The Fokker F.IV

During Anthony Fokker’s first visit to America, he persuaded the Army Air Service to order aircraft that had yet to be built. One of these orders was for two examples of an enlarged version of the F.III.

Fokker designated this aircraft the F.IV (contractually, the F.4). It is rare for a type of which only two were built to attract so much publicity and earn such a place in history.

Both aircraft were built in Veere and shipped to America in March 1922. They were later given the military designation T-2 and registrations AS 64233 and AS64234.

After evaluation at McCook Field, the first aircraft was converted for a long-distance flight: the first nonstop flight from the west coast to the east coast of America. Despite several attempts, it did not succeed in 1922, and the aircraft returned to McCook Field.

After further test flights, the aircraft took off from Roosevelt Field, LI, New York.

On 2–3 May 1923, after 26 hours and 50 minutes in the air, it landed at Rockwell Field, San Diego, California. The flight received extensive publicity, but Fokker’s name was played down as much as possible to protect the domestic aircraft industry. The achievement was such, however, that the aircraft was given a permanent place in the National Air Museum in Washington.

The second T-2 had a less illustrious career. After some time, it was experimentally converted into an A-2 ambulance.

It was later converted back to a T-2 and used for survey flights.

Lieutenants Macready and Doolittle then proposed using the first aircraft to make a staged flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong. However, General Patrick, commander of the Army Air Service, rejected the plan. A proposal to use the second aircraft for the flight was also turned down.

It was withdrawn from service in July 1925. Despite Fokker’s repeated requests, no further orders were placed for the type.

Click the photo to enlarge it