View source for Fokker F.VII

{{Short description|Transport aircraft family by Fokker}}
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{{Infobox aircraft
 |name = F.VII
 |image = File:Trójsilnikowy samolot pasażerski typu "Fokker" (1-G-1706).jpg
 |caption = The improved, three-engine F.VIIB-3m was the most numerous and successful type in the aircraft series; seen here in service with [[LOT Polish Airlines|''Linie Lotnicze LOT'']] on the [[Warsaw]]-[[Bucharest]] route.
 |type = Passenger & military transport
 |manufacturer =[[Fokker]]
 |designer =Walter Rethel
 |first_flight = 24 November 1924 
 |introduction = 1925
 |retired = 
 |status = Retired
 |primary_user = [[SABENA]]
 |more_users = [[KLM]]<br/>[[Polish Air Force]]<br/>''[[LOT Polish Airlines|Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT]]''
 |produced = 1925-1932
 |number_built =
 |unit cost =
 |developed_from = [[Fokker F.V]]
 |variants = [[Fokker F-10]]
}}

The '''Fokker F.VII''', also known as the '''Fokker Trimotor''', was an [[airliner]] produced in the 1920s by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer [[Fokker]], Fokker's American subsidiary [[Atlantic Aircraft|Atlantic Aircraft Corporation]], and several other companies under license. It was an airliner that could carry 6-12 people, depending on the version, and it used a variety of engines and engine configurations; while the first versions had a single nose engine, most were produced with three engines.

The F.VII was an important airliner in the 1920s and 1930s; made in several versions, it was used for record breaking flights. An enlarged variant of the F.VII, the [[Fokker F-10|F-10]], was involved in a [[1931 Transcontinental & Western Air Fokker F-10 crash|famous aviation accident in 1931]], leading to safety reforms in the USA. It was also used for an attempt to reach the North Pole, although there was a debate if it did reach all the way there: the aircraft was at least flown in arctic conditions in this attempt. Less controversially, it was flown in the first flight across the Pacific from Australia to the United States, and earlier it was used in flight from the United States to Hawaii.

In the 1930s, the aircraft began to fall out of favor as newer designs that were larger, faster, and more streamlined entered service. Some major variations on this design included the Fokker F-10, which was bit bigger and could carry four additional passengers, and the [[Fokker F.VIII]], which omitted the central engine thus becoming a twin-engined aircraft. The Fokker F.VII was also produced by licensees outside the Netherlands including SABCA, Avia, Avro, and others.

==Design and development==
[[File:Het prototype van de Fokker F.VII op Schiphol (2161 026547).jpg|thumb|left|F.VII prototype at Schiphol airport.]]
[[File:Cutaway of Napier Lion engine in Fokker F.VII H-NFOKKER (7585231968).jpg|thumb|The Napier Lion engine exposed in the nose of a F.VII]]

The F.VII was designed as a single-engined transport aircraft by [[Walter Rethel]]. Five examples of this model were built for the Dutch airline KLM. One of these aircraft, registered H-NACC, was used in 1924 for the first flight from the Netherlands to the Dutch East Indies. In 1925, while living in the US, [[Anthony Fokker]] heard of the inaugural [[Ford National Reliability Air Tour|Ford Reliability Tour]], which was proposed as a competition for transport aircraft. Fokker had the company's head designer, [[Reinhold Platz]], convert a single-engine F.VIIA airliner to a [[trimotor]] configuration, powered by {{cvt|200|hp}} [[Wright Whirlwind]] radial engines. The resulting aircraft was designated the Fokker F.VIIA-3m. Following shipment to the US, it won the Ford Reliability Tour in late 1925. The Trimotor's structure consisted of a fabric-covered steel-tube fuselage and a plywood-skinned wooden wing.<ref>{{cite book | last = Thurston | first = David B. | title = The World's Most Significant and Magnificent Aircraft: Evolution of the Modern Airplane | publisher = SAE | year = 2000 | pages = 127–128 | isbn = 978-0-7680-0537-0 }}</ref>

