Fokker V 20

The Fokker V 20 was a single‑seat, single‑engine fighter prototype developed in the closing months of World I by Reinhold Platz, the chief designer at the Dutch‑German manufacturer Fokker. First flown in early 1918, the V 20 represented the final evolution of the company’s “V‑series” experimental aircraft, building on lessons learned from the highly successful D.VII and the larger V 17/18 triplanes. Powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) Mercedes D.IIIa inline engine, the aircraft featured a streamlined, all‑wood monocoque fuselage, a compact sesquiplane wing arrangement with a relatively short wingspan, and innovative cantilever bracing that reduced drag. Its armament consisted of two synchronized LMG 08/15 machine guns mounted on the fuselage. Although the V 20 never entered mass production—its development was halted by the armistice—it demonstrated advances in aerodynamic efficiency and structural economy that influenced later interwar designs, notably the Fokker D.VIII and the celebrated Fokker C.IX. The prototype’s emphasis on lightweight construction and high maneuverability cemented Reinhold Platz’s reputation as a forward‑thinking engineer and left a lasting imprint on the evolution of fighter aircraft. Only one example was built, and it survived the post‑war scrapping to be displayed in the Rijksmuseum van Luchtvaart in Amsterdam, where it continues to illustrate early 20th‑century aerodynamic experimentation.

Reinhold Platz

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