Today we’ll be taking a look at a very unique Dutch prototype fighter, the Fokker D.XXIII! With powerful guns and a good top speed, this rare bird never made it past the testing stage, but will soon be making its way to the French research tree in the next major update!
Fokker D.XXIII: A Dutch Fighter for France at Rank II |
At a glance:
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Vehicle History
The design process for the Fokker D.XXIII began in late 1937, under the name of “design 155”, with the project being directed by engineer Marius Beeling. The design was completed in December, and almost one year later in November 1938, a mock up was displayed at the Paris Air Show.
On May 30th of the following year, the Fokker D.XXIII made its first flight from Schiphol Airport with test pilot Gerben Sonderman at the controls. The aircraft was powered by a pair of Czech Walter Sagitta I SR engines, which is where the key issue with the D.XIII was identified: the cooling. The rear engine had a seemingly unfixable cooling problem which made it impossible to run at full throttle without consequences, hampering the ability of the test pilot to perform maneuvers. To add to the issue, as Germany had just invaded Czechoslovakia, support for the Walter Sagitta engines entirely ceased.
The prototype was captured by German forces after their invasion of the Netherlands, it was then shipped to Germany where it was examined and tested. On May 10th 1941, the prototype was scrapped, the engines were sent back to Czechoslovakia, and the landing gear and cockpit elements were kept in storage. The final mention of the aircraft was in Fokker’s bookkeeping in 1942, where the prototype was listed at the symbolic value of 1 Dutch Guilder, acknowledging that it once existed, but ended as a total loss.
Introducing the Fokker D.XXIII!
This strange Fokker will be making its way to the early ranks of the French aviation tree in the next major update. It’s a prototype fighter that features good maneuverability and some powerful machine guns, let’s have a gander!
The Fokker D.XXIII (or D.23) is equipped with a pair of Czechoslovakian Walter Sagitta I SR engines, in pusher and puller configuration. The engine itself is not exceptionally powerful at only 530 HP, but a pair of them working in tandem helps push the aircraft to a decent top speed for its rank of slightly over 500 km/h. The configuration does make the rear engine vulnerable however, and while it can run on one engine, it certainly can’t run effectively, so be extra careful of incoming fire from behind. Historically, the rear engine had a lot of trouble cooling effectively, so make sure to watch your throttle too!
Firepower for the rank is quite impressive, it comes equipped with a pair of F.N. 7.9 mm machine guns in the nose with 500 rounds each, along with a powerful pair of F.N. 13.2 mm machine guns in the wings with 200 rounds each. These 13.2 mm guns feature strong ammunition and a good rate of fire, an accurate burst will be able to comfortably bring down any enemy in your way.
Interesting: At the 1938 Paris Air Show where a mockup of the Fokker D.XXIII was displayed, legendary aviator Charles Lindbergh took a liking to it and praised its design qualities. He’s quoted as fondly remarking “A new formula that we have not had yet.”
In the game, this Fokker will excel in low-speed maneuvering combat, but make sure to avoid damaging its vulnerable engines, which will immediately cause this aircraft to lose speed and become easy prey!
That’s it for this blog! Thanks for having a read, we hope you’re as excited as we are to give this plane a try. Make sure to follow the news for more vehicles and features coming in the next major update, see you soon!
Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.