Fokker F.III (English version)

Fokker F.III

Nowadays, one of the arguments for developing a new aircraft is that it becomes too small and the airlines want more capacity.

This was also the case in 1920, although KLM director Albert Plesman was quite satisfied with the F.II, he asked Fokker to develop a larger aircraft than the F.II.

Fokker’s designer Reinhold Platz got started with designing and came up with the F.III with a cabin for 5 passengers. It was equipped with the readily available 185 HP BMW IIIa 6-cylinder in-line engine.

The pilot sat in an open cockpit either to the left or right of the engine, depending on the engine type.

On October 29, 1920, KLM ordered 14 F.III’s. These were equipped with the 6-cylinder air-cooled Armstrong Siddeley Puma in-line engine with 240 HP.

The contract with KLM was signed and the first flight of the F.III took place in April 1921.

During the operational existence of its F.III's, KLM built two aircraft out of the components of earlier crashed aircraft. These two were equipped with the 360 HP Rolls Royce Eagle VIII engines, with the pilot sitting to the left of the engine.

In the autumn of 1921, the F.III, in KLM colors, was one of the highlights at the Paris Aviation Exhibition.

Incidentally, the F.III in question was not from KLM but still owned by the Fokker factory. This F.III later went to the Hungarian airline Malert.

The total F.III production consisted of 66 aircraft, which were built in Schwerin, Germany, in the Veere location of Fokker and in Amsterdam-Noord.

As with the F.II, the F.III was also built under license from Karl Grülich.

Besides KLM in the Netherlands, the F.III has flown with airlines in Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Russia, England, Italy and the USA.

Click on the photo to enlarge the photo

001

One of the first F.III hulls in Halle 2, in the Fokker factory in Schwerin, on the left the seat in front of the pilot.
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002

The Fokker factory in Schwerin still exists to a large extent.
A group of enthusiasts want to restore the factory to its former glory.
Here the same Halle 2 in 2008.
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003

F.III fuselage in the Fokker factory in Schwerin 1919 with BMW engine.
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004

Prototype F.III.
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005

Prototype F.III.
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006

Prototype F.III with reinforced landing gear including double wheels.
Various exhaust systems were also tested on the F.III.
Here the two exhausts are bent towards each other.
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007

Unfinished wing parts of the F.III.
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008

Part of the front wing of the F.III is being statically tested at the RSL which means Government Service for Aeronautical Studies.
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009

Here the fuselage of the F.III is extended by 80 cm to improve directional stability. However, due to a number of other modifications to the F.III this was no longer necessary and the fuselage retained its original length.
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010

The first F.III for KLM with registration H-NABG (cn 1503).
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011

KLM pilots and other interested parties for the KLM H-NABG.
Third from the left is pilot Smirnoff, third from right is pilot Geysendorffer.
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012

The KLM HNABG cn 1503, without the hyphen between the H and N!
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013

F.III cn 1503 now registered as CH 152 for Balair, Switzerland.
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014

Anthony Fokker to the right of the BMW engine in an F.III.
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015

Here you can clearly see that the pilot is sitting in a recess a the wing.
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016

The KLM H-NABH with cn 1504.
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017

The KLM H-NABI with cn 1505.
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018

The H-NABI in flight.
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019

The F.III could also be used for the transportation of cargo.
Here the KLM H-NABI transporting day-old baby chicks.
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020

Here the H-NABJ with cn 1506 in the KLM hangar at Waalhaven (Rotterdam Airport).
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021

It is unclear why the H-NABJ carried a stabilizer from an F.III on the side of the fuselage.
It seems that the elevators of the stabilizer are attached underneath the fuselage.
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022

Side view of the HNABJ with cn 1506 with Siddeley Puma engine.
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023

Here the F.III (cn 1506) for the Swiss Balair as CH 153.
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024

Crash of the CH 153 from Balair.
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025

The KLM F.III H-NABK with cn 1507.
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026

Rollover of the H-NABK.
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027

The H-NABK at an airport in Bremen.
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028

Here is an example of a luxurious interior of an F.III cabin.
A three-seater leather sofa with two leather chairs, are chained to the floor.
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029

