Fokker C.V

The Fokker C.V was a versatile Dutch reconnaissance and light‑bomber aircraft produced by the Fokker company during the interwar period. First flown in 1924, the C.V emerged from Anthony Fokker’s collaboration with German engineer Reinhold Platz and was powered initially by a 450‑hp Lorraine-Dietrich V12 engine. Its mixed construction of steel tube fuselage, wooden wings and fabric covering gave a strong yet lightweight airframe, while its two‑seat, open‑cockpit layout provided excellent visibility for observation missions. The aircraft featured a fixed, split‑axle undercarriage and could be fitted with a variety of armaments, including a forward‑firing Vickers machine gun and a rear flexible gun for the observer, plus up to 300 kg of bombs. Over 1,300 units were built under licence in several countries, notably Sweden, Hungary and the Soviet Union, where it became the basis for the Polikarpov R‑1. The C.V’s reliability, ease of maintenance and adaptability made it a workhorse for many air forces throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, influencing subsequent Fokker designs such as the C.IX and establishing the Netherlands as a notable exporter of military aircraft. Its legacy endures in historic aircraft museums worldwide.

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