Fokker S.III

Fokker · Netherlands · first flew 1922 · light aircraft

The Fokker S.III was a Dutch two-seat primary trainer biplane of the 1920s, with pilot and instructor seated in tandem open cockpits. It served mainly with the Netherlands naval air service.

Recognition (WEFT)

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

• Two-seat biplane with pilot and instructor in tandem open cockpits
• Single-bay staggered wings of unequal span
• Single nose-mounted Hispano-Suiza 8 V-8 engine

A conventional biplane trainer with staggered, single-bay wings of unequal span, tandem open cockpits and a fixed undercarriage.

Specifications

• The Fokker S.III has a length of 8.03 m (26 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 10.67 m (35 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 217 km/h (135 mph).
• Typical crew: 2.

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

History

Fokker built the S.III as its third trainer, and it first flew on 12 December 1922. The Dutch naval air service ordered six in 1923 and twelve more later that year. Denmark bought two, and a single example was imported into the United States by Fokker's subsidiary Atlantic Aircraft in 1927.

Variants

The S.III was the two-seat primary trainer version. The S-3 was the single aircraft imported into the United States, later used by Wright as an engine testbed until broken up in 1929.

Where you'll see it

The Dutch naval air service flew the type until the end of 1938, and nine were still on hand in May 1940. Two served with the Danish air service until 1927.

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