Fokker T.IV

The Fokker T.IV

In 1926, the MLD commissioned Fokker to develop a long-range reconnaissance bomber.
Since the MLD wanted to use the aircraft in the waters of the Dutch East Indies, it had to be designed as a float plane.
The T.IV was a large, cumbersome looking aircraft for 4 crew members with a gun turret in the nose and an open cockpit behind it.
The floats were noticeably large, both in length and width.

A second gun turret was fitted behind the wing, at the top of the fuselage.

The armament in the gun turrets consisted of 7.9 mm Browning machine guns.
It could carry 800 kg of bomb load, or one torpedo.
The aircraft could also lay down a smoke screen during a flight.
Two 450 hp Lorraine Dietrich 12E W-12 engines were mounted under the wing of the high-wing aircraft.

The first flight took place on June 7, 1927, and the first aircraft was put into service at the end of that year.
The MLD ordered 12 aircraft.

Click on the photo to enlarge the photo

01

The prototype became the later T-1, c/n 5212. It initially had a different rudder. The rudder was derived from the Fokker C.VII W, but the Fokker T.IV later received a somewhat fuller rudder. The Naval Aviation Service would eventually purchase 12 of them as T-1 to T-12 and this type was only active in the Dutch East Indies. The T.IV was test flown in the Netherlands at MVK (Naval Air Station) Schellingwoude near Amsterdam by pilot Emil Meinecke. The test flights started on 7 June 1927. Even at a low taxi speed, the large floats spread a great deal of water. The T-1 crashed on 16 October 1937 at Banda Neira in Lontor Strait, south of Ceram and Ambon, present-day Indonesia. The crew that perished consisted of pilot Lieutenant at Sea 2nd Class E. van Haften, Sergeant Major, telegraphist GJ Radstaat, Sergeant, pilot G. van der Hooft, Corporal aircraft maker PL Boogert and Sailor telegraphist EF Nolten.
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02

The T-1 of the MLD now with the modified rudder. Still flying in the Netherlands here but soon on a journey to the Dutch East Indies. Some characteristics are: Wingspan 25.8 m Wing area 96 m2 Empty weight 4,400 kg Total weight 6,700 kg Max. speed 200 km/h Cruising speed 168 km/h. In the background Hr.Ms. submarine O-11 or K-11, a contemporary of the Fokker T.IV.
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03

The T-2 of the MLD. The pilots in their cockpit, visible in the open air. Some more fixed data: The propellers were four-bladed and still made of wood, which would later change with the T.IV A. The job description went a bit too far: Torpedo, reconnaissance and bombing aircraft. Fuel tank capacity 1500 litres. Flight range 1150 km in 6.5 hours. Altitude limit 4200 metres. Crew 5 men. Armament, in addition to bombs and torpedoes, consisted of 5 movable machine guns. These were located in the nose, on the roof of the fuselage and behind the wing. There were also shooting possibilities on the sides of the fuselage.
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04

A nice photo of the maintenance of the T-2 c/n 5213. The photo was taken in the Netherlands. The released engine is the water-cooled Lorraine-Dietrich W of 450 hp. The Fokker team also has an MLD aircraft manufacturer for a float second from the left. Deliveries ran from 1927 to 1930. Shortly afterwards, the T.IV A was started. Then, like the other T.IV aircraft, this one also went to MVK Morokrembangan near Surabaya (Dutch East Indies).
The Lorraine Dietrich W.
05

The T-5 with c/n 5216 with a good view of the gunner in the rear gun room. Later this will become a transparent gun turret on the T.IV A. Most T.IVs came by ship to Surabaya and from there went to MVK (Marine Vliegkamp) Morokrembangan in the Dutch East Indies. Besides their military purposes, they were mainly used for picking up sick people, aerial surveying and food supply.
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06

The T-7 of MLD with c/n 5218. The T-7 on an idyllic photo on Lake Toba south of Medan on the island of Sumatra. Striking is the apparently repaired tailplane, still without the Dutch tricolour on it.
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07

The T -10 with c/n 5221 of the MLD, here still very active with the last test flights in the Netherlands. It was especially Fokker pilot Emil Meinecke who was busy with it both in Veere and in Schellingwoude. In any case it was a short time before this T.IV was shipped to the Dutch East Indies. Striking in this shot is the enormous water displacement caused by the two enormous floats.
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08

The last built T.IV of the Marine Luchtvaart Dienst was the T-12 (Cn 5223.). Here still in Dutch waters, shortly before departure to the Dutch East Indies. The destination was also Vliegkamp Morokrembangan, located near Surabaya on Java.
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09

Maintenance on the Lorraine Dietrich W-type engine of 450 hp in the Dutch East Indies.
Lorraine Dietrich 12E W-12
10

Side view of a camouflaged T.IV of MLD and to the right of it another T.IV in camouflage colours. Both are lined up here in front of a few very large hangars at Morokrembangan air base near Surabaya. After the camouflage painting, the registration number in small letters was placed under the tailplane. To the right of the entrance door is the opening for one of the gunners' machine guns.
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11

The interior and bomb bay of the large T.IV. Good view of a number of bombs in the fuselage of the T.IV, seen from the back to the front. Torpedoes would not be used, but bombs with a total load of 900 kg would be. The drop opening is very well visible. The second series of the T.IV was called T.IVa and was delivered to MLD from 1935.
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