Fokker D.XII

The Fokker D.XII was a single‑seat, single‑engine fighter developed by the Dutch firm Fokker in the early 1920s. Designed by Reinhold Platz as a successor to the successful D.VIII, the D.XII first flew in 1921 and entered limited production for export customers, most notably the Dutch East Indies and the Brazilian Air Force. Powered by a 180‑horsepower Hispano‑Suiza 8Fb V‑8, the aircraft featured a welded steel‑tube fuselage covered with fabric, a wooden two‑spar wing with a slight sesquiplane layout, and a fixed, split‑axle undercarriage. Its compact dimensions and light weight gave it a respectable top speed of about 210 km/h (130 mph) and excellent maneuverability, making it suitable for the low‑altitude dogfighting tactics of the era. Although it never saw combat in Europe, the D.XII served as an important bridge between World War I biplanes and the more advanced monoplanes of the 1930s, demonstrating Fokker’s continued innovation in structural design and power‑plant integration. The aircraft’s export success helped establish Fokker’s reputation in the interwar market and laid groundwork for later iconic types such as the Fokker C.V and the D.XXI.

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