Fokker D.XIII

The Fokker D.XIII was a single‑seat, single‑engine fighter developed in the Netherlands shortly after World War I. Designed by Reinhold Platz, the chief engineer of the Fokker works, the aircraft first flew in early 1919 and was offered to several air forces seeking modern combat types. The D.XIII retained the characteristic cantilever thick‑wing layout that Platz had pioneered on earlier models such as the D.VII, but incorporated a more powerful 160 hp (119 kW) Mercedes D.IIIa engine and a streamlined wooden fuselage with plywood covering. Its armament consisted of two synchronized LMG 08/15 machine guns mounted on the upper fuselage. The aircraft demonstrated excellent maneuverability and a high rate of climb, thanks to its lightweight construction and clean aerodynamic lines. Although only a few dozen were built and it never saw large‑scale operational service, the D.XIII served as a stepping stone toward the later, more successful Fokker D.VII and D.VIII designs. Its development highlighted Reinhold Platz’s skill in blending structural ingenuity with performance, influencing interwar fighter concepts throughout Europe. Production numbers and lack of combat record have made the D.XIII a rare collector’s item, prized by museums for illustrating the transitional phase of aircraft design between the war and the 1920s.

Reinhold Platz

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Design & Classification