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Fokker T.IX

1939 WORLD WAR 2 X-PLANE

History

The Netherlands was one of many countries that ended up being attacked by the German-led Axis powers during World War II (1939-1945). Nonetheless, the Dutch had a healthy pre-war aviation industry that produced some local results, such as the D.XXI monoplane, the G.I Reaper twin-engine heavy fighter, and the T.V bomber-interceptor - all from Fokker.

The Fokker Company was already building aircraft before the start of the First World War (1914-1918), when the company was founded in 1912 and later supplied some of the most famous aircraft of the German Empire of the First World War.

A twin-engine bomber named "T.IX" designed by Fokker for the Netherlands during World War II was designed for the Royal Dutch East Indian Army Air Force (RNEIAAF). At the time, this was the group's first attempt at an all-metal skinned bomber, and other modern features included fully enclosed crew positions and retractable landing gear (except for the tail wheel).

Design work began in 1938.

The end result is a streamlined aircraft with a stepped cockpit layout with a glass nose position and heavy frame cockpit sections. The fuselage had plate-like sides and tapered sharply to form a tail, and to this tailstock were added levels, each with a vertical tail. Wing main aircraft are mid-section attachments mounted on either side of the fuselage, each of which houses an engine nacelle.

Placement along the leading edge of the wing allows the crew to easily check the engines in the air. Power comes from 2 Bristol "Hercules" 14-cylinder radial-piston air-cooled engines, each producing 1,375 hp and driving a three-blade propeller unit.

Armament consists of 1 x 20mm cannon in nose section, 2 x .50 caliber heavy machine guns (HMG) in rear fuselage location and 2 x .50 caliber HMGs in similar fuselage location, albeit ventral side position. The internal bomb bay can hold up to 4,410 pounds of conventional throwing weapons.

The completed prototype flew for the first time on September 11, 1939. However, history students will note that the German invasion of Poland began on September 1 of that year, officially beginning World War II.

In the context of total war, Fokker continued to develop the T.IX bomber and flew prototypes several times. However, in April 1940 the program was halted when the plane crashed into the hangar door, and all hope was dashed on May 10 when the Germans began to invade the Netherlands - effectively ending the promising T. All development of the IX Project.

The few performance specs the prototype detailed during its brief airtime include a top speed of 275 mph, a range of up to 1,700 miles, and a service ceiling of 26,250 feet.