Fokker S.14

The Fokker S.14 Mach-Trainer secured its place in aviation history by being the first Fokker-designed jet aircraft, the first jet-propelled trainer designed as such, and the first aircraft of its type to enter production.

The low-wing all-metal S.14 was powered by a Rolls-Royce Derwent turbojet with a bifurcated inlet in the nose. The outlet was in the extreme tail, aft of the horizontal tail surfaces, which were set somewhat aft of the fin and rudder. The nosewheel of the tricycle landing gear retracted forwards into the underside of the nose while the main units retracted inwards into the undersides of the wings. Pupil and instructor were seated side-by-side under a short, broad raised canopy set well forward on the circular-section fuselage. Martin-Baker ejector seats were standard.

Test pilot Gerben Sonderman made the first test flight on 19 May 1951 from Schiphol. On a second flight during the same day the landing gear failed and the prototype was damaged in the subsequent belly-landing. However, the aircraft was repaired and displayed at the 1951 Paris Salon in June of that year.

A series of 20 S.14s was ordered by the Royal Dutch air arm, the Koninklike Luchtmacht, the first being flown initially on 15 January 1955. The prototype bore the serial K-1 and was powered by a Derwent V engine, while the production machines were serialled from L-1 to L-20 and had Derwent VIIIs. The S.14s served at four air stations: Twenthe, Ypenburg, Gilze-Rijen and Soesterberg. Aircraft L-4 was demonstrated in the USA during 1955, but crashed on 20 October that year at Hagerstown, Maryland, killing Gerben Sonderman. Aircraft L-8 took part in the London-Paris air race, known as the Arch to Arc since it started at Marble Arch and ended at the Arc de Triomphe. The last two S.14s were withdrawn from Dutch service on 29 March 1965. Serialled L-17 and L-19, they are preserved at the Museums at Schiphol and Soesterberg respectively.

The original K-1 prototype was re-engined with a 2313kg thrust Rolls-Royce Nene 3 engine in 1953 and given the specially selected civil registration PH-XIV on 24 October 1960. It was then used by the Lucht en Ruuimtevaart Laboratorium (Dutch National Aeronautical and Space Laboratory) until scrapped on 4 March 1966.

S.14 was a promising aircraft, and the American Fairchild factory bought the rights for licensed production, but as a result of the MDAP military aid programme many countries were provided with the Lockheed T.33, a two-seat version of the F. 80 jet fighter.

Fifty S.14s were to be built in Brazil, but production was cancelled.

Engine: 1 x Rolls-Royce Derwent VIII turbojet, 1575kg / 3,470 lbst
Max take-off weight: 5350 kg / 11795 lb
Loaded weight: 3765 kg / 8300 lb
Wingspan: 12.00 m / 39 ft 4 in
Length: 13.30 m / 43 ft 8 in
Height: 4.70 m / 15 ft 5 in
Wing area: 31.80 sq.m / 342.29 sq ft
Max. speed: 730 km/h / 454 mph
Cruise speed: 570 km/h / 354 mph
Ceiling: 11200 m / 36750 ft
Range: 965 km / 600 miles