Fokker M.4

The Fokker M.4 was a German‑built reconnaissance and trainer biplane produced by the Dutch company Fokker during World War I. Designed in 1915 as an evolution of the earlier M.3, the M.4 featured a conventional two‑bay wing layout with a slight stagger and was powered by a 80 hp Oberursel rotary engine that drove a two‑bladed propeller. The aircraft’s fuselage was constructed of a welded steel tube frame covered with fabric, while the wings employed wooden spars and ribs, delivering a lightweight yet robust structure. Its open cockpit accommodated a pilot and an observer, the latter equipped with a flexible machine gun for defensive fire. The M.4 was primarily used by the German Luftstreitkräfte for short‑range reconnaissance and as a training platform for new pilots, where its gentle handling characteristics and forgiving stall behaviour proved valuable. Although only a handful were built, the type served as a testbed for later Fokker designs such as the famed Dr.I triplane, influencing aerodynamic concepts and construction techniques that shaped interwar aviation. The M.4 therefore represents an early step in Fokker’s evolution from simple trainer to a world‑renowned fighter manufacturer.

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