- 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 Wasp, Nr 342
Source: Foto's
This is the Fokker G.1 Wasp!
History
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The Fokker G.1 Prototype now fitted with Twin Wasp engines
Source: Foto'sThe story of the Fokker G.1 with Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp Junior engines actually starts with Spain. On the 17th of June 1936 a civial war broke out in Spain, and this is where the Republican side contacted Fokker and showed interest in the new G.1 Prototype that Fokker was test flying, which was fitted with Hispano-Suiza engines at the time. It’s not 100% confirmed to be because of the Spannish, but it’s very likely that it was the Spanish that asked Fokker to fit a G.1 with Wasp engines.
Fokker always gives design numbers to each of their various aircraft. The Fokker G.1 Hispano was known as the “Ontwerp 129”.
It is not 100% certain, but this Wasp variant was most likely the “Ontwerp 130”.The G.1 Prototype was re-fitted and flew on the 3rd of November 1938 with the Wasp engines. And the aircraft continued to carry out test flights and a lot of information was gathered by these tests.
The Republican Spannish side being stuck in a Civil War meant that the Neutral Netherlands was not willing to sell them any weapons of any kind. And so a ‘middle man’ was found in the form of Estonia. Estonia would buy the Fokker G.1’s with money given to them by the Republican Spannish, and then simply send the G.1’s their way. In the end 25 new Fokker G.1 Wasp’s were ordered, together with the G.1 Wasp Prototype.
Fokker started construction on the 25 new aircraft right away, but sadly the Dutch order of 36 Fokker G.1 Mercury’s took priority and so the Wasp production was delayed. The aircraft would end up being completed, but not in time for the Civil War. This also meant that Fokker was stuck with the 25 Wasp’s since the original order for “Estonia” (Republican Spain) fell apart.
This problem did turn out to be a blessing. Because now we find ourselves in the 1940’s, which ofcourse is the during the Second World War, and on the 10th of May the German invasion of the Netherlands. The 25 new G.1 Wasp’s and the G.1 Wasp Prototype were all taken over by the Dutch Airforce.
Most of these G.1 Wasp’s were in storage on the Schiphol air base. And the Germans bombed all primary militairy targets during the first attacks. But luckily the G.1 Wasp’s recieved minimal damage. The G.1 Wasp’s present on Schiphol were:
- Nr. 340
- Nr. 342
- Nr. 343
- Nr. 346
- Nr. 347
- Nr. 350 (Not test flown yet)
- Nr. 352 (Unarmed and not test flown yet)
- Nr. 356 (Unarmed and not test flown yet)
- Nr. 357 (Not test flown yet)
- Nr. 360 (Unarmed and not test flown yet)
- Nr. 361 (Unarmed and not test flown yet)
In order to keep the G.1 Wasp’s safe from futher bombing attacks, all airframes were towed out of the Schiphol airbase and all put on a nearby road, where crews would repair and work on the aircraft. During the German invasion we know that the Fokker G.1 Wasp Numbers 342, 343 and 346 were handed over to the 4th JaVa fighter squadron.
After the German invasion and the surender of the Netherlands, all other G.1 Wasp’s were suprisingly mostly all spared. And when Germany had taken over the Netherlands they captured all of these remaining onces. There are many photos of German Fokker G.1’s now painted in German colors and roundels. In service with the Luftwaffe the Fokker G.1’s were mostly used by training schools.
Two photos of a lineup of Fokker G.1 Wasp’s
Source: Dutch Heavy Fighter Fokker G.1 - Destination's Journey
Design
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The nose of the Fokker G.1 Wasp without the nose cone
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 Wasp was fitted with Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp Junior SB4G engines.
The Wasp version had a wingspan of 16.50 meters. The length was 10.38 meters and height was 3.35 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 Wasp variant was armed with four 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 M.20 Lewis.
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
Crew: 2 (Pilot and Navigator/Radio Operator/Rear Gunner
Length: 10.38 m
Wingspan: 16.50 m
Wing area: 35.70 m2
Height: 3.35 m
Empty weight: 3,000 kg
Full weight: 4,400 kg
Powerplant: 2 x Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp Junior SB4G (825 hp at start, 750 hp at 2875 m)
Maximum straight line speed: 434 km/h
Maximum recorded dive speed: 648 km/h
Service ceiling: 9,300 m
Armament
Guns:
4 × 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.20Ammunition
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
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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 Wasp 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 Wasp, Nr 342
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
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I usually never do this for my suggestions, but here I’d like to show the different color schemes the various Fokker G.1 Wasp’s have had.
These could be cool to have for the aircraft if it were to be added ingame.
A Fokker G.1 Wasp still in the Spanish olive green colors, but now with Dutch markins painted over
Source: Fokker G-1 jachtkruiser - deel 2, by Frits Gerdessen - Karel Kalkman - Cor Oostveen - Willem Vredeling
Another G.1 Wasp with the base Spanish olive green and a Dutch camouflage painted over
Source: Fokker G-1 jachtkruiser - deel 2, by Frits Gerdessen - Karel Kalkman - Cor Oostveen - Willem Vredeling
Sources
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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.
