Fokker D.XXIII

Fokker · Netherlands · first flew 1939 · fighter

The Fokker D.XXIII was a Dutch experimental single-seat fighter with a radical tandem push-pull twin-engine arrangement — one engine in the nose pulling, one in the tail pushing — allowing a centreline gun installation while achieving twin-engine performance without asymmetric thrust issues. Only one prototype was completed.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	2 × piston, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	10.2 m fuselage
T — Tail	Twin fin

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Spot it by:

Unique tandem push-pull twin-engine layout with one engine in the nose, one in the tail
Twin-boom tail configuration to clear the rear pusher propeller
Single-seat fighter with armament in the nose between the two engine bays

The tandem engine arrangement — with a tractor propeller at the nose and a pusher at the tail — combined with twin tail booms makes the D.XXIII instantly unique among all fighter aircraft of any era.

Specifications

The Fokker D.XXIII has a length of 10.2 m (33 ft).
It has a wingspan of 11.5 m (38 ft).
Its maximum speed is 525 km/h (326 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Designed to meet a Dutch Air Force requirement for a high-performance interceptor, the D.XXIII first flew in May 1939. Development was cut short by the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940; the single prototype was captured incomplete and never flew operationally. It is one of the most unusual fighter configurations of its era.

Variants

Only the single prototype was built; the programme ended with the German occupation.

Where you'll see it

Never entered service; the prototype was seized by German forces in May 1940 and subsequently evaluated before being scrapped.

Related aircraft

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