|
Fokker first began manufacturing planes in Germany in 1912. On 21 July 1919,
Anthony H.G. Fokker founded the "N.V. Nederlandse Vliegtuigfabriek" in Amsterdam.
To commemorate Fokker's thirty years of aircraft manufacture in the Netherlands, they were
granted the title "Royal Dutch Aircraft Manufacturer Fokker" on 21 July 1949.
Until production ended after Fokker collapsed due to financial problems on 15 March 1996,
Fokker have developed and constructed over 100 different types of aircraft, both for military
and civil aviation. Design studies for Fokker's first airliner after World War II were initiated in 1950.
In 1951 Fokker received support for this study for "Ontwerp 271" and the
next two years were spent studying a variety of different configurations
before the decision was made in favour of a twin-Dart aeroplane with
pressurised accommodation for 28 passengers and a minimum range of 483
km with a capacity payload. On 1 September 1953, the development
programme for the F-27 Friendship started. Four prototypes were to be
built, two for test flying (F-1 and F-3) and the other two for static
fatigue tests (F-2 and F-4). The first prototype (F-1) was powered by
two Rolls-Royce Dart 6 Mk.507 engines and flew first on 24 November 1955 as PH-NIV.
The second prototype (F-3), which had a 0.91 meter lengthened fuselage
and the higher-powered Rolls-Royce Dart 6 Mk.511, followed on 31 January 1957 as PH-NVF.
The first production aircraft (F-5 c/n 10105), a Fokker F-27-101 made its first flight on
23 March 1958 as PH-FAA and was h/o to Aer Lingus on 19 November 1958 as EI-AKA. Until production of the
Fokker F-27 ended in 1986 a total of 786 aircraft were built, including
206 manufactured under licence by Fairchild in the U.S.A. |
|
Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands visited the City of Groningen on 24 May 1968.
As usual on these visits the Dutch Government Friendship PH-PBF was used and flown by the Prince
himself. Fokker F-27 PH-PBF "Gerben Sonderman" entered service with the Dutch
Government on 19 May 1960. The Friendship replaced the Douglas DC-47A PH-PBA and was replaced itself in
1972 by the Fokker F-28-1000 Fellowship PH-PBX. The Fokker F27 PH-PBF was sold to NV Fokker on 16 March 1972.
The Friendship was sold to Nusantara Air Service on 17 March 1973 and registered PK-KFR in Indonesia. On 20 March 1973,
registration PH-PBF was cancelled. On 1 April 1974, Nusantara Air Service became Bali International Air Service.
On 4 November 1976, Fokker F-27 Friendship PK-KFR was written off at Banjar-Masin in Indonesia. |
