- Yes.
- No.
- In a future Dutch/BeNeLux techtree.
- In the British techtree.
- In the German techtree.
- Other (Please explain in the comments).
- I said “No” in the first question.
Hello everyone! Today I’m going to suggest a variant of the legendairy Fokker G.1!
Fokker G.1 Mercury, Nr 301
Source: https://beeldbank.nimh.nl/foto-s/detail/cc6f33be-d4cc-5868-a4c2-385fbab58bc4/media/667f1df2-d907-8d66-f20b-df2bf1f6d68c
This is the Fokker G.1 Mercury!
History
Spoiler
Following the construction and succes of the Fokker G.1 Hispano Prototype (Which had been given the Nickname “The Grim Reaper”), Fokker decided to approach the Dutch Air Force regarding the aircraft. The Fokker G.1 had been built in secret at Fokker’s own risk and money, and so the sudden appearance of the airrcraft at the 15th Paris Air Show caught most people completely offguard.
Most people within the Dutch Air Force knew Fokker for their wooden single engine biplane airrcaft. And yet, here was a twin engine state of the art heavy fighter! Fokker had not foccused to much of their time trying to built the aircraft for the Dutch Air Force specifically, instead the original plan was for a much larger export market.
Around March of 1937, the first discussion took place between Fokker and the Dutch Air Force. Following this discussion many more took place, and more importantly, many changes were discussed.
One of the biggest one was regarding the engines of the aircraft. At this point in time the G.1 Prototype (The G.1 Hispano) was flying with the Hispano-Suiza 14AB engines. This engine was quite new and had it’s fair share of problems when in use on the G.1 Prototype. The Dutch Air Force wanted the G.1 to be fitted with the larger and more proven Bristol Mercury VIII engines. These were already in use on the Fokker D.21 flown by the Dutch Air Force.
Production line making Fokker G.1 airframes
Source: Foto'sFitting these larger engines to the aircraft would mean a significant re-design had to be made, resulting to the aicraft becomming a little larger then the G.1 Hispano. Within source material the Fokker G.1 Mercury is also referred to as the “Larger G.1”. While the Hispano and Wasp versions were the “Smaller G.1”. Online sources refer to the smaller type as the G.1A, and the bigger one the G.1B. These names are most likely a post war creation, and it was not an official name Fokker used when making the aircraft.
Dispite the extra work required to fit the Mercury engines to a G.1, the first example was ready on the 2nd of November 1938. The first flight took place on the 9th, but this was only a short 10 minute long flight. But in later flights it showed that the Mercury powered G.1 flew very differently then the Hispano one.
The G.1 Hispano had a Clockwise and Counter Clockwise turning engine fitted to the aircraft, this made it so the rotational force comming of the propellors spinning cancled each other out, since both engines were rotating towards eachother.
The Mercury engines did not have this, and neither was Bristol willing to change this. And so both engines rotated in the same direction, resulting in the aircraft behaving quite differently.Futher test flights showed more problems as can be expected for a new aircraft. The G.1 was expected to also work as a dive bomber, and so one example (The Fokker G.1 Mercury, Number 302) was given dive brakes and was put in a dive to test out the diving characteristics. During the dive the engines started to spin so fast they were at risk of bursting into flame.
By the time the first aircraft were being delivered to the Air Force, this issue was not fixed yet and so the maximum diving speed a pilot was allowed to reach was only 500 km/h. But for extra safety, engine fire extinguishers were installed, one behind each engine.
The Fokker G.1 Mercury, Nr. 302 with the air brakes
Source: Foto'sIn the end a total of 36 Fokker G.1 Mercury’s were delivered to the Dutch Air Force. Going from Tail number 300 till 335.
Battle of the Netherlands
Spoiler
A Fokker G.1 getting shot down
Source: Foto'sWhen the 36 Fokker G.1 Mercury’s had been delivered to the Dutch Air Force in late 1939, it wouldn’t take long for them to get a taste of war. Since on the 10th of May 1940 Germany invaded the Netherlands.
At this time only 23 of the 36 G.1 Mercury’s were serviceable, together with a few G.1 Wasp variants that were meant for Spain.The invasion started at 3:50 AM where the German Luftwaffe attacked Dutch airfields. One Dutch Air Squadron, the 4th JaVa, suffered a devastating blow during this initial attack. They lost all but one of their aircraft.