The marshy ground at Schiphol was not always easy to land on or take off from.
This F.III is clearly standing in puddles.
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030

F.III cockpit with Siddeley Puma engine.
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031

Side view of the Balair F.III CH 154 with cn 1507.
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032

Refueling the CH 154.
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033

The KLM H.NABL with cn 1508.
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034

Unfortunate rollover of the H-NABL.
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035

Report from the Aviation Safety Network database about the accident with the KLM F.III H-NABL. May 21, 1921.
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036

Looks like there is military interest in the F.III.
On the right, KLM director Albert Plesman.
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037

The elite also travel with the F.III.
A metal step has now been installed to enter the F.III, instead of the previously used shaky ladder.
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038

The KLM H-NABM with cn 1509.
Also referred to as KLM-2 because KLM had built this F.III itself, from various parts of earlier crashed F.III's.
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039

The HNABM at Croydon Airport in London in 1921.
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040

The HNABM at Croydon Airport in London in 1921.
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041

The KLM F.III H-NABN with cn 1510.
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042

On this special occasion, Prince Hendrik, on the far left, is pulling away the wheel chocks for the start of the H-NABN.
Anthony Fokker and Albert Plesman are standing next to Prince Hendrik.
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043

Cn 1510 as CH 155 in service with the Swiss Balair.
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044

Legendary KLM pilot Iwan Smirnoff in front of the F.III.
Iwan Smirnoff
045

A progressive development in the 1920s: illuminated advertising for a margarine brand under the wing of this F.III.
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046

The KLM F.III H-NABQ with cn 1529.
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047

The KLM F.III H-NABQ with cn 1529.
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048

The CH 156 with cn 1529 from Balair.
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049

Crash of the Balair CH 156.
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050

The KLM F.III H-NABT with cn 1532.
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051

The H-NABT in the KLM hangar.
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052

The H-NABR with cn 1533 KLM-2, was also an F.III built by KLM, consisting of parts of other F.III's.
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053

Delivery of cargo to be transported with the H-NABR.
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054

One of the first animal transports by plane.
This young bull was transported with the KLM H-NABR.
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055

Newspaper report of an accident that occurred with the KLM H-NABR.
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056
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057

Cn 1534 Now flying for Hungarian Airline Malert with registration H-MABA.
The fuselage still has a small KLM logo.
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058

The KLM H-NABS with cn 1535 above the hangar of the “Danziger Luft Reederei”.
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059

The KLM F.III H-NABS with cn 1535.
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060

The KLM H-NABS in the hangar.
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061

Unfortunately, the KLM F.III H-NABS crashed. This is the report from the “Aviation Safety Network” from the database about the accident.
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062

The H-NABA with cn 1550.
Despite the KLM logo, this F.III, is still owned by the Fokker factory.
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063

The certificate of registration of the H-NABA in the name of Fokker.
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064

The H-NABA at the 1921 Paris Aviation Show.
In the foreground a Fokker V-30 glider.
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065

The H-NABA was later sold to Malert as H-MABB (cn 1550).
It is confusing that in the 1920s both the Netherlands and Hungary had the same initial letter 'H' in the aircraft registration system.
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066

The F.III with cn 1600.
One of two F.III's shipped to the USA.
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067

The name FOKKER prominent on the fuselage of the cn 1600.
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068

The F.III cn 1603 with the American registration 1891 in the USA.
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069

Noel Wien, founder of Wien Alaska Airlines, in an F.III in the USA.
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070

The text at the bottom of this photo says that the firm Reed developed this aluminum propeller for the F.III.
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071

Måleri F.III H-Marc with cn 1604.
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072

Malert F.III H-MABD with cn 1605.
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073

Malert F.III H-MABE with cn 1606.
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074

The F.III with cn 1650 was the first F.III with a Rolls Royce Eagle VIII engine with 360 hp.
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075

Malert F.III H-MABF with cn 1607.
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076

The RR 1 with cn 1652 for the German-Russian Deruluft.
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077

