Fokker C.I

The Fokker C.I was a German‑built reconnaissance and trainer aircraft developed in the final years of World War I and produced by the Dutch company Fokker under license for the Luftstreitkräfte. First flown in 1917, the two‑seat biplane combined a sturdy wooden frame with fabric covering, a single 120 hp Mercedes D.II inline engine and a fixed, single‑axle undercarriage. Its wings were staggered and of unequal span, providing good lift and stable handling, which made the type popular for artillery spotting, photographic missions and pilot instruction. Over 200 examples were built, many of them after the armistice for civil use, especially as a trainer in the Dutch and later German air forces. The C.I’s simple, reliable construction and modest performance set a precedent for inter‑war liaison aircraft and demonstrated the versatility of Fokker’s mixed‑construction design philosophy. Although it never achieved the fame of later Fokker fighters, the C.I contributed to the evolution of military observation platforms and helped establish Fokker’s reputation for practical, easy‑to‑maintain aircraft that could be adapted to both wartime and peacetime roles. Its legacy can still be traced in the design principles of modern reconnaissance trainers used by several air forces today.

Fokker

Classification

Production & History

Design & Classification