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#Post#: 12383--------------------------------------------------
Plane of the week: Fokker G.I
By: vonofterdingen Date: September 1, 2020, 4:32 pm
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Sometimes just looking cool is good enough for me. I love the
look of the Fokker G.I. I have always liked “heavy fighters”
anyway and this might be the best looking one of the lot. I have
also generally liked to fly Fokker aircraft, not just because
they are an iconic military and civilian manufacturer, but also
because their planes fly well and have a design flare.
Unfortunately, this particular Fokker product did not see much
action in WW2 due to the rather quick fall of the Netherlands.
From Wikipedia
The Fokker G.I was a Dutch twin-engined heavy fighter
aircraft comparable in size and role to the German Messerschmitt
Bf 110. Although in production prior to World War II, its combat
introduction came at a time the Netherlands were overrun by the
Germans. The few G.Is that were mustered into service were able
to score several victories. Some were captured intact after the
Germans had occupied the Netherlands. The remainder of the
production run was taken over by the Luftwaffe for use as
trainers.
The G.I, given the nickname le Faucheur ("The Reaper" in
French), was designed as a private venture in 1936 by Fokker
chief engineer Dr. Schatzki. Intended for the role of
jachtkruiser, "heavy" fighter or air cruiser, able to gain air
superiority over the battlefield as well as being a bomber
destroyer, the G.1 would fulfill a role seen as important at the
time, by advocates of Giulio Douhet's theories on air power. The
Fokker G.I utilized a twin-engined, twin-boom layout that
featured a central nacelle housing two or three crew members (a
pilot, radio operator/navigator/rear gunner or a bombardier) as
well as a formidable armament of twin 23 mm (.91 in) Madsen
cannon and a pair of 7.9 mm (.31 in) machine guns (later eight
machine guns) in the nose and one in a rear turret.
Besides its main mission, the G.1 could be configured for
ground attack and light bombing missions (it could carry a bomb
load of one 400 kg/882 lb bomb or combinations of two 200 kg/441
lb or 10 26 kg/57 lb bombs).
The design and construction of the prototype (registered as
X-2) was completed in just seven months. At its introduction at
the Paris Air Show in November 1936, even before its first
flight, the G.I was a sensation, appearing in a purple and
yellow finish (evocative of the Spanish Republican colors,
thought to be Fokker's first export customer).
Like all Fokker aircraft of the period, the G.I was of mixed
construction; the front of the central pod were built around a
welded frame, covered with aluminium plating. The back of the
central pod, however, as well as the wings, were completely
constructed with wood.
The G.I prototype, powered by 485 kW (650 hp) Hispano-Suiza
14AB-02/03 engines, had its first flight at Welschap Airfield,
near Eindhoven on 16 March 1937 with Karel Mares at the
controls.[3] Later, Emil Meinecke took over much of the test
flights. The maiden flight went well, but a subsequent test
flight in September 1937 ended with a supercharger explosion
that nearly caused the loss of the prototype.[4] The accident
prompted a replacement of the Hispano-Suiza engines with 559 kW
(750 hp) Pratt & Whitney SB4-G Twin Wasp Junior engines.
During testing, the company received a contract from the
Spanish Republican government for 26 G.1 "export" versions with
Pratt & Whitney engines. Despite receiving payment, the order
was destined never to be fulfilled as the Dutch government
placed an embargo on the sale of military equipment to Spain.
Fokker however continued building the aircraft and a story was
released to the press that they were intended for Finland, hence
the persistent tales about a "Finnish" order. To make matters
more complex, Finland showed great interest in the G.I, but
eventually purchased Bristol Blenheim light bombers.
Besides the Dutch Luchtvaartafdeeling, several foreign air
forces showed an interest in the G.I. as either a fighter or
dive-bomber. In order to test its potential as a dive-bomber,
the G.1 prototype was fitted with hydraulically operated dive
brakes under the wings. Flight tests revealed that the G.1 was
capable of diving at over 644 km/h (400 mph) and demonstrated
aerobatic capabilities. Swedish Air Force officer Captain Björn
Bjuggren tested the G.1 in over 20 dives and reported favourably
on its effectiveness as a dive bomber. Orders for G.1 Wasp
aircraft came from Spain (26 ordered) and Sweden (18), while the
Mercury variant was ordered by Denmark (12) together with a
production license that never came to be used, and Sweden (72).
Although Belgium, Finland, Turkey, Hungary and Switzerland air
forces showed great interest, they never placed firm orders.
