17 Facts About Fokker

1.

Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker.

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2.

Fokker operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919.

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3.

Fokker went into bankruptcy in 1996, and its operations were sold to competitors.

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4.

At age 20, while studying in Germany, Anthony Fokker built his initial aircraft, the Spin —the first Dutch-built plane to fly in his home country.

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5.

When it was realized that arming these scouts with a machine gun firing through the arc of the propeller was desirable, Fokker developed a synchronization gear similar to that patented by Franz Schneider.

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6.

In 1919, Fokker, owing large sums in back taxes, returned to the Netherlands and founded a new company near Amsterdam with the support of Steenkolen Handels Vereniging, now known as SHV Holdings.

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7.

Fokker continued to design and build military aircraft, delivering planes to the Royal Netherlands Air Force.

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8.

In 1923, Anthony Fokker moved to the United States, where in 1927, he established an American branch of his company, the Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, which was renamed the Fokker Aircraft Corporation of America.

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9.

Fokker factories were confiscated by the Germans and were used to build Bucker Bu 181 Bestmann trainers and parts for the Junkers Ju 52 transport.

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10.

Fokker cautiously started building gliders and autobuses and converting Dakota transport planes to civilian versions.

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11.

In 1969, Fokker agreed to an alliance with Bremen-based Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke under control of a transnational holding company.

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12.

Fokker was one of the main partners in the F-16 Fighting Falcon consortium, which was responsible for the production of these fighters for the Belgian, Danish, Dutch and Norwegian Air Forces.

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13.

In 1967, Fokker started a modest space division building parts for European satellites.

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14.

Subsequently, Fokker contributed to many European satellite projects, as well as to the Ariane rocket in its various models.

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15.

The Fokker 50 was to be a completely modernised version of the F-27, and the Fokker 100 a new airliner based on the F-28.

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16.

The Dutch government bailed the company out with 212 million guilders, but demanded Fokker look for a "strategic partner", British Aerospace and DASA being named most likely candidates.

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17.

Stork Fokker exists to sustain remarketing of the company's existing aircraft: it refurbishes and resells F 50s and F 100s, and has converted a few F 50s to transport aircraft.

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