The other Squadron, the 3rd JaVa, managed to get eight Fokker G.1’s in the air. These then attacked German aircraft throughout the day. But at the end of the first day only three airworthy G.1’s remained.
The 4th JaVa Squadron that suffered massive losses in the initial German attacks managed to scavenge together parts of various aircraft in order to get some of their aircraft in the air.
The remaining G.1’s were mostly used in ground attack missions, where they attacked German infantry units. Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft were also attacked frequently by the G.1’s. But in the end it was a losing fight and the G.1 stood no chance against the Germans.
A damaged Fokker G.1 Mercury, this one being Nr 302
Source: Foto'sThere have been 14 confirmed aerial kills by the G.1’s. But following the German occupation the remaining G.1’s were captured and repaired. Some were flown to Germany for futher testing, others remained in the Netherlands.
After the war no surviving Fokker G.1’s remained. However a replica of the Fokker G.1 Mercury has been made and it currently sits in storage in the National Militairy Museum in Soesterberg.
The Fokker G.1 Mercury replica
Source: WT Live // Images by Capt_Versteegh
Design
Spoiler
The machine gun setup in the nose of the G.1 Mercury
Source: Fokker G-1 jachtkruiser - deel 1, by Frits Gerdessen - Karel Kalkman - Cor Oostveen - Willem VredelingThe Fokker G.1 was a twin engine, twin boom heavy fighter. The G designation was used by Fokker for “Jachtkruisers” (Which trainslates to Hunting Cruiser), this would just be heavy fighter in English.
The G.1 Mercury was fitted with Bristol Mercury engines, these being the Mercury VIII.
The Mercury version had a wingspan of 17.16 meters. The length was 10.87 meters and height was 3.80 meters. This gave the aircraft quite a large wing compared to the rest. But videos of the G.1 flying shows that the aircraft handled very well. Being able to do rolls, loops and all sorts of other maneuvers. (There is a video at the bottom of this post where you can see the G.1 flying)
The Mercury variant was armed with eight 7.9 mm M.36 FN-Bowning machine guns in the nose, and one 7.9 mm M.20 Lewis machine gun in the rear gunner. But during the 1940’s most of the rear gunners were fitted with the 7.9 mm M.36 FN-Bowning instead of the M20 Lewis.
According to one author, who had worked at Fokker for 38 years, at the time the nose armaments were not fully decided on yet there was a challenge going around the Fokker factory. Whichever designer could fit the most machine guns in the nose of the G.1 would be given a chocolate bar for each machine gun he got in. So whoever designed the eight gun nose walked home with eight chocolate bars!Crew wise the aircraft had two men, one pilot, and one Navigator/Radio Operator/Rear Gunner. The pilot sat in the front of the aircraft, and had a large fuel tank behind him. Behind the fuel tank was the rear compartment which is where the Navigator/Radio Operator sat. He had various windows he could see out of, electrical equipment for his Radio Operator duties, and ofcourse the rear gunner cone.
Rear view of the G.1 Mercury Replica with added arrows that show the function of the rear gunner position
Source: I took this photo myself, K.K. JanssenIn the photo above I’ve put a photo I took myself of the Fokker G.1 Merucy Replica in the National Military Museum. The two arrows I’ve added show how the gunner cone would work. The red arrows show how the entire cone would rotate around 360 degrees. And the orange arrow is where a machine gun would be present which would be able to point backwards, or aim up almost all the way up.
The gunner would rotate the cone to move the gun into position sideways, and the gun itself could move up and down to futher lock in onto the target.
So while the G.1 only had one gunner spot, this position and construction have the aircraft full protection from behind.
