Dutch Space is evolved out of the aircraft company NV Fokker. The Dutch aircraft company is founded by Anthony Fokker and has grown in the twenties to the largest aircraft company of the world. The American division of the company has contributed substantially to the development of air traffic in the United States. In the sixties the company Fokker started activities in the field of space technology, which finally led to an independent company. Shortly before the bankruptcy in 1996 of the aircraft company, Fokker Space became an independent company and continued as such. In 2002 the company changed its name to Dutch Space.
1890-1919
Anthony Herman Gerard Fokker was born in Kediri, Java, Indonesia. In 1910 he initially started his education in car construction at Salbach in Germany, but shortly after he changed to aircraft construction. In 1910 he designed his first aircraft, the "Spin" (Spider), which made him famous, when he flew on August 31, 1911 as a demonstration around the church tower of Haarlem.
Fokker Spin
In 1912 Anthony settled in Germany as an aircraft designer. His company, Fokker Aviatik GmbH provided flying courses and has built aircrafts, initially based on the Spin. The company consisted of two production plants: one at Johannisthal in Berlin and one at Schwerin.
In world war one the Fokker company had to deal with the huge demand of aircrafts by the German air force. The company has developed the legendary fighter planes like the triplanes Dr I and D VII, from which were built 322 and 866 respectively. The D VII was taken over by the US Air Force after the war. A real tour the force was the development of the machinegun capable of shooting between the blades of the turning propeller, which increased the fighting power of the German planes considerable.
In total Fokker built more than 3300 aircrafts in world war one, plus more than 2000 licensed to the Hungarian company MAG.
1919-1940
In 1919 Fokker returned from Germany to Holland using 350 wagons, loaded with 220 aircrafts and 400 engines. On July 21, he founded the Nederlandsche Vliegtuigfabriek Fokker, located in Amsterdam and Veere. In the year 1920 the Netherlands Aircraft Manufacturing Amsterdam, later known as Fokker Aircraft Corporation, came into existence. The year after, the last parts from the Fokker companies in Mecklenburg Schwerin (Fokker Flugzeugwerke) were transported to the branch in Veere and afterwards to Amsterdam.
Fokker VIIa
In the mean time in 1923 Fokker had founded the Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, a name that was changed to Fokker Aircraft Corp. of America. The aircrafts build in the factories of this foundation provided the basis for regular transportation by air in the United States. The company was especially successful due to the development of the F VII series, an airtrafficplane that made its first flight on April 24, 1924. And still military aircrafts were built, which were regarded as the best planes in the world, like the T VIII and the doubletalewing GI. At he end of the twenties Fokker had grown into the largest builder of aircrafts all over the world, possessing factories in the Netherlands and the United States
In 1930 Fokker merged with General Motors Corporation and the Fokker foundation was named the General Aviation Manufacturing Corporation. Anthony Fokker was completely subordinate to the top of General Motors. Already in the year 1931 the separation followed and Anthony was forced to resign. He died on December 23, 1939 in a hospital in New York.
1950 -1990
In world war two the factories of Fokker were confiscated by the occupier and then bombed by the allies. Nevertheless after the war the production was restarted and new aircrafts were developed. Among them the F27 "Friendship" which had its first flight in 1955 and in the end 786 planes were built. In the sixties Fokker developed a new model, called the F28, which made its first flight in May 9, 1967.
F27 Friendship
In the year 1969 cooperation was started with the German Vereinte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW). Ten years later this cooperation was ended.
At he end of the sixties Fokker started activities in the field of space technology. In the spring of the year 1968 the decision was taken to the official foundation of an independent space division: Fokker Ruimtevaart. In October 1968 Fokker Ruimtevaart started a study for the ANS-project (Astronomische Nederlandse Satelliet). ANS was launched in 1974, august 30. The success of ANS was a stimulation for a next space project: IRAS (InfraRood Astronomische Satelliet). The IRAS-project, in which Fokker had a key role, was initiated by the Dutch industry. At the end it became a common project of the United States, Great Britain and the Netherlands. IRAS was launched in January 1983 and performed measurements until November of that year.
In the eighties the last (large) Fokker aircrafts were developed: the Fokker 50 based on the F27 and the Fokker 100 based on the F28. Several hundred aircrafts of both types were sold.
After 1990
Around 1990 the Fokker concern too discovered problems due to the worldwide depression, which manifested in the aviation business. Development of newer, small types of aircrafts like the Fokker 70 was not solving the problems. A partner was looked for and DASA from Germany was found as a new partner. In 1993 DASA obtained an interest in Fokker. The same year Fokker Space & Systems (FSS) moved to Leiden, which made the connection between the Fokker concern and FSS less strong. In 1995 December 21, the bankruptcy of aircraft designer NV Fokker became a fact. Fokker Space, as an independent company, was not involved. 50 percent of FFS was taken over by the company UCN and from that time on FSS continued as Fokker Space.
The sound divisions from the aircraft company were accommodated in the Holding Fokker Aviation BV, which in the same year was taken over by the company Stork.
Since the year 2002 Fokker Space operates under the name Dutch Space.
