Fokker V.26

The Fokker V.26 was an experimental prototype built by the Dutch firm Fokker in the closing months of World War I, part of the company’s series of “V” (Versuch) aircraft that explored new aerodynamic concepts. Designed in early 1918, the V.26 was a single‑seat, single‑engine fighter intended to test a high‑aspect‑ratio cantilever wing and a streamlined fuselage that reduced drag far more than contemporary biplanes. Powered by a 110 hp Oberursel rotary engine, the aircraft featured a plywood‑covered monocoque structure, wing torsion bracing hidden within the fuselage, and a proprietary “Gull‑wing” planform that gave it exceptional lift‑to‑drag characteristics. Though only one example was completed, flight testing demonstrated a top speed of around 210 km/h and a climb rate that outclassed most frontline German fighters of the period.

The V.26 never entered production, but its aerodynamic data directly influenced the later Fokker D.VII and the groundbreaking parasol‑wing D.VIII. By proving that a cantilever wing could be both strong and light, the V.26 helped shift the industry away from externally braced biplanes, marking a pivotal step toward the sleek, monoplane fighters that would dominate the 1920s and beyond. Its legacy endures as a key link in the evolution of modern fighter design.