This Week In Aviation History: The First Flight Of The Fokker 100
This week will mark 38 years since the Fokker 100 first took flight. Produced in the Netherlands by aircraft manufacturer Fokker, the aircraft quickly rose to become a popular turbofan aircraft, with its first delivery made to Swiss Air in February 1988.
Design and development
Fokker, in Dutch, known as Koninklijke Nederlandse Vliegtuigenfabriek Fokker, was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer that operated between 1912 and 1996. Founded by Anthony Fokker, a prominent Dutch Aviator, the aerospace manufacturer became famous for fighter aircraft during World War I.
In the early 1980s, Fokker attempted to collaborate with McDonnell Douglas. However, this was brief and ultimately unsuccessful. From this, the Fokker 50 was born and was set to be a modern version of the history F-27.
The Fokker 100, developed from the F-28, was also suggested. Development costs for these aircraft quickly spiraled out of control, which led to Fokker almost closing its doors before the Dutch government intervened and decided to reinvest 212 million guilders into the company, but had a caveat that the manufacturer must look for a strategic partner to remain afloat.