The RR 2 with cn 1653 for Deruluft, designed as an umbrella wing (the wing is located above the fuselage but not directly attached to it, but connected to the fuselage with a special construction.), with a four-bladed propeller.
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078

The cn 1653 as D 902 for Deruluft.
The aircraft was rebuilt by Karl Grülich into Grülich V-1, a modified version of the F.III.
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079

The Grülich V.1 as RR 2 with cn 1653 for Deruluft.
The tail, cockpit and nose have been redesigned.
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080

The RR 3 with cn 1654 for Deruluft.
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081

The F.III RR 5 with cn 1655 for Deruluft, here shown with an umbrella wing construction.
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082

The RR 5 with cn 1655 converted to Grülich V-1.
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083

The RR 6 with cn 1656 from Deruluft designed as an umbrella wing.
The cargo / baggage hold of the F.III is clearly visible in this photo.
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084

The nose of the Deruluft RR 6 with cn 1656, equipped with the Rolls Royce Eagle engine.
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085

The Deruluft RR 7 with cn 1657.
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086

The RR 7 in this photo from Russia with snow skis in the snow.
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087

The Deruluft RR 10 with cn 1660 during landing.
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088

The umbrella wing version of the KLM F.III H-NABU cn 1662.
Umbrella wing means that the wing does not rest on the fuselage but is positioned above the fuselage by metal rods, in this case, about 20 cm.
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089

The four-bladed propeller on the Rolls Royce engine of the KLM F.III H-NABU.
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090

The KLM F.III H-NABU with cn 1662.
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091

Crash of the H-NABU, now with 440 HP Bristol Jupiter radial engine.
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092

The 440 HP Bristol Jupiter of the H.NABU.
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093

The KLM F.III H-NABV with cn 1663.
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094

Cabin with wicker seats and the cargo / luggage compartment of the H-NABV.
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095

Yet another engine on the H-NABV; now a 240 hp Gnome Rhône Titan engine.
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096

The “H” registrations disappear and it is now the same aircraft with PH-ABV cn 1663.
H and PH registrations
097

The F.III had a built-in hand pump enabling refueling.
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098

Flightline of four Hungarian Malert F.III's.
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099

The Dz 8 cn 1531 built under license by Karl Grülich for the Danziger Luft Reederei.
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100

The Dz 5 cn 1539 of the Danziger Luft Reederei, Grülich license.
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101

The D 353 with cn 1551.
On the fuselage the logo of Det Danske Luftfartselskab, Grülich license.
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102

The D 353 in the Netherlands, above Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, Grülich license.
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103

Lufthansa D 378 with cn 1552, Grülich license.
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104

Bad landing of the D 378, Grülich license.
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105

Lufthansa D 378 is used here to transport newspapers, Grülich license.
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106

Rollover of the Lufthansa D 378, Grülich license.
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107

Lufthansa D 447 with cn 1553, Grülich license.
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108

Lufthansa D 468 with cn 1554, Grülich license.
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109

Lufthansa D 503 with cn 1556, Grülich license.
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110

British Airlines G-AALC with cn 1558, , Grülich license.
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111

On September 10, 1929 the G-AALC crashed in Croydon near London, Grülich license.
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112

Det Danske Luftfartselskab T-DOFF with cn 1558.
Later this became the G-AALC of British Airlines, Grülich license.
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113

Det Danske Luftfartselskab T-DOFD with cn 1560, Grülich license.
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114

British Airlines G-AARG with cn 1561, Grülich license.
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115

Det Danske Luftfartselskab T-DOFC with cn 156, later this became the G-AARG of British Airlines, Grülich license.
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116

Det Danske Luftfartselskab T-DOFB with cn 1562, Grülich license.
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117

Lufthansa D 575 with cn 1563, Grülich license.
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118

Lufthansa D 575 with cn 1563, Grülich license.
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119

Lufthansa D 594 with cn 1564, Grülich license.
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120

Lufthansa D 701 with cn 1565, Grülich license.
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121

Lufthansa D 716 with cn 1566, Grülich license.
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122

Lufthansa D 743 with cn 1568, Grülich license.
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123

Crash of the Lufthansa D 1028 with cn 1569, Grülich license.
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