Koolhoven F.K.58

Infobox Aircraft
name = F.K.58
type = Fighter
manufacturer = Koolhoven



caption = Koolhoven F.K.58 c. 1940
designer =Erich Schatzki
first flight = 17 July 1938
introduced = 1940
retired = 1940
status =
primary user = French Air Force
more users = Polish Air Force
produced = 1939-1940
number built = 18
unit cost =
developed from =

The Koolhoven F.K.58 was a single engine, interceptor-fighter aircraft designed by Koolhoven under contract by France. Intended for Armée de l'Air use, the F.K.58 saw limited service in the Battle of France.

Design and development

In 1937, as it became apparent to the French Air Council that domestic manufacturers would not be sufficient to equip the Armée de l'Air with enough fighters, the Dutch were contracted to produce a cheap, high performance fighter to supplement French construction. As produced, the F.K.58 was rather better than the M.S.406 and comparable to the Bloch MB.151 but inferior to the D.520 and most of the German aircraft it faced. It was of composite construction like the British Hurricane with a body of wooden and steel tubing and a skin of metal plates and linen. The wings were made entirely of wood.

The prototype Koolhoven Model 1166 (later named F.K.58) first flew on 17 July 1938. The French placed an order for 50 F.K.58s in January 1939, and the Dutch also placed an order for 36 fighters based on the performance of the second prototype (the first having been destroyed in a crash) but powered by Bristol Taurus engines. Unfortunately, just 17 of the French order were completed at the Koolhoven works due to insufficient French-supplied engines and instruments, and they were subsequently sent to France fitted with Dutch equipment. Production was transferred to Nevèrs where just one more F.K.58 was produced. The completed fighters (7 F.K.58s, 11 F.K.58As) were fitted with French equipment and their loaner parts returned to the Netherlands.

Even had the order of 50 aircraft been available for the Battle of France, it is unlikely that the small number of aircraft, outclassed as they were by German fighters, could have changed the outcome much. Had they been employed in their intended role as colonial fighters, they might have acquitted themselves well against the Italian aircraft in that theatre.

Operational history

The F.K.58 was originally procured for use as colonial fighters. Instead, the 13 fighters operational by May 1940 were manned by expatriate Polish pilots of Captain Walerian Jasionkowski's improvised escadre, the patrouille DAT (Défense Aérienne du Territoire) based at Salon and Clermont-Aulnat. As delivered, the fighters were not armed and the Poles had to acquire machine guns and fit them. From 30 May 1940, they were used in the defence of French cities, patrolling in Avignon - Marseille area, then from Clermont-Ferrand, without any encounters with the enemy. The type's service life was short-lived with only 47 or so operational sorties recorded; the unit had no confirmed victories, but at least one F.K.58 was lost. After the fall of France, all surviving airframes were scrapped.

Variants

;F.K.58 Prototype:Prototype powered by 1,080 hp Hispano-Suiza 14AA engine, 2 built.;FK-58 [Bristol Taurus] :Dutch version powered by Bristol Taurus engine, projected Dutch aircraft, none completed.;F.K.58 :First production variant powered by Hispano-Suiza 14A radial engine, 7 built.;F.K.58A:Production version powered by Gnome-Rhône 14N/16 engine, 11 built.

Operators

;FRA
*"Armee de l'Air";POL
*Polish Air Forces on exile in France

pecifications (F.K.58)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=One
length main=8.7 m
length alt=28 ft 6.75 in
span main=11 m
span alt=36 ft 1.25 in
height main=3 m
height alt=9 ft 10 in
area main=17.3 m²
area alt=186.2 ft&sup2
empty weight main=1,930 kg
empty weight alt=4,255 lb
loaded weight main=2,750 kg
loaded weight alt=6,063 lb
max takeoff weight main=

max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)=Gnome-Rhône 14N
type of prop=radial engine
number of props= 1
power main=768 kW
power alt=1,030 hp
max speed main=475 km/h
max speed alt=295 mph
cruise speed main=430 km/h
cruise speed alt=267 mph
range main=750 km
range alt=466 mi
ceiling main=10,000 m
ceiling alt=32,810 ft
climb rate main=11.6 m/s
climb rate alt=1,130 ft/min
loading main=kg/m²
loading alt= lb/ft²
power/mass main=kW/kg
power/mass alt= hp/lb
more performance=
armament=
* 4 x 7.5 mm FN-Browning machine guns in underwing fairings

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=
Bf 109 -
Hawker Hurricane -
Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 -
Bloch MB.152 -
Fokker D.XXI -
P-36 Hawk

sequence=

see also=
*List of aircraft of the Armée de l'Air, World War II

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Green, William. "Warplanes of the Second World War, Volume Three: Fighters". London: Macdonald & Co.(Publishers) Ltd., 1961. ISBN 0-356-01447-9.
* Taylor, John W.R. "Koolhoven F.K.58." "Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the present". New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0-425-03633-2.

External links

* [http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:TBHM5rK-o3cJ:kits.kitreview.com/planet090reviewse_1.htm+Koolhoven+F.K.58&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=ca&ie=UTF-8 Koolhoven F.K.58 Review]
* [http://www.koolhoven.com/history/airplanes/koolhoven/ Koolhoven Aeroplanes Foundation]
* [http://www.planes-and-tanks.com/HangarC/koolhoven.htm De Schelde S.21, Koolhoven F.K.58]