The Fokker F.VIIB-3m had a slightly increased wing area over the F.VIIA-3m, with power increased to {{cvt|220|hp}} per engine, while the [[Fokker F.10|F.10]] was slightly enlarged, carrying 12 passengers in an enclosed cabin. The aircraft became popularly known as the '''Fokker Trimotor'''.<ref>[http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/FokkF_VII.htm "Fokker F-VII."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070324093723/http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/FokkF_VII.htm |date=2007-03-24 }} ''Aeronautics Learning Laboratory.'' Retrieved: 20 December 2010.</ref>

The [[Fokker F.VIII]] (F.8) was similar, but a twin engine configuration rather than a trimotor, and it was bigger. The [[Fokker F.IX]] (F-9) had a similar configuration to the F.VII, but it was quite a bit larger and carried 20 passengers.

==Operational history==
[[File:Trójsilnikowy samolot pasażerski "Fokker" F.VIIB-3m (1-G-1710).jpg|thumb|left|upright|Seating arrangement in the 8-passenger F.VIIB-3m]]
[[File:Southern cross.jpg|thumb|The ''[[Southern Cross (aircraft)|Southern Cross]]'' in 1943.]]
[[File:Ad Astra Aero - Fokker F-VII-B 3-m (CH190).jpg|thumb|Fokker F.VIIB-3m (CH-190) operated by [[Ad Astra Aero]]]]
[[File:Fokker FVIIa3m wiki.jpg|thumb|The ''Josephine Ford'' at [[The Henry Ford]] museum]]
The eight- to 12-passenger Fokker was the aircraft of choice for many early airlines, both in Europe and the Americas, and it dominated the American market in the late 1920s. However, the popularity of the Fokker quickly waned after the [[1931 Transcontinental & Western Air Fokker F-10 crash|1931 crash of a Transcontinental & Western Air Fokker F.10]], which resulted in the death of [[University of Notre Dame|Notre Dame]] [[American football|football]] coach [[Knute Rockne]]. The investigation revealed problems with the Fokker's [[plywood]]-[[laminate]] construction, resulting in a temporary ban from commercial flights, more stringent maintenance requirements, and a shift to all-metal aircraft such as the similar [[Ford Trimotor]] and later [[Boeing 247]] and [[Douglas DC-2]].<ref>Mola, Roger. [http://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Government_Role/accident_invest/POL17.htm "Centennial of Flight information on the Fokker crash investigation."] ''centennialofflight.net,'' 2003. Retrieved: 20 December 2010.</ref>

