Fokker: aircraft manufacturer

Founded in 1912, Fokker is a Dutch aircraft manufacturer. It was Anthony Fokker, a historic figure in aviation, who gave birth to this giant of the aeronautics industry.

The company specialises in the manufacture of aircraft and is based in Johannisthal, a district of Berlin.

In 2015, Fokker was acquired by the GKN aerospace group and became an aerospace subsidiary of GKN.

AEROAFFAIRES looks back at the history and achievements of aircraft manufacturer Fokker.

Fokker today :

Some key figures:

In over 100 years of existence and achievements, Fokker has produced many aircraft. Here’s an overview with a few figures:

• 213: is the number of Fokker 50s produced.
• 4: is the number of Fokker 6 produced.
• 47: represents the number of Fokker 70s produced.
• 283: represents the number of Fokker 100s produced by the manufacturer.
• 586: is the number of Fokker F27 Friendship produced by Fokker.
• 241 : is the number of Fokker F28 Fellowship built by Fokker.

A committed aircraft manufacturer :

The approach of GKN Aerospace and the Fokker entities is clear: to be in tune with the times and to advocate a sustainable approach.

At a time when climate change is a major issue, the aeronautical industry needs to move in this direction. Fokker’s subsidiaries are committed to this approach.

DKN (Fokker) is doing its utmost to develop technologies that will enable the decarbonisation of aircraft already in service.

Similarly, this sustainable development issue will be integrated into the design of a new generation of aircraft. Fokker wants its aircraft to be less polluting and ultimately CO2-neutral.

By 2050, the aeronautical company wants to reach a symbolic zero in greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to the means adopted to create more environmentally-friendly aircraft, it is also the factories that are benefiting from changes in this direction. Like other aircraft manufacturers, GKN’s factory in the Netherlands has been powered by 100% renewable electricity since 2021.

In addition, other actions are being taken to respect the environment, such as recycling and the proper disposal of hazardous materials. Sustainable aviation is the watchword of today’s aircraft manufacturers.

The history of aircraft manufacturer Fokker

The origins of Fokker

It all began with one of the pioneers of the aviation world, the Dutchman Anthony Fokker. This aviation engineer was born in 1890.

Anthony Fokker spent his entire career in the aeronautical industry

It was at the age of 20 that he designed his first plane, called “The Spin”. This propeller plane was the first in the Netherlands to fly on Dutch soil, over the town of Haarlem.

During the First World War, the Dutch engineer had to produce aircraft for the German air force. He joined forces with Hugo Junkers, also an aeronautical engineer. The result was the creation of :

• • the Fokker E.III
  • the Fokker Dr1
  • the Fokker D VII.

These models were a great success for the German air force.

In 1919, after the end of the war, A. Fokker returned to the Netherlands following the end of his collaboration with H. Junkers. He set up his own aeronautical company.

The beginnings of the aircraft manufacturer Fokker from 1919 to 1955

• 1919 : A. Fokker sets up the Netherlands Aircraft Factory (Fokker) in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. He mainly manufactured civil aircraft for passenger transport on commercial routes. However, he continued to create aircraft for military use, as he had done during the First World War. These were used in the Second World War.

• 1925 : The Fokker aeronautical industry becomes one of the largest in the world. The aircraft manufacturer had factories in both the Netherlands and the United States.

• 1939 : Anthony Fokker dies in the United States, in New York. He left behind a flourishing aeronautical company at the outbreak of the Second World War.

• 1951:The Fokker factories in the Netherlands were destroyed during the war. They had to be rebuilt. The new factory is located nearAmsterdam, very close to Schiphol airport. Other factories were subsequently created throughout the country. Fokker rebuilt itself and gained ground. Indeed, the industry flourished for many years, and aircraft orders and deliveries continued.

• 1955: This year sees the maiden flight of the Fokker F27 Friendship. This was an airliner. It was considered to be one of the best aircraft manufactured after the Second World War. In the years that followed, it became one of the best-selling turboprop aircraft on the market. No fewer than 800 were delivered up to 1986.

The beginnings of the aircraft manufacturer Fokker from 1958 to 1969

• 1958: Fokker established its reputation with the Fokker F28 Fellowship. It made its maiden flight that year, confirming the company’s leadership in innovation. This was followed by the Fokker 50, Fokker 70 and Fokker 100.

• 1969: Fokker becomes a partner of VFW (Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke), a German aircraft manufacturer. Together, they built pressurised modules for the American space laboratory, Spacelab.

Fokker after the war

Fokker did not serve in the Second World War. This event marked the beginning of an unprecedented decline for the company. After the Second World War, the factories were destroyed and therefore unusable.

Other factories belonging to other manufacturers were used and remained intact during the war. This enabled them to maintain post-war activity. Unfortunately, this was not the case for our Dutch manufacturer.

The company did, however, manage to rebuild two factories in the Netherlands. As a result, it produced the :

• • Fokker F27 Friendship
  • F28
  • F50
  • F70
  • F100.

But the aircraft manufacturer needed help to bring out new machines. The aircraft manufacturer joined forces with VFW and modelled the VFW F24 aircraft. Unfortunately, the project ended in failure.

The aircraft manufacturer sank deeper and deeper until it went bankrupt in 1996.

