Koolhoven F.K.55
Koolhoven · Netherlands · first flew 1938 · fighter
The Koolhoven F.K.55 was a Dutch single-seat fighter prototype of 1938 featuring an unconventional mid-engine pusher layout with contra-rotating propellers, intended to provide an unobstructed forward field of fire.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Conventional single fuselage and single fin — no tail booms |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Engine mounted amidships behind the pilot driving contra-rotating tractor propellers in the nose via extension shaft
- Conventional single fuselage and single fin — no tail booms
- Stubby mid-set tapered wing; only one prototype flew briefly in 1938
The twin-boom layout with a pusher engine nacelle between the booms is the primary recognition feature; the single connecting fin and absence of a conventional fuselage make it unlike any contemporary Dutch design.
Specifications
- The Koolhoven F.K.55 has a length of 9.25 m (30 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.6 m (31 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 510 km/h (317 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed by the Koolhoven company in the Netherlands as an alternative to the conventional tractor layout, the F.K.55 flew for the first time on 30 June 1938 with a Hispano-Suiza engine driving twin contra-rotating pusher propellers. Handling proved acceptable but development was overtaken by events — only one aircraft was completed before Germany occupied the Netherlands in May 1940.
Variants
A single prototype was built; no production variants were produced.
Where you'll see it
The F.K.55 never entered service; it was destroyed or captured when German forces overran the Netherlands in 1940.
Related aircraft
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