===Pioneers and explorers===
The F.VII was used by many explorers and aviation pioneers, including:
* [[Richard E. Byrd]] claimed to have flown over the [[North Pole]] in the Fokker F.VIIA-3m ''[[Josephine Ford (aircraft)|Josephine Ford]]'' (N267) on 9 May 1926, a few days before [[Roald Amundsen]] accomplished the feat in the [[airship]] ''[[Norge (airship)|Norge]]''.<ref name="famfok">Baaker, Leo. [http://www.leob.nl/chrono.htm "Famous Fokker Flights."] ''tiscali.nl.''Retrieved: 20 December 2010.</ref>
* [[Lester Maitland]] and [[Albert Hegenberger]], two lieutenants of the [[United States Army Air Corps]], made the first transpacific flight from the continental [[United States]] to [[Hawaii]] (c. 2,400&nbsp;mi/3,862&nbsp;km) in the Atlantic-Fokker C-2 ''[[Bird of Paradise (aircraft)|Bird of Paradise]]'' on 28–29 June 1927.<ref name="famfok" /> 
* Richard E. Byrd, [[Bernt Balchen]] and two others flew the first official [[transatlantic flight|transatlantic]] [[airmail]] in the civilian-owned C-2 ''[[America (airplane)|America]]'' (NX206), crash-landing off the coast of [[France]] on 1 July 1927.<ref>[http://www.check-six.com/Crash_Sites/America-NX206.htm "The Trans-Atlantic Flight of the 'America'."] ''check-six.com,'' 19 October 2010. Retrieved: 20 December 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/65208 |title=Accident Fokker F.VIIb/3m NX206 |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=12 July 2020}}</ref>
* [[Lieutenant Colonel]] [[Frederick F. Minchin|'Dan' Minchin]], [[Captain (land)|Captain]] [[Leslie Hamilton]] and [[Princess Anne of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg]] attempted on 31 August 1927 to become the first aviators to cross the Atlantic from east to west using a Fokker F.VIIa named ''[[St. Raphael (aircraft)|St. Raphael]]'' (G-EBTQ). Their fate remains unknown.<ref name=EBTQ>{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/59882 |title=Accident Fokker F.VIIa G-EBTQ |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=12 July 2020}}</ref>
* [[James DeWitt Hill]] and [[Lloyd W. Bertaud]] made a failed attempt to fly from [[Old Orchard Beach, Maine]], to Rome in the F.VIIA ''[[Old Glory (aircraft)|Old Glory]]'' (NX703) on 6 September 1927, but they and the aircraft were lost in the North Atlantic the following day.<ref name=NX703>{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/59971 |title=Accident Fokker F.VIIa NX703 |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=12 July 2020}}</ref>
* Sir [[Charles Kingsford Smith]]'s F.VIIB-3m ''[[Southern Cross (aircraft)|Southern Cross]]'' was the first aircraft to cross the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]] from the United States to [[Australia]] in June 1928, and the first to cross the [[Tasman Sea]], flying from Australia to [[New Zealand]] and back in September of that year.<ref>{{cite web |last=Naughton |first=Russell |url=http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/k-smith.html |title=The Pioneers - Charles Kingsford Smith |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210200214/http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/k-smith.html |archive-date=2010-02-10 |website=Monash University Centre for Telecommunications and Information Engineering (CTIE) |accessdate=31 March 2021}}</ref>
* [[Amelia Earhart]] became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic on 17 June 1928, as a passenger aboard the Fokker F.VIIB-3m ''Friendship'' (NX4204).<ref name="famfok" />
* A group of [[United States Army Air Corps|U. S. Army Air Corps]] flyers, led by then-[[Major (rank)|Major]] [[Carl Andrew Spaatz|Carl Spaatz]], set an endurance record of over 150 hours with the [[Question Mark (airplane)|''Question Mark'']], a Fokker C-2A over Los Angeles on 1 to 7 January 1929. The purpose of this mission was to set a flight endurance record using [[aerial refueling]].<ref>[https://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/PopTopics/refueling.htm "Question Mark."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051109002155/https://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/PopTopics/refueling.htm |date=2005-11-09 }} ''USAF Historical Studies Office''. Retrieved: 20 December 2010.</ref>
* [[Princess Xenia (aircraft)|''Princess Xenia'']] (a FVII, registered G-EBTS later renamed 'The Spider') 
** 2 September 1928, [[C. D. Barnard|C D Barnard]] and Eric Alliot flew [[Karachi]] to London 5,000 miles in 4.5 days
** 2-8 August 1929 C D Barnard, Bob Little and [[Mary Russell, Duchess of Bedford]] flew to Karachi and back; 10,000 miles in eight days.<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1929/1929-1%20-%200777.html ''Flight'' 15 August 1929], flightglobal.com</ref>
** 10 April 1930, C D Barnard, Bob Little and the Duchess of Bedford flew from Lympne to Cape Town - 9,000 miles in 91 hours and twenty minutes over 10 days.<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1930/untitled0%20-%200476.html ''Flight'' 25 April 1930], flightglobal.com</ref><ref>Jones, D. (1971) ''The Time Shrinkers: the Development of Civil Aviation between Britain and Africa''. Rendel. pp. 142–152.</ref>

==Variants==
[[File:Fokker F.VII met Napier Lion motor (2161 026581).jpg|thumb|right|The F.VII with a single inline Napier Lion engine.]]
[[File:Fokker F.VII van de KLM (2161 026586).jpg|thumb|F.VII retrofitted with a [[Bristol Jupiter]] radial engine in KLM livery.]]
[[File:Fokker F.VIIa van de CIDNA (2161 026595).jpg|thumb|right|The French-registered F.VIIA flown for CIDNA (''Compagnie Internationale de Navigation Aérienne'').]]
[[File:Franz Schell Album Image (33484539474).jpg|thumb|''America'' before its journey across the Atlantic, which was a Civilian C-2 version]]

