By: ericmunk - 1st November 2013 at 18:39
There is also one “Fokhoven” that still exsit. Fokhoven was a FK 43 which was built after the war by Fokker. IIRC there were built 8 pieces of which one survived.
Regards,
Mathieu.
Correct. 8 built, 1 survived: in a car collection in Raamsdonkveer, safe and sound. Parts of another one were used in a gyroglider which is still extant in the Aviodrome collection, while the engine of yet another is in the same collection.
By: Sonderman - 1st November 2013 at 18:25
There is also one “Fokhoven” that still exsit. Fokhoven was a FK 43 which was built after the war by Fokker. IIRC there were built 8 pieces of which one survived.
Regards,
Mathieu.
By: Archer - 1st November 2013 at 16:36
Actually, that’s debatable. Koolhoven’s FK.41 was license-built as the Desoutter Mk I, of which Shuttleworth still has one.
You’re right, I had forgotten about that one. Also with the second FK.23 coming along there will be a third. All good news!
By: mike currill - 30th October 2013 at 09:57
Which will still give a fair turn of speed but hopefully more reliability.
By: ericmunk - 30th October 2013 at 09:45
A flying one would be fantastic – I seem to recall that it was very, very fast for its day – but what would you use for an engine? The original I think was an ABC design, and most things that came from their designer’s pen were pretty troublesome.
Adrian
It was very fast. The 170 hp ABC Wasp gave it 142 mph max. The troublesome Wasp was one of the reasons the Bantam never caught on. The flying one will use a 145 hp Warner.
By: adrian_gray - 30th October 2013 at 09:05
It is a beauty, though I can’t help feeling that the pilot would feel very vulnerable with his head stuck out through the upper wing like that. It’s also very easy to get close to, to see things like the bungee suspension (just visible in the last photo if you look hard) that must have been hi-tech back then.
A flying one would be fantastic – I seem to recall that it was very, very fast for its day – but what would you use for an engine? The original I think was an ABC design, and most things that came from their designer’s pen were pretty troublesome.
Adrian
By: Jur - 30th October 2013 at 08:56
BAT Bantam when it was displayed in the Aviodrome.
By: slicer - 29th October 2013 at 22:17
A flying Bantam..wow. Good luck to them, thanks for the info, Eric.
By: ericmunk - 29th October 2013 at 20:57
It is the only surviving aircraft designed by Koolhoven actually.
Actually, that’s debatable. Koolhoven’s FK.41 was license-built as the Desoutter Mk I, of which Shuttleworth still has one.
By: ericmunk - 29th October 2013 at 20:53
It has indeed been restored, but is over 90 percent original material. The second (lesser known restoration, still ongoing) is largely new-built.
See for more on the restoration: http://members.ziggo.nl/henrikaper/koolhoven/bat-fk23-bantam-restoration/
The Koolhoven Foundation put a lot of (volunteer) effort and considerable funds into it. Restoring this (the better of the two) to display condition, enabled accurate drawings to be made. These are now used in a very long term rebuild of the remains of the second example to fly. A very ambitious project indeed.
See for the second one: http://www.vroegevogels.org/nl/koolhoven-fk-23
Movie here on the second one: http://www.krantvanflevoland.nl/nieuws/8135/koolhoven-fk-23-vliegtuig-in-zuidwolde-gebouwd-voor-stichting-vroege-vogels-lelystad/
By: Archer - 29th October 2013 at 20:50
It was being rebuilt during 1998 because I saw it at Schiphol then. It went on display at the Aviodrome but was sold to the Rijksmuseum when the Aviodrome got into trouble financially.
It is the only surviving aircraft designed by Koolhoven actually.
By: Bruce - 29th October 2013 at 20:36
That has been heavily rebuilt after disposal from Old Warden IIRC
By: ericmunk - 29th October 2013 at 19:45
It is one of two (well: one and a half) up for disposal at the time, yes.
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October 29, 2013 at 7:43 pm
