| Koolhoven F.K.56 | |
|---|---|
 3-views of the F.K.56 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Basic training monoplane |
| National origin | Netherlands |
| Manufacturer | Koolhoven |
| Primary user | Netherlands Army |
| Number built | 31 |
| History | |
| First flight | 30 June 1938 |
The Koolhoven F.K.56 was a 1930s Dutch basic training monoplane designed and built by Koolhoven. [1]
The F.K.56 was a low-wing monoplane powered by a 450 hp (336 kW) Wright Whirlwind R-975-E3 radial piston engine. [1] Designed as a basic trainer, the F.K.56 had two seats in tandem for the instructor and pupil under a fully enclosed canopy. [1] The first prototype flew on 30 June 1938 and had fixed conventional landing gear and a gull wing. [1] The second prototype had retractable landing gear and was powered by a 350 hp (260 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah X engine. [2] Testing showed that the aircraft was too stable for use as a training aircraft, while the gull wing was too complex for mass production. A new, un-gulled, wing, based on that of the Koolhoven F.K.58 fighter was therefore designed, which was incorporated in a third prototype, which reverted to the Whirlwind engine and was fitted with dual controls. [1] [2] The third prototype flew on 5 December 1939. [2]
Ten aircraft were ordered by the Netherlands Army based on the design of the third prototype. [1] These ten, including the re-worked first and third prototypes, were all delivered before the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940. [1]
Earlier in February 1940 the Belgians had ordered twenty F.K.56 basic trainers and seven had been delivered before the rest were destroyed in an air raid on the Waalhaven factory. [1]
Belgium 
Netherlands Data from [1]
General characteristics
Performance