;F.VII: Single-engined transport aircraft, powered by {{convert|360|hp|kW|abbr=on}} [[Rolls-Royce Eagle]] or {{convert|450|hp|kW|abbr=on}} [[Napier Lion]] 12-cylinder inline engines, accommodation for two crew and six passengers; five built. One converted to use {{convert|400|hp|kW|abbr=on}} [[Bristol Jupiter]] 9-cylinder radial and two to use {{convert|480|hp|kW|abbr=on}} Gnome-Rhône built Jupiter VI engine.<ref name="strp466-7">Stroud 1966, pp. 466–467.</ref>
;F.VIIA (F.VIIA-1m): Single-engined transport aircraft; the capacity was increased to carry 8 passengers and the aircraft received a new, simplified undercarriage with suspension and aerodynamic improvements (the ailerons were contained within the profile of the wing and capped by rounded wing tips, the aircraft was equipped with an adjustable stabilizer). Flown on 12 March 1925. First aircraft had a {{convert|420|hp|abbr=on}} V-12 [[Liberty L-12|Packard Liberty]] engine, but a further 39 F.VIIA examples had mostly Bristol Jupiter or [[Pratt & Whitney Wasp]] radial engines.
;F.VIIA-3m: The result of an attempt to improve the reliability of the aircraft by installing two additional underwing engines; flown on 4 September 1925. The first two aircraft were otherwise identical to the F.VIIA. From the third aircraft, the fuselage was 31&nbsp;in (80&nbsp;cm) longer and was powered by 200&nbsp;hp (149&nbsp;kW) [[Wright R-790 Whirlwind|Wright J-4 Whirlwind]] radial engines. Probably only 18 were built, while many F.VIIA were upgraded to the F.VIIA-3m standard.
;F.VIIB-3m: Main production variant with heavier engines (offered were the {{convert|300|hp|kW|abbr=on}} Wright Whirlwind, [[Armstrong Siddeley Lynx]] or {{convert|360|hp|kW|abbr=on}} [[Gnome-Rhône 7K|Titan Major]] radial engines) as well as a greater wing span and modified wing geometry; 154 built, including those built under licence.
;F-9: American-built version of the Fokker F.VIIB-3m; built by the [[Atlantic Aircraft|Atlantic Aircraft Corporation]] in the United States.
;[[Fokker F-10|F-10]]: Enlarged version of the Fokker F.VII airliner, able to carry up to 12 passengers; built by the Atlantic Aircraft Corporation in the United States.
[[File:Fokker C-2 090713-F-1234K-067.jpg|thumb|right|A C-2 of the United States Army]]
;C-2: Military transport version of the Fokker F.9, powered by three 220&nbsp;hp (164&nbsp;kW) Wright J-5 radial piston engines, accommodation for two pilots and ten passengers; three built in 1926 for the [[United States Army Air Corps|US Army Air Corps]].
;C-2A: Military transport version for the US Army Air Corps, with greater wingspan, powered by three 220&nbsp;hp (164&nbsp;kW) Wright J-5 radial piston engines, accommodation for two pilots and ten passengers; eight built in 1928.
;XC-7: One C-2A fitted with three 330&nbsp;hp (246&nbsp;kW) Wright J-6-9 radial piston engines. Re-designated C-7 when four C-2A examples were similarly reconfigured.
;C-7: Military transport conversion of C-2A for the US Army Air Corps by re-engining with 300&nbsp;hp (220&nbsp;kW) Wright R-975 engines. XC-7 prototype and four C-2As re-designated in 1931. 
;C-7A: Six new production C-7 (Wright R-975) aircraft with larger wings, new vertical fin design, and fuselages patterned after the commercial [[Fokker F.10|F.10A]].
;XLB-2: Experimental light bomber version of the C-7, powered by three 410&nbsp;hp (306&nbsp;kW) [[Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp|Pratt & Whitney R-1380 Wasp]] radial piston engines; one built.
;TA-1: Military transport version for the US Navy and Marine Corps; three built.
;TA-2: Military transport version for the US Navy; three built.
;TA-3: Military transport version for the US Navy, powered by three Wright J-6 radial piston engines; one built.
;RA-1: Re-designation of the TA-1.
;RA-2: Re-designation of the TA-2.
;RA-3: Re-designation of the TA-3.

