Russian Fokkers 3
In 1923, the Soviet Union purchased sixty Fokker C.IV reconnaissance aircraft from the Netherlands, which were delivered at the end of the year.
These C.IVs were designated C.IV Prima in Russia.
In 1924, a second order of fifty units followed, designated the C.IV Bis. The Bis differed in several respects and was essentially an upgrade that addressed problems the customer had experienced with the Prima.
The Soviets were particularly well informed about the construction and flying characteristics of the C.IV.
When the C.IV Prima and Bis were under construction in the Netherlands, a team of Russian inspectors worked at Fokker. They witnessed firsthand how these aircraft were assembled. This proved useful later in the maintenance and repairs of the C.IV in Russia.
The performance of the C.IV, as advertised by Fokker, was carefully checked in Russia by test pilots from the NOA, a military research institute. The Russian measurements were as follows:
- The unladen weight of the C.IV Prima was 1,410 kg.
- The length was 9.04 m, the wingspan 12.76 m.
- The Liberty engine ran at 1700 revolutions per minute.
- It could reach a speed of 200 km/h, climb to 3 kilometers in 15 minutes and had a ceiling of about 5,500 meters.
- The landing speed was 90-100 km/h.
- The flight range was 814 km.
The photos below are partly from Gennady Petrov's vast archive in Moscow. Others come from the Russian State Archives (RGVA).
They were first published in 2020 by Andrei Averin in the Russian model building magazine M-Hobby.
Click on the photo to enlarge the photo
