Japanese Fokker D.VIII?

Gary Wenko · 13 November 2009, 11:28 PM

Hi,

There are three photos of a Fokker D.VIII in standard WWI lozenge carrying a roundel with a white surround, which appear in several publications, Profile, Windsock, and the new Kagero book on the D.VIII/E.V to list a few.

In one of the volumes of the Japanese Encyclopedia of Aviation, written in Japanese, the caption of one of those photos states the aircraft is a Fokker D.VIII, painted in Hinomaru in the Netherlands prior to shipment to Japan.

Other sources state the aircraft is a Dutch machine.

Do you know? Can you shed any light on this controversy?

Many thanks,

Gary Wenko

gswenko@btopenworld.com

Kaiser Bill · 14 November 2009, 05:09 AM

Gary...let me be the first to welcome you to the Aerodrome.
This is the best site around to get your questions answered by our staff of experts.

My gut instinct tells me that the insignia is Dutch, but I'll leave it to the experts.

Someone should be along shortly.

Good to have you aboard.

Kaiser Bill

Sreiko · 14 November 2009, 05:29 AM

I have this image, and couple others, and this is definitely Dutch machine, with orange roundels. Even some sources, credited as Japanese authoritative place, display this image as Japan machine.

Cheers

YavorD · 14 November 2009, 05:41 AM

This photo (as well as couple other pictures of the same machine) was published in Fokker D.VIII (Windsock Datafile 25) by P. M. Grosz and captioned as Fok. D.VIII 509/18 W.Nr.3264 in Dutch markings.
Regards,
Yavor

TeamStewart · 14 November 2009, 06:15 AM

I think the confusion comes with the Profile publication.

On the page showing that aircraft, there is another photograph and the captions seem to be reversed.

bristol scout · 14 November 2009, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeamStewart

I think the confusion comes with the Profile publication.

On the page showing that aircraft, there is another photograph and the captions seem to be reversed.

Indeed--on page 10--there is a number not fully readable (to my eyes)

---but looks like it ends..94---on fuselage!

As an aside, and recalling a different thread--the same picture really shows very well the extreme 'pocketing' of the wooden wing surfaces.

Dave. edit---the number is in large black-----midway on fuse.--not the 'Fokker' style.

Varese2002 · 14 November 2009, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YavorD

This photo (as well as couple other pictures of the same machine) was published in Fokker D.VIII (Windsock Datafile 25) by P. M. Grosz and captioned as Fok. D.VIII 509/18 W.Nr.3264 in Dutch markings.
Regards,
Yavor

The Fokker D.VIII never flew in service with the LVA [Luchtvaart Afdeling - Air department] in the Netherlands. The picture shows one of the promotional / marketing activities of Anthony Fokker, painting the machine and suggesting that the machine was in service with the LVA.
This particular machine was probably one of the batch of D.VIII machines which were transported by Fokker from Germany to Holland after the war.

Kees

Sreiko · 14 November 2009, 08:07 AM

Kees- I am not sure but few samples of this machine was hold in hangar until they were send to scrap?

Varese2002 · 14 November 2009, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sreiko

Kees- I am not sure but few samples of this machine was hold in hangar until they were send to scrap?

Sreiko - Fokker transported some 20 Fokker D.VIII machines from his German works to his new factory in Amsterdam. Surely Fokker was not the man to loose money in scrapping unsold machines ! Probably the US and Polish machines came from these twenty machines.

Have a good day

Kees

Sreiko · 14 November 2009, 09:43 AM

All right, thank you