| Article number: | 50.00.016 |
Koolhoven FK-43
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Source : www.alexdenouden.nl/artikelen/koolhoven04.html
The Koolhoven FK-43 was a four-seater cabin aircraft. The aircraft is the direct successor to the FK-41. 12 of them were sold. KLM was the largest user, preferring to deploy the aircraft as an air taxi. The prototype first flew in 1931. This was a beautiful, well-balanced machine. Very suitable for domestic flights, as it could take off and land on small fields. The aircraft was also used as a training aircraft for airline pilots.
The most memorable deed ever performed with the FK-43? Undoubtedly, flying Puck van Heel's football boots to Antwerp. Van Heel was captain of the Dutch national team that was to play against Belgium in Antwerp on 29 April 1934. In Antwerp, it turned out that Van Heel had forgotten his boots.... The Netherlands won, 4-2, certainly thanks to the deployment of an FK-43.
Incidentally, it was a close call, or the design of the FK-43 would never have been completed. The first customer, American millionaire Van Lear Black, drowned before the aircraft could be delivered. Koolhoven sold a licence to another company, built a prototype aircraft and delivered it - and then that company went bankrupt. The prototype aircraft disappeared without a trace.
Fortunately, Koolhoven found a buyer in KLM. First, one aircraft was purchased; it crashed just a month later. However, in that short time, it had performed excellently. Another six were ordered. After two of the seven crashed, another two were bought.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, four of the KLM aircraft were requisitioned by the LVA. They were given the codes 960, 963, 965 and 966. Of these requisitioned aircraft, only one managed to escape to England, where it served as a liaison aircraft for some time.
After the war, another eight FK-43 aircraft were built by Fokker, which went by the name "Fokhoven". All but one were scrapped. The remaining airframe was in the Automuseum in Raamsdonkveer. In fact, the original design was so heavily modified that they are not truly recognisable as Koolhovens.
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Technical specifications :
|
Year |
1931 |
Model Drawing Specifications :
|
Drawing number |
50.00.016 |
|
Author |
C. ter Horst |
|
Description |
Fokker-Koolhoven FK43 air taxi (1946) |
|
Quality |
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|
Difficulty level |
C |
|
Scale |
1 : 20 |
|
Number of A00 sheets |
0 |
|
Number of A0 sheets |
0 |
|
Number of A1 sheets |
0 |
|
Number of A2 sheets |
3 |
|
Number of A3 sheets |
0 |
|
Number of A4 sheets |
0 |
|
Total number of drawing sheets |
3 |
|
Number of A4 text sheets |
0 |
|
Weight in grams |
85 |
|
Special features |
wingspan 55 cm |
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Remarks |
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