Fokker versus Plesman

Fokker-Plesman

Time-Line
sources listed below.

1889 Albert Plesman
born in Holland, seventh child middle-class family

1890 Anthony Fokker
born in Dutch East India, single child wealthy family; moves to Holland in 1894

1909 Fokker moves to Germany

1911 Fokker builds de Spin

1912 first Fokker factory, Germany

Start cooperation with constructor Reinhold Platz
welding specialist

1913 German army order for Fokker

1914 WWII - Fokker becomes millionaire overnight

A transportable aircraft M8, M5.
Fokker becomes a German national (but denies this later.) Designs a sync system for machine-gun to fire through revolving propeller. Fokker makes a few front flights in German uniform.
D-I, D-IV

1917 Wooden wing construction
Swede Villehad Forsmann
Junkers-Fokker Werke AG Metalflugzeugbau [metal aircraft building]
Fokker adapts Junkers wing construction with Franz Möser.
Fokker F-I, later DR-I

1918 D-VII
most famous WWI fighter

1919 Germany capitulates

All German war material has to be turned over, with specific mention of D-VII. Flyers hide them, Fokker hides his factory inventory and stock to smuggle to Holland with six transports of 60-car trains; his money goes in style by his own private yacht.
Gets back Dutch passport.

1920     Fokker opens Amsterdam factory
Nederlandsche Vliegtuigenfabriek
Plesman starts KLM,
Royal Dutch Airlines for Holland and Colonies
Designer Bob Noorduyn becomes general manager Fokker USA

1921 Fokker sells first F-II to KLM, four-passenger cabin
and breaks contract by building them in Germany

1922 KLM gets 4-year subsidy;
Fokker exports 200 aircraft at ƒ5M.

1924 First East-India flight, Fokker F-VII
Fokker most important sponsor with ƒ15K.
After a quarrel on the design competition for a tri-motor Plesman calls Fokker Not totally responsible for his remarks

1925 Fokker builds F-VIIa tri-motor
KLM starts explosive growth
Walter Rethel heads design team; Bertus Grasé becomes head Fokker research department and test pilot.
Fokker has 3 Wright Whirlwind engines shipped to Amsterdam; according to factory director Bruno Stephan last time Fokker gave direct instructions on aircraft development.

1926 Fokker moves to the USA and becomes an American citizen.

1929 Wall Street Crash
Fokker America goes to General Motors
Amsterdam produces only 67 aircraft
KLM continues growing, an international exception.
Bob Noorduyn leaves Fokker for Bellanca Aircraft, later develops Noorduyn Norseman

1930 First KLM strike; Fokker F-IX

1931 Fokker F32, 30 passengers
F-XVIII, last model based on F-VII.
Another Fokker record: Development costs ƒ794.06, less than $500.

1932 Fokker fires Platz

1933 Boeing 247
first US commercial transport (10 passengers)

1933 Fokker F-36 32 passengers 4 engines
KLM orders Douglas DC-2
Price DC-2 $76K — F-36 ƒ120K (~$73K)

1934 KLM wins Melbourne race with DC-2 Uiver; Holland has a bad case of DC-2 hysteria
In fact, KLM lost the race but you'll never hear that from a Dutch citizen. Well, except right now, there's that. More on that here.
Fokker buys Douglas European licensing rights from DC-1 up, as well as for Lockheed products.
A national commission investigating aircraft industry finds Fokker is totally incompetent as a manager. Personnel revives as soon as he's not there. 'Nobody is satisfied with him. There is no order in the factory.' Still they mention 'his very meritorious qualities as a constructor and businessman'.
Fokker is against Melbourne or any other race; it "just serves to drum up publicity for a candy king." "No airline ever bought an airplane because it won a race."

1934 — Uiver crashes; 1935 — 2 KLM F-XXIIs crash; 2 KLM DC-2s crash in three days' time. There are no survivors. Fokker blames KLM's rigid sticking to time-tables.

1935 KLM first trans-Atlantic mail, start American operations with Fokker F-XVIII Snip

1936 Fokker designs F-56.
His last classic design (56 passengers on upper and lower decks; four-engines, span 38.5m, long 25.8m) to compete with DC-4. Announces a still larger design with pressure cabin. KLM not interested.

1939 KLM orders Douglas DC-5 and F-24
first all-metal Fokker plane; Anthony Fokker dies in Manhattan

1940-1945     KLM flies Bristol-Lisboa and West-India.
Fokker factories work for German war industry

1946 KLM orders Convair Liner, not F-24

1958 Fokker F-27 Friendship based on F-24
KLM buys three

1953 Plesman dies

1986 KLM buys ten Fokker F100 with options on five more
to phase out Douglas MD-80s.

~1995 Fokker goes bankrupt

2004 KLM taken over by Air France

Sources

De Vliegende Hollander
A.H.G. Fokker & Bruce Gould 1931, Uitg. Van Holkema en Warendorf

Vergeten Legende, Frits Koolhoven 1886-1946
Sytze van der Zee, NL 2001 - ISBN 9023470575

Dwarswind, Een biografie van Anthony Fokker
Marc Dierikx, NL 1997 - ISBN 9012084326

