User:Ennobee/Koolhoven (designer)

Frederik 'Frits' Koolhoven (1886 - 1955) was a automobile engineer, aircraft engineer and aircraft manufacturer from the Netherlands. After studying engineering in Belgium, he worked as a technical engineer for the Belgian car manufacturer Minerva before (in 1910) returning to his native Netherlands to build airplanes. World war I found him in the United Kingdom, working for the aircraft branch of Armstrong, Whitworth & Co, then for B.A.T. After the postwar collapse of B.A.T. he moved back to the Netherlands and briefly worked as an engineer for car manufacturer Spijker, before becoming chief designer for an aircraft company called NVI (1922-1925). In 1926 he started his own aircraft factory N.V. Koolhoven Vliegtuigen. which he successfully continued to expand up to may 1940, when his factory was destroyed in a German air raid on the first day of the Blitzkrieg.

Frederick Koolhoven died of a stroke, July 1, 1946.

Although as a designer and manufacturer Fritz Koolhoven will always be overshadowed by his more successful countryman Anthony Fokker, he can safely claim his place in aviation history as 'the other Dutch constructor'. If not for his many innovative designs, then surely for his A.K.3 - A.K.8 series.

Nederlandse Maatschalppij voor Luchtvaart (1910-1912)

 * Heidevogel (Heather bird) open-frame pusher biplane reminiscent of contemporary Farman designs

Armstrong Withword (1914-1917)

 * Armstrong Whitworth Queen Anne single-seat biplane, 1914
 * Armstrong Whitworth A.K.3 "Littke Ack" compact biplane fighter plane and racer, 1915
 * Armstrong Whitworth A.K.8 "Big Ack" compact biplane fighter plane and racer, 1916
 * Armstrong Whitworth A.K.9 Prototype for the F.K.10
 * Armstrong Whitworth A.K.10 quadruplane single-engine two-seat fighter, 1916
 * Armstrong Whitworth A.K.11 15-winged single-engine two-seat fighter. unclear if ever built or ever flown.

British Aerial Transport Company (B.A.T) (1917-1920)

 * BAT F.K.22 Single-engine single-seat fighter aircraft, prototype for F.K.23 1917
 * BAT F.K.23 'Bantam' Single-engine single-seat fighter,1918
 * BAT F.K.24 'Baboon' Single-engine biplane training aircraft,1918
 * BAT F.K.25 'Basilisk' Single-engined single-seat fighter aircraft,1918
 * BAT F.K.26 'Limousine' Single-engine four-passenger biplane transport aircraft. Claimed to be the first purpose-built commercial airliner, 1919
 * BAT F.K.28 'Crow' Single-engine single-seat ultralight aircraft,1920

Nederlandse Vliegtuigindustrie (NVI) (1921-1925)

 * Koolhoven F.K.23a more powerful version of the BAT, 2 built, 1921-24
 * Koolhoven F.K.29 light biplane transport for pilot and 2 passengers, 1 prototype only, 1921
 * Koolhoven F.K.30 "Toerist" (Tourist) Light high-wing sports monoplane with pusher engine 1 built, 1921
 * Koolhoven F.K.31 parasol monoplane fighter, 2 prototypes, 1 licence-built, 1923-1924
 * Koolhoven F.K.32 biplane military trainer, prototype only,1925
 * Koolhoven F.K.33 three-engined 10-passenger commercial high-wing monoplane, One built and sold to KLM, 1925
 * Koolhoven F.K.34 Developement of the F.K.31 as a 3-seat floatplane. Developement halted when the float structure on the prototype collapsed, 1925
 * Koolhoven F.K.35 seaplane scout and fighter, available as low-wing monoplane or biplane, 1926

N.V.Koolhoven (1926-1939)

 * Koolhoven F.K.30 "Toerist" design taken over from NVI, no orders 1927
 * Koolhoven F.K.35 seaplane scout and fighter, continuation of the NVI project, project only, no orders, 1926
 * Koolhoven F.K.36 larger biplane version of the F.K.35, project only, no orders, 1926
 * Koolhoven F.K.37 Design for a 3-engined airliner for the KLM (not built)
 * Koolhoven F.K.39 Various design studies for a moonoplane two-seat fighter (not built)
 * Koolhoven F.K.40 Airliner for 4 or 5 passengers, 1 built, 1928
 * Koolhoven F.K.41, high-wing monoplane cabin "sport coupe", 7 built by Koolhoven, 41 more in licnence by Desoutter in England
 * Koolhoven F.K.42 High-wing open cockpit Private plane, One built and used by Koolhoven as his own sportsplane 1929
 * Koolhoven F.K.43 Three passenger cabin sportsplane/air taxi resemblant of the F.K.41, 12 built and used by KLM 1930 7 more (Foolhoven) built by Fokker after the war.
 * Koolhoven F.K.44 "Koolmees" (tomtit) Private plane resemblant of the F.K.41/F.K.43. 2 ordered 1 actually sold
 * Koolhoven F.K.45 biplane Aerobatic plane, 1 built, 1931
 * Koolhoven F.K.46 biplane trainer, 1930
 * Koolhoven F.K.47 biplane private plane/trainer, 1933
 * Koolhoven F.K.48 six passenger twin-engined airliner used by the KLM, 1934
 * Koolhoven F.K.49 twin-engine Photo- and cartography aircraft, purpose built for the Dutch air force 1935
 * Koolhoven F.K.49A Multi purpose aircraft, 1937
 * Koolhoven F.K.50 eight passenger twin-engined airliner, a more powerful F.K.48, used by Alpair 1935
 * Koolhoven F.K.51 Military biplane trainer with open seating, 1935
 * Koolhoven F.K.52 two-seat biplane scout and fighter with enclosed cabin, 1936
 * Koolhoven F.K.53 "Junior" low/mid wing light touring plane, 1936
 * Koolhoven F.K.55 high-wing monoplane cabin "Executive plane" with retractable gear, 1937
 * Koolhoven F.K.55 Twin-engined experimental high performance fighter, 1936
 * Koolhoven F.K.56 Low-wing monoplane two-seat advanced trainer and scout, 1937
 * Koolhoven F.K.57 Twin-engined low-wing executive plane, 1938
 * Koolhoven F.K.58 Modern monoplane high performance fighter, 1938
 * Koolhoven F.K.59 Multi-purpose development of the F.K.52, no information available whether built, last Koolhoven design, 1940

Legacy
Founded in 1989 by aviation enthusiast Jan den Das, aviation historian Theo Wesselink and technical curator Harry van der Meer, the Koolhoven Aeroplanes Foundation tries to keep the legacy of Frits Koolhoven's aircraft alive by restoring or rebuilding some of his most famous aircraft. Its highlight is the restoration of the only remaining FK-21 BAT Bantam, a Koolhoven design. Its site also has the most complete list of all Koolhoven designs.