The firing arch the rear gunner has on the Fokker G.1
Source: Fokker G-1 jachtkruiser - deel 1, by Frits Gerdessen - Karel Kalkman - Cor Oostveen - Willem Vredeling
Specifications
Spoiler
Blueprint of the Fokker G.1 Mercury
Source: Fokker G-1 jachtkruiser - deel 1, by Frits Gerdessen - Karel Kalkman - Cor Oostveen - Willem Vredeling
Crew: 2 (Pilot and Navigator/Radio Operator/Rear Gunner
Length: 10.87 m
Wingspan: 17.16 m
Wing area: 38.3 m2
Height: 3.80 m
Empty weight: 3,250 kg
Full weight: 4,750 kg
Powerplant: 2 x Bristol Mercury VIII (730 hp at start, 840 hp at 4265 m)
Maximum straight line speed: 475 km/h
Maximum recorded dive speed: 648 km/h
Service ceiling: 9,300 m
Max range: 1,360 km
Armament
Guns:
8 × 7.9 mm M.36 FN-Browning machine guns
1 × 7.9 mm M.20 Lewis machine gun (Rear gunner)
During the Battle of the Netherlands most rear gunners were fitted with a 7.9 mm M.36 instead of the M.20Bombs: (Bomb racks were ready to be installed into the operational G.1 Mercury’s, but by the time the German invasion had started these were not fitted yet)
10 × 25 kg bombsAmmunition
7.9 mm M.36 FN-Browning machine gun - 500 rounds per gun
7.9 mm M.20 Lewis machine gun - 6 drums with 97 rounds each
Ingame
Spoiler
As usualy with my Dutch vehicle suggestions, I ofcourse want to see this ingame in a Dutch or BeNeLux techtree. The G.1 is such an iconic and powerfull aircraft, I think it would perform really well ingame.
The G.1 would in my opinion be one of the better heavy fighters ingame. It could sit at a nice BR that wouldn’t be to high. The aircraft is still very maneuverable, and the eight nose mounted machine guns will make quick work of most aircraft as soon as you get a good shot at them.
But just like my other Dutch vehicle suggestions I also offer other techtree options. The logical onces would be Britain and Germany. Britain makes sense since the Netherlands was a close ally with Britain during the second world war, and Germany makes sense because pre and post WW2 the Netherlands used a lot of German weaponry and equipment.
But to be honest I wouldn’t want a Dutch G.1 Mercury to go to either of those two techtrees. That is because both Britain and Germany have gotten their hands on one or more G.1 during the war. So instead of adding a Dutch one to the techtrees, just add the one they had captured.
For Germany that can be a Fokker G.1 Mercury, but also a G.1 Wasp. Since they captured both types.
Britain had a single G.1 Wasp that fled German occupation and landed in Britain, so they can have that one.
Fokker G.1 Mercury, Nr 301
Source: Foto's
So there you have it! Please make sure to vote in the poll above, and let me know what you think of this variant of the Fokker G.1!
Camouflage options
Spoiler
I usually never do this for my suggestions, but here I’d like to show the different color schemes the various Fokker G.1 Mercury’s have had.
These could be cool to have for the aircraft if it were to be added ingame.
The first G.1 Mercury, note the Dutch flag on the rudders
Source: Fokker G-1 jachtkruiser - deel 1, by Frits Gerdessen - Karel Kalkman - Cor Oostveen - Willem Vredeling
The second G.1 Mercury, now without the Dutch flag on the rudders
Source: Fokker G-1 jachtkruiser - deel 1, by Frits Gerdessen - Karel Kalkman - Cor Oostveen - Willem Vredeling
The G.1 Mercury now with the Dutch triangle roundel and orange rudders
Source: Fokker G-1 jachtkruiser - deel 2, by Frits Gerdessen - Karel Kalkman - Cor Oostveen - Willem Vredeling
Another G.1 Mercury this time with the original Dutch roundels again
Source: Fokker G-1 jachtkruiser - deel 2, by Frits Gerdessen - Karel Kalkman - Cor Oostveen - Willem Vredeling
Another G.1 Mercury this time with the original Dutch roundels again
Source: Fokker G-1 jachtkruiser - deel 2, by Frits Gerdessen - Karel Kalkman - Cor Oostveen - Willem Vredeling
G.1 Mercury with the orange triangle and rudders, also a lime green line where the nose mounted machine guns are
Source: Fokker G-1 jachtkruiser - deel 2, by Frits Gerdessen - Karel Kalkman - Cor Oostveen - Willem Vredeling
Extra photos
Spoiler
Nr 301
Nr 302
Nr 305
Nr 313
Nr 318
Nr 325
Unknown number
Sources
Spoiler
Main sources:
- Fokker G-1 jachtkruiser - deel 1, by Frits Gerdessen - Karel Kalkman - Cor Oostveen - Willem Vredeling
- Fokker G-1 jachtkruiser - deel 2, by Frits Gerdessen - Karel Kalkman - Cor Oostveen - Willem Vredeling
Secondairy sources:
Extra sources:
Photos:
An amazing video of the Fokker G.1. The aircraft seen in the beginning is the G.1 Hispano Prototype (Early), and later in the video there is a G.1 Mercury.