Fokker Verkeersvliegtuigen
René de Leeuw, NL 1989 - ISBN 9026940742

Vliegen naar de Oost, de geschiedenis van de luchtlijn Nederland-Java 1924-1935
Henk Rol, NL 1980 - ISBN 9022840085

Mijn Vader Albert Plesman
Albert Plesman, NL 1980 - ISBN 9023653742 br>
De legendarische vlucht van de Uiver, London-Melbourne oktober 1934
Wim Kroese, NL 1983 - ISBN 9061221307

Index
Tony Fokker
Albert Plesman
Melbourne Race
F-36 Arend
Sources
Time-Line
Wood or Metal?
The Great Races

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1889	Albert Plesman born in Holland, seventh child middle-class family
1890	Anthony Fokker born in Dutch East India, single child wealthy family; moves to Holland in 1894
1909	Fokker moves to Germany
1911	Fokker builds de Spin
1912	first Fokker factory, Germany
	Start cooperation with constructor Reinhold Platz welding specialist
1913	German army order for Fokker
1914	WWII - Fokker becomes millionaire overnight
	A transportable aircraft M8, M5. Fokker becomes a German national (but denies this later.) Designs a sync system for machine-gun to fire through revolving propeller. Fokker makes a few front flights in German uniform. D-I, D-IV
1917	Wooden wing construction Swede Villehad Forsmann Junkers-Fokker Werke AG Metalflugzeugbau [metal aircraft building] Fokker adapts Junkers wing construction with Franz Möser. Fokker F-I, later DR-I
1918	D-VII most famous WWI fighter
1919	Germany capitulates
	All German war material has to be turned over, with specific mention of D-VII. Flyers hide them, Fokker hides his factory inventory and stock to smuggle to Holland with six transports of 60-car trains; his money goes in style by his own private yacht. Gets back Dutch passport.
1920	Fokker opens Amsterdam factory Nederlandsche Vliegtuigenfabriek Plesman starts KLM, Royal Dutch Airlines for Holland and Colonies Designer Bob Noorduyn becomes general manager Fokker USA
1921	Fokker sells first F-II to KLM, four-passenger cabin and breaks contract by building them in Germany
1922	KLM gets 4-year subsidy; Fokker exports 200 aircraft at ƒ5M.
1924	First East-India flight, Fokker F-VII Fokker most important sponsor with ƒ15K. After a quarrel on the design competition for a tri-motor Plesman calls Fokker Not totally responsible for his remarks
1925	Fokker builds F-VIIa tri-motor KLM starts explosive growth Walter Rethel heads design team; Bertus Grasé becomes head Fokker research department and test pilot. Fokker has 3 Wright Whirlwind engines shipped to Amsterdam; according to factory director Bruno Stephan last time Fokker gave direct instructions on aircraft development.
1926	Fokker moves to the USA and becomes an American citizen.
1929	Wall Street Crash Fokker America goes to General Motors Amsterdam produces only 67 aircraft KLM continues growing, an international exception. Bob Noorduyn leaves Fokker for Bellanca Aircraft, later develops Noorduyn Norseman
1930	First KLM strike; Fokker F-IX
1931	Fokker F32, 30 passengers F-XVIII, last model based on F-VII. Another Fokker record: Development costs ƒ794.06, less than $500.
1932	Fokker fires Platz
1933	Boeing 247 first US commercial transport (10 passengers)
1933	Fokker F-36 32 passengers 4 engines KLM orders Douglas DC-2 Price DC-2 $76K — F-36 ƒ120K (~$73K)
1934	KLM wins Melbourne race with DC-2 Uiver; Holland has a bad case of DC-2 hysteria In fact, KLM lost the race but you'll never hear that from a Dutch citizen. Well, except right now, there's that. More on that here. Fokker buys Douglas European licensing rights from DC-1 up, as well as for Lockheed products. A national commission investigating aircraft industry finds Fokker is totally incompetent as a manager. Personnel revives as soon as he's not there. 'Nobody is satisfied with him. There is no order in the factory.' Still they mention 'his very meritorious qualities as a constructor and businessman'. Fokker is against Melbourne or any other race; it "just serves to drum up publicity for a candy king." "No airline ever bought an airplane because it won a race."
	1934 — Uiver crashes; 1935 — 2 KLM F-XXIIs crash; 2 KLM DC-2s crash in three days' time. There are no survivors. Fokker blames KLM's rigid sticking to time-tables.
1935	KLM first trans-Atlantic mail, start American operations with Fokker F-XVIII Snip
1936	Fokker designs F-56. His last classic design (56 passengers on upper and lower decks; four-engines, span 38.5m, long 25.8m) to compete with DC-4. Announces a still larger design with pressure cabin. KLM not interested.
1939	KLM orders Douglas DC-5 and F-24 first all-metal Fokker plane; Anthony Fokker dies in Manhattan
1940-1945	KLM flies Bristol-Lisboa and West-India. Fokker factories work for German war industry
1946	KLM orders Convair Liner, not F-24
1958	Fokker F-27 Friendship based on F-24 KLM buys three
1953	Plesman dies
1986	KLM buys ten Fokker F100 with options on five more to phase out Douglas MD-80s.
~1995	Fokker goes bankrupt
2004	KLM taken over by Air France