===Licensed versions===
[[File:New England Airways Avro X.jpg|thumb|Avro 618 Ten]]
*[[SABCA]], 29 aircraft built.
*[[Avia Motors|Avia]], 18 aircraft built.
* Three aircraft built in Italy as the IMAM Ro.10, powered by three 215&nbsp;hp Alfa Romeo Lynx (licence built Armstrong Siddeley) engines. Three built for operation by [[Avio Linee Italiane]] and [[Ala Littoria]].
*[[Plage i Laśkiewicz]]. Between 1929 and 1930, produced 11 examples of F.VIIB-3m, plus 20 of its own F.VIIB-3m bomber version (developed by [[Jerzy Rudlicki]]).
* Three aircraft built in Spain.
*[[Avro]], 14 aircraft known as [[Avro 618 Ten]] used Armstrong Siddeley Lynx engines

==Operators==

===Civilian operators===
[[File:DonThomasPosters13 (19291814749).jpg|thumb|Historical poster with stylized Fokker F.VII for the Belgian airline SABENA]]
;{{BEL}}
*[[SABENA]] operated 28 aircraft.
;{{DNK}}
*''[[Det Danske Luftfartselskab]]'' operated three F.VIIA aircraft.
;{{FRA}}
*[[CIDNA]] operated seven F.VIIA aircraft.
*[[Air Orient]] operated eight F.VIIB aircraft.
*[[Société de Transport Aérien Rapide|STAR]] operated one F.VIIA aircraft.
;{{flag|Italy|1861}}
*[[Avio Linee Italiane]]
*[[Ala Littoria]]
;{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Hungary (1920–46)}}
*[[Malert]] operated two F.VIIA aircraft.
;{{flag|Manchukuo}}
*2 F.VIIB-3ms operated by the [[Manchuria Aviation Company]]
;{{NLD}}
*[[KLM]] received all five F.VII aircraft and 15 F.VIIA.
[[File:Dziesięcioosobowy samolot komunikacyjny typu "Fokker F VII A" (1-G-1704).jpg|thumb|right|F.VIIA of Polish carrier LOT powered by a [[Lorraine 12E Courlis|Lorraine-Dietrich 12Eb]] engine<ref>{{cite web |title=Fokker F.VII. 1928 |date=10 June 2020 |first=Karol Placha  |last=Hetman |website=Polot.net |access-date=23 December 2024 |url=https://polot.net/en/fokker-f-vii-1928-836}}</ref> built by Polish Skoda Works (PZS)<ref>{{cite web |website=Aerospace Engines A to Z |title=Polish Skoda Works |url=https://aeroenginesaz.com/en/brand_polish-skoda-works |date=9 July 2021 |access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref> ]]
;{{POL}}
*[[Aero (Polish airline)|Aero]] operated six F.VIIA aircraft for a short period in 1928. Since 1 January 1929, all aircraft were handed over to PLL LOT airline.
*[[LOT Polish Airlines|''Polskie Linie Lotnicze'' LOT]] operated six F.VIIA and 13 locally license-built F.VIIB-3m between 1929 and 1939.
;{{POR}}
*[[Aero Portuguesa]] operated one F.VIIB-3m aircraft.
;{{ROU}}
*[[CFRNA]]
[[File:Fokker F.VIIb-3m van de Spaanse maatschappij CLASSA (2161 026619).jpg|thumb|right|Fokker F.VIIB-3m of Spanish state-owned airline [[CLASSA]].]]
;{{ESP}}
*[[CLASSA]]
*[[LAPE]]
;{{SUI}}
*[[Ad Astra Aero]] at least one F.VIIB-3m
*[[Swissair]] operated one F.VIIA and eight F.VIIB-3m aircraft.
[[File:Fokker F.VIIb-3m van Pan American Airways (2161 026657).jpg|thumb|right|Pan Am Fokker F.VIIB-3m]]
;{{flag|United States|1912}}
*American Airways, which later became [[American Airlines]].
*[[TWA]]
*[[Pan Am]] operated F.VIIB-3m aircraft.

