An old photograph of a Fokker B.II opens a small window into the forgotten past of World War I aviation. All we know, when looking at the photo, is that we are dealing with a Fokker B.II belonging to the Royal and Imperial Air Service of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The Austro-Hungarian Fokker B.II
From historical sources we also know that the Austro-Hungarians ordered 24 aircraft from Fokker, and that beginning in September 1916 the Royal and Imperial Air Service received 23 Fokker airplanes. These aircraft were marked with serial numbers 03.61 to 03.83. All of them were equipped with Oberursel U-0 seven-cylinder rotary engines, producing 68 horsepower (HP) and allowing the aircraft to reach a maximum speed of around 110 km/h. Some sources indicate that the Fokker B.II was equipped with an 81 horsepower engine, capable of reaching a top speed of 130 km/h. The problem with this information is that Motorenfabrik Oberursel did not produce an 81 HP engine during World War I. The company’s engines of that period produced 68, 100, or 110 horsepower, which makes the 81 HP claim somewhat doubtful.
Operational Use of the Fokker B.II
According to available documentation, the aircraft were supposed to be armed with 7.92 mm Bergmann L.M.G.-15 machine guns, synchronized to fire through the propeller arc, as well as 8 mm Schwarzlose M.16 machine guns mounted above the wing. In reality, only one aircraft reportedly received the ordered armament, due to misunderstandings and disagreements between the Royal and Imperial Air Service and the manufacturer. Because of these armament issues, combined with the aircraft’s rather modest performance, the Austro-Hungarians eventually used the Fokker B.II primarily as a training aircraft. It served in this role with Flik 4, Flik 6, and Flik 8, flying between 1916 and 1918. This is about all the information we have today about the Fokker B.II, an aircraft developed from the Fokker M.17E.
A Fokker B.II Photo That Keeps Its Secrets
As for the photograph below, it will most likely remain a mystery. The exact location where it was taken is unknown, as the aircraft’s serial number is partially hidden by the pilot standing next to the airplane. The identity of the pilot and his story may also remain forever lost in the forgotten past of early military aviation.
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