Fokker F26
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The Fokker F26 was an early jet airliner design by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer, Fokker.
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[edit] History
During the era before the second world war, Fokker was one of the worlds largest manufacturers of passenger aircraft. After the re-emergence of the Fokker in 1945, the company made ambitious plans for reconquering the market they once dominated. In 1946 the company therefore came up with a design of a jetliner, the first ever.
The design materialised through cooperation between Fokker, the KLM and the Dutch national institute for aircraft development, the Nationaal Instituut voor Vliegtuigontwikkeling (NVI). Design progressed quickly and a model of the F26 was shown at the first postwar aviation fair, the Paris Air Show of 1946. The model attracted a lot of interest, but no orders were gained.
Further development of the F26 was hampered by the attitude of the KLM. KLM executive Mr Plesman believed that design, marketing and production of a jetliner was too big a project for Fokker alone. He therefore pushed Fokker for cooperation with British manufacturer De Havilland. Although some cooperation took place, mainly on engine-related issues, a combined effort in producing jetliners never took place.
Fokker must have realised that the F26 design was at that time too far fetched. Within ten years it would come up with a more feasible design, the F27 Friendship.
[edit] Significance
In its publications the Fokker Company has always stated that the F26 Phantom was a conceptual design. Its purpose was to be a technical and economical feasibility study only. Therefore the F26 was never intended to become reality. The significance of the F26 design lays in its early appearance. Although the aircraft industry in general considered jetpowered aircraft to be the future, no jetpowered passenger aircraft were designed by then.
[edit] Technical
The all-metal F26 design comprised a low-wing layout with a 17-seat pressurized fuselage, a fully retractable gear and two Rolls-Royce Nene jet engines. With a thrust of 2.3kN, these engines were the most powerful engines available at the time. The aircraft was designed for a flight crew of three people.
The passenger cabin had a single aisle layout, with two seats abreast on the right and a single row on the left. The aft side had a toilet section and two cargo bays.
Based on design studies the F26 had an economical cruise speed of 800 km/h with a range of 1000 km.
[edit] Specifications
- Length: 15.40 m
- Span: 18.20 m
- Height: 4.00 m
- Empty weight: 6,300 kg
- Max takeoff weight: 11,500 kg
- Max Cruising speed: 800 km/h
- Range: 1,000 km
- Engines: 2x Rolls-Royce Nene RB.Mk.41 turbojets
- Thrust: 2x 23 kN