===Military operators===
;{{BEL}}
*[[Belgian Air Force]]
;{{flag|Belgian Congo}}
*[[Force Publique]]
;{{flag|Independent State of Croatia}}
*''[[Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia|Zrakoplovstvo Nezavisne Države Hrvatske]]''
;{{CZS}}
*[[Czechoslovak Air Force]]
;{{ETH}}
*[[Ethiopian Air Force]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Borja |first1=Elizabeth |title=The Dream of Abyssinia: Two Black Aviators and Ethiopia |url=http://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/dream-abyssinia-two-black-aviators-and-ethiopia |website=National Air and Space Museum |access-date=3 March 2021 |date=27 February 2021}}</ref>
;{{FIN}}
*[[Finnish Air Force]] operated one F.VIIA.
;{{FRA}}
*[[French Air Force]] - five F.VIIA-3m and two F.VIIB-3m aircraft, impressed into military service in 1939/1940.
;{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Hungary (1920–46)}}
*[[Royal Hungarian Air Force]]
;{{flag|Italy|1861}}
*[[Regia Aeronautica]]
[[File:Fokker F.VIIA-3m-M Luchtvaartafdeeling (2157 052731b).jpg|thumb|right|Dutch bomber variant based on the F.VIIA-3m with bomb racks visible and large floodlights for landing in poor visibility; designated F.VIIA-3m/M.]]
;{{NLD}}
*[[Royal Netherlands Air Force]] received three bomber aircraft modified from the standard F.VIIA-3m and designated '''F.VIIA-3m/M'''.
;{{POL}}
*[[Polish Air Force]] operated 21 F.VIIB-3m (20 of them were licence-built) aircraft as bombers and transports between 1929 and 1939.
**[[1 Pułk Lotniczy|1 ''Pułk Lotniczy'']]
***[[211 Eskadra Bombowa|211 ''Eskadra Bombowa'']]
***[[212 Eskadra Bombowa|212 ''Eskadra Bombowa'']]
***[[213 Eskadra Bombowa|213 ''Eskadra Bombowa'']]
;{{flag|Spanish Republic|1928}}
* [[Spanish Republican Air Force]], operated four aircraft in the squadron of the [[Spanish Sahara|Sahara]] and other two in [[Madrid]].
[[File:Fokker C-2A van de U.S. Army Air Corps (2161 026667).jpg|thumb|right|The slightly enlarged Fokker C-2A flown by the US Army Air Corps.]]
;{{flag|United States|1912}}
*[[United States Army Air Corps]] designations include Atlantic-Fokker '''C-2''', '''C-5''' and '''C-7'''.<ref>Baugher, Joe. [http://www.joebaugher.com/ustransports/cdesig.html "Cargo Aircraft Designations."] ''US transports,'' 11 August 2007. Retrieved: 20 December 2010.</ref>
*[[United States Navy]] and [[United States Marine Corps]], originally designated '''TA''' then '''RA'''<ref>Painter, K.M.  [https://books.google.com/books?id=0N8DAAAAMBAJ&dq=Junkers+stratosphere&pg=PA762 "Help From The Skies."] ''Popular Mechanics,'' November 1929.</ref>
;{{flag|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}}
*[[Yugoslav Royal Air Force]]

