aircraft it could get, the market was almost completely dominated by Fokker . Out of other options, Koolhoven returned to his old job and worked as an automobile engineer for the Spyker automobile factory. In 1921, his luck began to change when a group of businessmen founded the N.V. Nationale Vliegtuig Industrie ("National Aircraft Industry, Incorporated") and hired him as their chief designer. The time
273-408: The company would still have been viable if he had had complete control of the operations. So when N.V.I. was dissolved, its assets were taken over by a new company: N.V. Koolhoven vliegtuigen ("Koolhoven aircraft, Incorporated"). The company, Koolhoven , became the second aircraft manufacturing company in the Netherlands after Fokker, but the factory at Waalhaven was destroyed by German bombing in
294-481: The company's order books continued to fill as air forces from all over Europe were virtually fighting over each plane that rolled off the production line. Even France found itself buying Koolhoven FK-58 fighters as its own aircraft industry was unable to keep up with the demand from the Armée de l'Air . In 1938, the Koolhoven factory at Waalhaven covered 8,000 square meters and had 1,200 employees. While still no match for Fokker, Koolhoven had established itself firmly as
315-456: The first Dutch plane the "Heidevogel" He designed many aircraft, initially in England from 1912 for British Deperdussin , then from 1914 for Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft , then from 1917 as chief designer for the British Aerial Transport Company alongside the Dutch chief draughtsman Robert B.C. Noorduyn . He returned to the Netherlands, but there the market was dominated by Fokker , so he returned to his old job as an automobile engineer for
336-561: The military market. In 1930, the company finally struck gold with the FK-41 high-wing tourist monoplane. Although N.V. Koolhoven itself only built 7 FK-41's the airplane was built under licence in England as the Desoutter Mk.I and later improved as the Mk.II. By 1933 the military market had picked up and Koolhoven increasingly built trainers and observation aircraft for the Dutch air force as well as several other countries. By 1938, with war looming,
357-583: The number two manufacturer in the Netherlands. The end came on 10 May 1940. As a prelude to the German invasion of the Netherlands , the Luftwaffe set out to destroy as much as possible of the Dutch Air Force on the ground. On the morning of that day, a massive armada of German bombers appeared over Waalhaven and almost completely destroyed the airfield and its surrounding facilities. This included
378-421: The operations. Enough of the shareholders agreed and even while N.V.I. was being dissolved, its assets were almost immediately taken over by a new company: N.V. Koolhoven vliegtuigen (Koolhoven aircraft, Inc.). For its first five years, 1925 to 1930, the company managed to stay afloat by making one-off purpose-built airplanes to order, slowly branching out into the private aircraft sector and trying to break into
399-632: Was an aircraft designer in Britain and his native Netherlands. Koolhoven was born in Bloemendaal , Netherlands . After training as an engineer in Liège and Antwerp , he worked from 1907 as a mechanical engineer for Minerva in Antwerp, and also drove in races and rallies for them. He became interested in aviation. In 1910 he acquired his own Hanriot aircraft, and was involved in the construction of
420-418: Was designed so that it could be pivoted 90° while on the ground, allowing the aircraft to be stored and transported more easily. Koolhoven had designed the F.K.30 for Nationale Vliegtuig Industrie , but when the company folded, he built it as the first product of his own company. The aircraft failed to attract the interest of buyers, however, and only the single prototype was constructed, with Koolhoven himself
441-452: Was still not yet ripe for a second Dutch aircraft manufacturer and, as with BAT, N.V.I. produced technically advanced designs that attracted attention from all over the world, but received virtually no orders. The company lasted only four years. At the demise of N.V.I. Koolhoven had become sufficiently business-aware to convince several of the N.V.I. shareholders that the company would still be viable, if only he would have complete control of
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