The dismantling of Fokker

1996: This date marked the end of Fokker’s aeronautical activities under its own name. Fokker was dismantled.

The company leaves behind a large number of aircraft still in service today.

The company was acquired by other entities. Fokker is unique in that it will sometimes retain its identity through the different branches it has created.

From Fokker to Dutch Space

Its aerospace business became independent and this autonomous branch was called Dutch Space. Its aeronautical equipment, aircraft design and maintenance activities were bought by the Stork Aerospace group.

From Dutch Space to Fokker Technologies

Finally, an entity called Stork Fokker was created. This was responsible for managing the 1,200 Fokker aircraft already in service.

In 2010, after almost fifteen years of prosperity, Stork Aerospace Group changed its name to Fokker Technologies. The legacy of the Fokker aircraft manufacturer’s name lives on.

Fokker Technologies has set up a number of subsidiaries, including :

• • Fokker Elmo
  • Fokker Aerostructures
  • Fokker Landing Gear
  • Fokker Services.

Fokker Elmo specializes in the field of connectivity and operates in various territories such as North America and China.

Fokker Aerostructures is dedicated to the machining of aeronautical structures.

Landing gear production is handled by Fokker Landing Gear.

Finally, Fokker Services looks after aircraft interiors, optimising cabins in particular by making them as light as possible. This subsidiary also looks after aircraft avionics, equipping them with electronic systems.

New partnerships

That same year, in 2010, Fokker joined forces with an aeronautical equipment company, Goodrich Corporation.

Together, they produce composite parts for various aircraft models from manufacturers such as Bombardier.

In the following years,the various subsidiaries of Fokker became partners with aircraft manufacturers such as Dassault Aviation and Boeing. The Fokker entities supply components for the aircraft manufacturers’ respective aircraft.

Fokker is no longer the aircraft manufacturer it once was. Fokker’s business units work as aircraft equipment suppliers in various segments of the aviation sector and for various aircraft of international aircraft manufacturers.

The takeover of Fokker by GKN Aerospace

Finally, in 2015, GKN Aerospace (Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds), which specialises in aerospace and automotive equipment, bought the Fokker entities for €706 million.

The Fokker Technologies entities have kept the same name, but are now managed and integrated within GKN.

Fokker aircraft design

The European aircraft manufacturer has a wide range of aeronautical equipment. It equips both long-haul aircraft, such as the Concorde, and medium-haul aircraft such as the Dassault Falcon.

The aerospace giant carries out the final assembly for an airline’s future aircraft.

Aeronautics manufacturers are doing their utmost to stand out in the aeronautics market.

The activities of aircraft manufacturer Fokker

Fokker activities under GKN Aerospace

No less than 90% of the aircraft in service today benefit from GNK’s (and therefore, by extension, Fokker’s) expertise and equipment.

The company is constantly evolving and finding ever more innovative solutions.

It is committed to evolving with the challenges of its time and to bringing about the necessary transformations in the aeronautical sector.

GNK also makes a point of honour of complying with specific air safety requirements, which is reassuring for crew members.

The activities of the various Fokker entities

Fokker’s various entities, such as Fokker Technologies, Fokker Services and Fokker Techniek, offer a wide range of activities.

Under the management of GKN, Fokker operates as an aeronautical equipment manufacturer. Although the company no longer manufactures aircraft from start to finish, it is still involved in building the aircraft fleets of a wide variety of aircraft manufacturers

For example, Fokker has worked on aircraft for Airbus, Boeing and Dassault Aviation.

As an independent supplier, Fokker offers its expertise in :

• • creation of landing gear
  • aircraft structures
  • various equipment
  • electrical systems integrated into aircraft.

The aircraft fleet of aircraft manufacturer Fokker

Since it was founded in 1912, aircraft manufacturer Fokker has produced a large number of aircraft. Both civil and military.

The most notable in civil aviation are undoubtedly the :

• Fokker 27
• Fokker 50
• Fokker 60
• Fokker 70
• Fokker 100.

We present 2 aircraft that are still in circulation.

The Fokker 100:

Also known as the F100, this aircraft is a short-haul airliner.

It can carry up to 109 passengers. It can be configured with two different cabin classes. This allows it to seat 97 passengers.

With a range of 2,700 km when the aircraft is at full capacity, it is ideal for short regional or even international trips.

It is also perfectly suited to group flights over short distances, for example.

The Fokker 100, which has benefited from a number of innovations, has very low maintenance costs. It offers very good value for money compared with other similar aircraft.

Before the arrival of the Boeing 737 or the Airbus A319, the F100 was one of the leaders in air traffic.

This aircraft has a simple cabin configuration, with 2 rows of 2 and 3 seats separated by a central aisle.

The Fokker 50:

This turboprop aircraft ceased production in 1997.

It is in some ways the smaller version of the Fokker 100, which can carry up to 55 passengers over a distance of 1,500 km.

Its range makes it ideal for short regional journeys.

To date, around 25 airlines use Fokker 50s. In the same vein as the Fokker 100, it can also be used by business aviation companies for group flights.

It can also be hired out and privatised to transport sports teams or companies to seminars, for example.

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You now know everything about the aircraft manufacturer Fokker.

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