==Accidents and incidents==
*On 21 June 1926, a [[KLM]] F.VII (H-NACL) force-landed at [[Seabrook, Kent|Seabrook Beach]], [[Sandgate, Kent|Sandgate]] near Hythe, Kent, due to fuel exhaustion caused by pilot error; all five on board survived, but the aircraft was written off.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/25163 |title=Incident Fokker F.VII H-NACL |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=12 July 2020}}</ref>
*On 9 July 1926, a KLM F.VII (H-NACC) struck ground in fog at [[Wolvertem]], Belgium, killing both pilots.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/34286 |title=Accident Fokker F.VII H-NACC |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=12 July 2020}}</ref>
*On 8 June 1927, a Fokker/Atlantic F.VIIB-3m (NC55) of [[Colonial Air Transport]] crashed on landing at [[Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey]]; no casualties.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/121427 |title=Incident Fokker/Atlantic F.VIIb/3m NC55 |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=13 July 2020}}</ref>
*At 9:44pm on 31 August 1927, the oil tanker [[SS Josiah Macy]] reported the last known sighting of F.VIIA ''[[St. Raphael (aircraft)|St. Raphael]]'' (G-EBTQ) on a trans-Atlantic attempt from [[RAF Upavon]], England to [[Ottawa|Ottawa, Ontario]], Canada, piloted by [[Leslie Hamilton]] and [[Frederick F. Minchin]], with [[Princess Anne of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg]] as passenger.<ref name=EBTQ/>
[[File:Fokker F.VIIa Old Glory (8091733677).jpg|thumb|''Old Glory'' was used for an attempted transatlantic flight in 1927, but it was lost en route]]
*On 7 September 1927, F.VIIA ''[[Old Glory (aircraft)|Old Glory]]'' (NX703) disappeared with [[Lloyd W. Bertaud]] and [[J. D. Hill]] at the controls, in an attempted transatlantic flight from [[Old Orchard Beach]], [[Maine]] to [[Rome]], Italy. The flight's last known location was in the [[North Atlantic]], 960&nbsp;km East of [[Cape Race]], [[Newfoundland]].<ref name=NX703/>
*On 17 September 1927, a Reynolds Airways F.VII (''C776'') crashed at [[Dunellen, New Jersey]], due to loss of control following engine failure, killing seven of 12 on board. The aircraft was formerly operated by KLM, and had been imported to the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/34272 |title=Accident Fokker F.VII C776 |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=12 July 2020}}</ref>
*On 4 July 1928, Belgian financier [[Alfred Lowenstein]] disappeared during a flight over the [[English Channel]] as a passenger in Fokker F.VIIA-3m (G-EBYI), in unknown circumstances.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/59899 |title=Accident Fokker F.VII/3m G-EBYI |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=12 July 2020}}</ref>
*On 15 August 1928, a [[Pan American World Airways|Pan Am]] F.VIIA-3m, ''General Machado'' (NC53) ditched in the Gulf of Mexico off Egmont Key, Florida.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/26658 |title=Incident Fokker/Atlantic F.VII/3m NC53 |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=12 July 2020}}</ref>
*On 4 July 1929, a Fokker F.VIIA-3m (G-EBYI) force landed near [[Mongalla, South Sudan|Mongalla, Sudan]]. Owner and pilot was Donald H Drew, three passengers included [[Glen Kidston]], no casualties. Aircraft damaged beyond repair.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/25539 |title=Incident Fokker F.VIIa/3m G-EBYI |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=14 July 2020}}</ref>
*On 11 September 1930, a [[Sabena]] F.VII (OO-AIN) crashed on climbout from [[Croydon Airport]] due to an in-flight fire, killing both pilots.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/17168 |title=Accident Fokker F.VII OO-AIN |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=12 July 2020}}</ref>
*On 30 October 1930, a Fokker F.VIIb/3m (CH-161) of [[Balair]] struck a chimney, and crashed in fog on approach to [[Essen/Mülheim Airport]]; three crew injured, three passengers unhurt.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/27509 |title=Incident Fokker F.VII/3m CH-161 |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=13 July 2020}}</ref> See also [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Fokker_F.VIIb/3m_of_Balair Commons Category:Fokker F.VIIb/3m of Balair]
*On 6 December 1931, a KLM F.VIIb/3m (PH-AFO) crashed at [[Bangkok]] after failing to take off, killing five of seven on board.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/483 |title=Accident Fokker F.VIIb/3m PH-AFO |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=12 July 2020}}</ref>
*On 3 April 1940, a [[British Overseas Airways Corporation|BOAC]] Avro 618 Ten (G-AASP, ''Hercules'') crashed on takeoff from Cairo; there were no casualties, but the aircraft was written off.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/74351 |title=Incident Avro 618 Ten (Fokker F.VIIb/3m) G-AASP |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=12 July 2020}}</ref>