The Luchtvaartafdeeling ordered 36 G.I's with 541 kW (825 hp)
Bristol Mercury VIII engines, the standard engine used by the
Dutch Air Force in the Fokker D.XXI fighter, in order to equip
two squadrons. Only the first four examples were built as
three-seaters intended for ground-attack, with the remainder
being completed as two-seat fighters. During the lead-up to
hostilities, a total of 26 G.I's were operational in the 3rd
Jachtvliegtuigafdeling (JaVA) at Rotterdam (Waalhaven Airfield),
and 4th JaVA Fighter Group at Bergen near Alkmaar. The aircraft
were actively involved in border patrols and in order to ensure
neutrality, on 20 March 1940, a G.1 from 4th JaVA forced down an
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley from the RAF's 77 sqn when it
strayed into Dutch air space.
On 10 May 1940, when Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands, 23
G.1 aircraft were serviceable while production of Spain's order
of the G.1 Wasp variant continued with a dozen aircraft
completed, awaiting armament.
[img width=1024
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The German invasion started with an early morning (03:50
hours) Luftwaffe attack on the Dutch airfields. While the 4th
JaVA received a devastating blow, losing all but one of its
aircraft, eight 3rd JaVA G.1 fighters of the Waalhaven airbase
in Rotterdam, that were already fully fueled and armed,
scrambled in time and successfully engaged several German
aircraft. The surviving aircraft continued to fly, but with
mounting losses, bringing their numbers down to three airworthy
aircraft by the end of the first day. Despite the heavy losses
of 4th JaVA, some of the planes could be kept in the air by
scavenging parts from various planes. In the "Five-day War", the
available G.1 fighters were mainly deployed in ground attack
missions, strafing advancing German infantry units, but also
used to attack Junkers Ju 52/3m transports. Although reports are
fragmentary and inaccurate as to the results, G.1 fighters were
employed over Rotterdam and the Hague, contributing to the loss
of 167 Ju 52s, scoring up to 14 confirmed aerial kills.
[img width=1024
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In game…
I have liked flying this aircraft since it first hit the mod
scene many years ago. I set about to make a campaign for it but
did not do so due to the short operational history. My original
idea was to make a Dutch East Indies campaign for it, but
learned rather quickly the G.I was not operational in the Dutch
East Indies. Though the 5-day war over the Netherlands was
brief, I may yet revisit that approach. The plane is still fun
to fly in single missions. I don’t much like to encounter
Bf-109s in the Fokker G.1, but it will definitely hold its own
against the Bf-110 and Axis bombers and transports.
#Post#: 12384--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the week: Fokker G.I
By: JG51_Ruski Date: September 1, 2020, 6:10 pm
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Sure is a beauty Von Thanks for helping me learn about planes
I've never heard of
#Post#: 12385--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the week: Fokker G.I
By: vonofterdingen Date: September 2, 2020, 12:11 am
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This one is definitely worth a flight or two in the QMB.
#Post#: 12386--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the week: Fokker G.I
By: cafs Date: September 2, 2020, 7:33 am
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She was a docile plane, almost without any vicious. Dimon's
model is a pleasure to fly.
Great PoW Von, thanks.
#Post#: 12388--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the week: Fokker G.I
By: E69_Haukka Date: September 2, 2020, 12:08 pm
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It is a delightful plane to fly. I had the opportunity to fly it
in a mission of the Fall Gelb campaign, earlier this year,
flying for the Netherlands, a campaign organized by the Spanish
squadron E24F, where pilots from the Patrulla Azul (Blue Patrol)
and Escuadrón 69 (Squadron 69) participated. On that occasion we
flew with the excellent Ypack 1.2.3.
Thank you very much for this article, Von.
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUS4tv9iShE
#Post#: 12401--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the week: Fokker G.I
By: larsresult Date: September 3, 2020, 7:03 am
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Very interesting clip Haukka. I have always liked YPack123 for
its crisper maps and refined effects.
In addition to Von's excellent write up I have found some more
information. Authors Paul van der Horst and Luuk Boerman
recently released a profile book on the Fokker G1 and have
managed to discover the following:
24 G1s with Mercury engines were serviceable on 10th May 1940.
19 were destroyed on the ground by the Luftwaffe, or the Dutch
staff to prevent them falling into enemy hands.
Only 3 were shot down, one by a Ju52 dorsal gunner.
During the four days of combat they shot down 7 He111s, 3 Ju52s,
3 Bf109s, 1 Do17 and damaged 2 Bf109s, 2 Ju88s, 1 Ju52, 1 Ju87,
and some He111s.
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