Fokker V.30

The Fokker V.30 was a late‑World War I prototype built by the Dutch manufacturer Fokker as part of its series of experimental fighters designated “V” for Versuch (German for “experiment”). First flown in the spring of 1918, the V.30 was a direct development of the earlier V.27 and V.28 airframes, sharing their high‑wing, cantilever monoplane layout but incorporating a more powerful 110 hp Oberursel rotary engine and refined aerodynamic detailing. Its most striking feature was the clean, braced‑free wing, which eliminated the drag‑inducing struts common on biplanes of the era and gave the aircraft exceptional speed and climb performance for its class. The pilot sat in an enclosed cockpit under a streamlined headrest, and the aircraft employed a simple, robust fuselage built around a wooden box‑girder framework covered with plywood.

Although the V.30 never entered mass production, the data gathered from its flight tests proved decisive for the design of the subsequent Fokker D.VIII, the first operational cantilever monoplane used by the German Luftstreitkräfte. The V.30’s innovative wing concept demonstrated the viability of monoplane fighters, influencing post‑war aircraft development and cementing Fokker’s reputation as a pioneer of lightweight, high‑performance aviation design.

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