Fokker V.34

The Fokker V.34 was an experimental fighter prototype built by the Dutch company Fokker in 1918, during the final months of World War I. Designed by Reinhold Platz, the V.34 was intended as a development of the earlier V.31 and V.33 models, incorporating a more powerful 160‑hp Mercedes D.IIIa engine and a streamlined, cantilever wing layout that reduced drag. The aircraft featured an all‑wood fuselage with plywood skin, a single synchronized machine‑gun mounted over the cockpit, and a fixed, two‑pole landing gear with spoked wheels. Although only one prototype was completed, flight tests revealed excellent handling, a high climb rate, and a top speed of about 210 km/h (130 mph), rivaling contemporary German fighters such as the Fokker D.VII. The V.34 never entered production because the war ended before it could be evaluated for operational service. Nonetheless, its aerodynamic refinements and structural techniques influenced later Fokker designs, including the post‑war F.VII transport and the successful 1920s fighter series. The aircraft is therefore significant as a bridge between wartime fighter development and the innovative civil and military aircraft that defined Fokker’s golden era.

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