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| C.X | |
|---|---|
 Fokker C.X with inline engine | |
| General information | |
| Type | Light reconnaissance, bomber aircraft |
| National origin | Netherlands |
| Manufacturer | Fokker |
| Primary users | Royal Netherlands Air Force |
| Number built | 74 + 25 units not built in Spain |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1933 |
TheFokker C.X was a Dutchbiplanescout andlight bomber designed in 1933. It had a crew of two (a pilot and an observer).
The Fokker C.X was originally designed for theRoyal Dutch East Indies Army, in order to replace theFokker C.V. Like all Fokker aircraft of that time, it was of mixed construction, with wooden wing structures and a welded steel tube frame covered with aluminium plates at the front of the aircraft and with fabric at the rear. The prototype was built in 1934 with aRolls-Royce Kestrel V engine.
The East Indies Army ordered 13 C.Xs, but they were soon replaced in the scout/light bomber role by the AmericanMartin B-10s. Until the Japanese attack on theDutch East Indies in 1941, the C.X remained in use as a trainer andtarget tug.
TheDutch Air Force ordered 16 C.Xs, and later four more with Kestrel IIS engines. These four were later re-equipped with Kestrel V engines; the Kestrel IIS proved not very reliable.
Two C.Xs were delivered to theSpanish Republic, and four more toFinland. The Finns also license-produced 35 C.Xs until 1942. These C.Xs were equipped withBristol Pegasus XII engines.
Airspeed Ltd. inGreat Britain got a license to build C.Xs for the British market as theAirspeed AS.22, but no orders were received.[1]
During theGerman attack on the Netherlands in May 1940, the C.Xs served in their intended role as scouts and light bombers. The tactic of "hugging the ground" allowed the C.Xs to achieve some success. Two C.Xs and their crews escaped to France after the Dutch surrender.
The Finnish C.Xs served with distinction in theWinter War, theContinuation War and theLapland War. The C.X was the most important short-range reconnaissance aircraft and dive bomber of the Finnish Air Force at the outbreak of the Winter War. There were 29 of them in combat units, the "Frans-Kalle" was slow but possessed a robust airframe, making it a useful asset. The maximum dive speed was 540 km/h, which enabled it to break away from the Soviet I-153 and I-16 fighters. As hostilities continued, losses began to mount. During the Winter War 8 FKs were lost. The last of the seven Finnish C.Xs that survived the war crashed in1958. The craft, designated FK-111, served as a target-towing craft in theFinnish Air Force. The plane crashed into a forest on 21 January 1958, killing the pilot (Second Lieutenant Aimo Allinen) and the winch-operator (2nd Ltn Antti Kukkonen).
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Data from An Illustrated guide to Bombers of World War II[2]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
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