==Specifications (F.VIIb/3m)==
[[File:Fokker_F.VII_3-view_NACA_Aircraft_Circular_No.74.jpg|thumb|Fokker F.VII/3m 3-view drawing from NACA Aircraft Circular No.74]]

{{Aircraft specs
|ref=European Transport Aircraft since 1909<ref name="strp4801">Stroud 1966, pp. 480–481.</ref>
|prime units?=met
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew= 2
|capacity= 8 passengers
|length m=14.50
|length note=
|span m=21.71
|span note=
|height m=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=67.6
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil='''root:''' Goettingen 386 (20%); '''tip:'''  Goettingen 388 (11.3%)<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref>
|empty weight kg=3100
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=5300
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=3
|eng1 name=[[Wright J-6 Whirlwind]]
|eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine
|eng1 hp=300
|eng1 note=

|prop blade number=
|prop name=
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed kmh=210
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=178
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed kmh=
|minimum control speed note=
|range km=1200
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m=4400
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|power/mass=
|thrust/weight=
|more performance=*'''Takeoff and landing runs:''' {{convert|225|m|ft|abbr=on}}
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent
|related=
*[[Avro 618 Ten]]
*[[Fokker F.10]]
|similar aircraft=
*[[Ford Trimotor]]
|lists=
* [[List of aircraft of World War II]]
*[[List of aircraft of the Finnish Air Force]]
*[[List of military aircraft of the United States]]
*[[List of United States Navy aircraft designations (pre-1962)]]
*[[List of civil aircraft]]
|see also=
}}

==References==
{{Commons category}}

===Notes===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* Bowers, Peter and Ernest McDowell. ''Triplanes: A Pictorial History of the World's Triplanes and Multiplanes''.  St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International, 1993. {{ISBN|0-87938-614-2}}.
* Dierikx, Marc. ''Fokker: A Transatlantic Biography''. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1997. {{ISBN|1-56098-735-9}}.
*{{cite journal |last1=Howson|first1=Gerald|title=Fokker's Trimotors Go to War |journal=Air Enthusiast |date=August–November 1990|issue=13|pages=43–49 |issn=0143-5450}}
*{{cite magazine|last=Ives|first=Don|title=Talkback|magazine=[[Air Enthusiast]] |date=December 1981 – March 1982|issue=17 |pages=33–34 |issn=0143-5450}}
* Molson, K.M. ''Pioneering in Canadian Air Transport''. Winnipeg: James Richardson & Sons, Ltd., 1974. {{ISBN|0-919212-39-5}}.
* Nevin, David. ''The Pathfinders (The Epic of Flight Series)''. Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life Books, 1980. {{ISBN|0-8094-3256-0}}.
* Postma, Thijs. ''Fokker: Aircraft Builders to the World''. London: Jane's, 1979. {{ISBN|0-7106-0059-3}}.
*{{cite magazine|last=Prins|first=François|title=Brisbane's Heritage|magazine=[[Air Enthusiast]]|date=Winter 1993|issue=52|pages=26–27 |issn=0143-5450}} 
* Stroud, John. ''European Transport Aircraft since 1910''. London: Putnam, 1966.
*{{cite journal |last1=Taylor|first1=H. A.|last2=Alting|first2=Peter|name-list-style=amp |title=Fokker's 'Lucky Seven'|journal=Air Enthusiast |date=April–July 1980|issue=12 |pages=24–38 |issn=0143-5450}}
* Weyl, A.R. ''Fokker: The Creative Years''. London: Putnam, 1965.
*{{cite journal |last1=Wulf|first1=Herman de|title=An Airline at War|journal=Air Enthusiast |date=August–November 1990|issue=13|pages=72–77 |issn=0143-5450}}

{{Fokker aircraft}}
{{IMAM aircraft}}
{{USAF transports}}
{{USN transports}}

[[Category:Fokker F.VII]]
[[Category:Fokker aircraft|F 07]]
[[Category:1920s Dutch airliners]]
[[Category:1920s United States airliners]]
[[Category:Trimotors]]
[[Category:High-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Atlantic Aircraft aircraft|F.VII]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1924]]
[[Category:Aircraft of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army]]
[[Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear]]