Koolhoven F.K.56

Basic Monoplane Trainer Aircraft

Netherlands | 1938

"The Koolhoven F.K.56 basic trainer served both the Belgian and Dutch air forces prior to World War 2 - though production was very limited."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Koolhoven F.K.56 Basic Monoplane Trainer Aircraft.

1 x Wright "Whirlwind" R-975-E3 radial piston engine developing 451 horsepower.
Propulsion

186 mph
300 kph | 162 kts
Max Speed

23,950 ft
7,300 m | 5 miles
Service Ceiling

497 miles
800 km | 432 nm
Operational Range

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Koolhoven F.K.56 Basic Monoplane Trainer Aircraft.

2
(MANNED)
Crew

25.8 ft
7.85 m
O/A Length

37.7 ft
(11.50 m)
O/A Width

7.5 ft
(2.30 m)
O/A Height

2,332 lb
(1,058 kg)
Empty Weight

3,527 lb
(1,600 kg)
MTOW

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Koolhoven F.K.56 family line.

F.K.56 - Base Series Designation; 31 examples completed.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/26/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Dutch aircraft concern of N.V. Koolhoven was established in 1926 and managed for itself a healthy resume of locally-designed and -developed aircraft heading into World War 2 (1939-1945). The company' s historical reach ended after May of 1940 as the Germans steamrolled towards Paris by way of The Netherlands and Belgium. Before its end, Koolhoven was able to deliver several notable designs of which one became the "F.K.56", a modern monoplane used for basic training. Only thirty-one of the type were completed and these went on to stock the air services of both The Netherlands and Belgium.

The F.K.56 carried its crew of two in tandem under a framed, fully-enclosed canopy. The engine was mounted at the front of the fuselage in the usual way and the wing mainplanes set low along the fuselage sides. To each wing was mounted a fixed main wheeled leg with a tailwheel seated under the aft section of the aircraft. The tail unit itself was traditional, utilizing a single vertical fin with mid-mounted horizontal planes. As a basic trainer, the aircraft's designated role was in introducing future aviators to the nuances of modern flight - so no armament was fitted.

Dimensions included a length of 7.8 meters, a wingspan of 11.5 meters, and a height of 2.3 meters. Empty weight was 1,060 kilograms against a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 1,600 kg. With power served through an American Wright "Whirlwind" R-975-E3 radial piston engine of 451 horsepower, the F.K.56 managed a maximum speed of 185 miles per hour, a range out to 500 miles, and a service ceiling of 24,000 feet.

First flight of a prototype form was recorded on June 30th, 1938. A second prototype followed that had a retractable undercarriage arrangement and third followed that with a revised wing mainplane and dual-control scheme. From the latter offering, the Dutch Army contracted for ten aircraft and the Belgians followed in February of 1940 with a twenty-strong order of their own. The type was available during the German invasion in 1940 but could do little to stave off their respective country's defeat - all ten were delivered to the Dutch before its fate was sealed while the Belgians had taken on seven of their twenty ordered.

With the end of the Koolhoven facility at Waalhaven Airport - destroyed by German bombs - and the conquering of The Netherlands and Belgium, the F.K.56 was no more.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Koolhoven F.K.56. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 31 Units
Contractor(s): N.V. Koolhoven - Netherlands

[ Belgium; Netherlands ]

1 / 1

Image from the Public Domain.

Going Further...
The Koolhoven F.K.56 Basic Monoplane Trainer Aircraft appears in the following collections:

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