Fokker C.IX

C.IX

Fokker C.IX

preliminary translation

After the successful CV and all its variants, Fokker is working on a new scout for use by the LVA in the early 1930s.
However, the C.VII does not leave the drawing board, at least not as a land plane.
And the C.VIII is being built in prototype, but as a land aircraft it also turns out not to be a success.

Fortunately, the MLD Naval Aviation Service sees something in the water variants and purchases them both.
The C.VII-W and C.VIII-W perform well in the Netherlands as well as in the Dutch East Indies.

Around 1930 the Fokker C.IX appeared.

The striking shock absorbers, the wheel legs, the construction of a machine gun placed under the fuselage are some innovations.
Not visible from the outside, but important is the 390 liter fuel tank placed behind the engine.
And the two tanks placed in the wing, with a total of 352 liters. So a total of 742 liters.

With the 650 hp Hispano-Suiza engine, a flight range of 1050 km is achieved.
Yet again the LVA Aviation Department does not appear to be tempted into a nice order.

Also the C.IX delivered to Switzerland does not lead to a license agreement with EKW
And so the number of built C.IX scouts remains at 6.

Click on the photo to enlarge the photo

01

In 1930 the first Fokker C.IX arrives at Soesterberg Airport, already in the registration of the Aviation Department: the 661.
Here's a nice front view of the two-person strategic reconnaissance and light bomber.
The engine is a water-cooled 650 hp Hispano-Suiza.

The flight is 15.3 meters, the length 9.93 m and the height 3.65 meters.
The wing area is 39.3 m^2
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02

Left front view of the same aircraft, which was also initially the prototype.

Empty weight 1700 kg
Payload 900 kg and total weight 2600 kg.

Maximum speed 235 km/h Cruising speed 198 km/h Landing speed 95 km/h.
Emil Meinecke is Fokker's German pilot in those years.
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03

Side view from the left of the same LVA (Dutch Air Force) the 661.

Total fuel wing and fuselage tanks 742 litres.
Flight range 1050 km.
Max. altitude 5,550 meters

Armament: 2 fixed machine guns for the pilot and 2 movable machine guns for gunner/observer.
As an extra (temporary) a ground machine gun and bomb racks.
And two bomb racks.

Only 6 C.IX aircraft are built. Five for the LVA and one for the Swiss Air Force.
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04

LVA's 661, front right.
The LVA aircraft have the registrations 661-662-663-664-665.

In the end, the Fokker CX will become much more successful again, with foreign license construction as well.
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05

LVA's 663 in the snow, presumably at Soesterberg Airport.

In the May days of 1940, during the German invasion, only the 661 remains unharmed and falls into German hands.

The 662 is disabled on May 10, 1940 at 12:00 at Haamstede airfield in Zeeland.

The 664 is also knocked out on May 10, 1940 at the Waalhaven in Rotterdam.

The 665 was also knocked out on May 10, 1940 at De Kooij Airport after departing from Bergen Noord Holland Airport.

The 663 was probably active at both Schiphol and Soesterberg.
The exact switch-off is not clearly visible.

Some of the C.IX aircraft have still flown for target towing.
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06

Early in 1932 Fokker delivered a C.IX to the Swiss Air Force.
The appliance is supplied in the same version and with the same motor as the LVA appliances

The registration is first 301 and later C-301, first with CH on the rudder and later the Swiss cross.
The intention is that EKW will continue to build the device under license.

However, it does not happen, perhaps because of the range of more modern types.
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07

Superb, romantic shot as for a feature film.
With the 301 in full action.

The Swiss license builder EKW first saw something in the C.IX.
The name stands for Eidgenössische Konstruktions Werkstätte.
In other words, the Federal Construction Workshops.
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08

Recording from around 1932 with still missing registration number.
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09

The same 301 with the 650 hp Hispano-Suiza engine.
The EKW eventually decides to build its own design based on the CV E.
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