Folkerts SK-2
Folkerts Aircraft · United States · first flew 1935 · light aircraft
The Folkerts SK-2 was a single-seat midget racing monoplane built by Sebastian 'Slim' Folkerts to contest the closed-course pylon races popular at American air shows during the 1930s. Its extremely small span and clean aerodynamics produced a top speed rivalling purpose-built fighters of the era.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Very short fuselage tapering to a fine point aft |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Tiny midget racer with barely 4.9 m span and streamlined enclosed cowl
- Very short fuselage tapering to a fine point aft
- Fixed spatted undercarriage with wire-braced low wing
Distinguish by the extremely short wingspan relative to fuselage length, the tightly cowled inline engine, and the spatted fixed undercarriage typical of 1930s US midget racers.
Specifications
- The Folkerts SK-2 has a length of 5.94 m (19 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 4.88 m (16 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 375 km/h (233 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Folkerts designed and built the SK-2 in the mid-1930s, competing in the National Air Races. The aircraft won the Greve Trophy in 1937, cementing its reputation as one of the fastest midget racers of the period. Its Menasco in-line engine was carefully cowled to minimise drag.
Variants
Earlier SK-1 and subsequent SK-3 variants refined the basic layout; each was essentially a one-off handbuilt racing machine.
Where you'll see it
The SK-2 was purely a competitive racing aircraft with no military or commercial application; it survives in aviation history as a benchmark of 1930s American air racing ingenuity.
Related aircraft
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