Fokker G-1 Trilogie
Parts 1, 2 en 3
ModelFan

Authors: Fris Gerdessen, Karel Kalkman, Cor Oostveen, Willem Vredeling en Jan Broos
Publisher: Lanasta (De Walburg Pers)
ISBN: (1) 9789464563962, (2) 9789464563986, (3) 9789464563818
Bound
Published: 27 August 2024 nrs. 1 en 2 – 2e revised print en nr. 3 – 1ste print    
Pages:
nr. 1 - 248
nr. 2 - 256
nr. 3 – 304
Price: 39,99 euros each.

The Fokker G-1 Fighter Cruiser of the LVA (Aviation Division Lucht Vaart Afdeeling) was developed in 1936, intended as a fighter, or rather, "fighter cruiser". The idea was to have a heavily armed aircraft fly patrols for a long time to guard an airspace. The prototype "X-1" with Hispano Suiza engines flew in March 1937 with Fokker test pilot Sonderman. The type had a mixed construction method including a wooden wing. Various armament variations were tried with machine guns but also with light bombs.
However, the Aviation Department opted for Mercury engines, which required a lot of modifications and made the aircraft larger with a larger wingspan. The engines were positioned further away from the fuselage and the G-1 was given a stretched landing gear, longer tail booms and modified rudder. The so-called "big" G-1. Initially, a crew of three was chosen, but this was changed to two; a pilot and a gunner/telegraphist.
The prototype "X-1" was modified and equipped with the Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp with 750 hp. Of this G-1 Twin Wasp version, 26 aircraft were ordered, supposedly for Finland, but that was a cover: they were intended for use by the Republican Government in Spain (but when this war came to an end on March 31, 1939, they were no longer needed and not everything was finished). Attempts were made to sell the G-1 to Finland and in early 1940 the Finns were certainly interested.
Fokker has also tried out a recce version with a glass nose and also one with a kind of glass bathtub under the fuselage. This was also demonstrated given foreign interest.
The "small G-1" aircraft built "for Republican Spain" were taken over by the Aviation Department (LVA) from September 1939 because of the threat of war. They were to be equipped with four M36 machine guns in the nose but still had to be converted by Fokker. This version was also called "the mower" because of the heavy nose armament.
More than ten years ago, the two 'standard works' were published about the Fokker G-1, the beautifully shaped fighter cruiser from 1936. On August 27, 2024, both books were republished and the third part was also presented. After the description of the construction and deployment of the Fokker G-1 in parts 1 and 2 respectively, the entire construction of this special aircraft is shown in detail in this third part. And not in an everyday way. The book is a beautiful collection of mainly... drawings.

Even though parts one and two are a revised edition with some minimal changes, it is certainly fair to include these parts in the review in order to paint a complete picture of this series of three books about the Fokker G-1

At the end of August 2011, the realization of the first part about the Fokker G-1 is a fact. More than thirty years after the publication of the Fokker G-1 booklet by Hugo Hooftman and decades after the publication of the book by Mr. Mallan about the 3rd JaVA, the standard work about the Fokker G-1 there.
Almost ten years have been spent working on the realization of a book, which was eventually split into two parts. Both volumes include previously unpublished photos and data. The texts are in Dutch, but the photos have an English caption in addition to the Dutch ones. The colour drawings will be a good source of inspiration for the modeller.
It deals with the history of the Fokker G-1 as a new product of the NV Nederlandse Vliegtuigenfabriek and the (foreign) interest. The second part is about the operational use of the Fokker G-1 by the Dutch Military Aviation.

The four authors of "Fokker G-1 'Le Faucheur", Frits Gerdessen, Karel Kalkman, Cor Oostveen and Willem Vredeling, are all actively associated with the Fokker G-1 Foundation. Since its foundation in 1997, the foundation has set itself the goal of collecting, completing and propagating everything that remains of the Fokker G-1. The foundation wants to preserve the complete history of this cultural and industrial heritage of the N.V. Nederlandsche Vliegtuigenfabriek Fokker for posterity.

The authors have exercised great care by not just copying all kinds of information from previous publications, but have conducted years of research in many different areas. As a result, the reader may assume that the information given is correct and not based on assumptions or information from ill-informed sources. Because not a single copy of the Fokker G-1 survived the war, the enthusiasts of this unique aircraft will have to make do with the only existing replica, which is in the Military Aviation Museum in Soesterberg, and the three volumes of the book Fokker G-1 fighter cruiser". Certainly not a bad alternative.
Although the books are probably written for a limited target group, real enthusiasts of military aviation in general and those of the Fokker G-1 in particular, will enjoy all that information. The more neutral reader can ignore the many details and still get a very clear overview of the developments of the Fokker G-1. The many beautiful photos and clear illustrations will please all readers and perhaps even evoke memories. The modeller has certainly been thought of by adding multiple views in colour.

Annexes are included concerning the radio, engine sales of German G-1s to Finland, colours used and camouflage systems. A short summary in English has also been added to the books. The photo captions also have an English translation.
They have become two colourful books: three authentic colour slides of the G-1, many colour impressions of Jan Broos and more than twenty colour profiles of both the Fokker G-1 Mercury and Fokker G-1 Wasp can be found.

Part 3 Technique from head to tail
Unfortunately, little has been preserved of the original drawing package of the design of the Fokker G-1. Finding out how the Fokker G-1 was constructed was the reason for this special project with this book as the outcome. The result of more than forty years of research into the construction of the Mercury version. This volume consists of hundreds of (technical) illustrations drawn by hand by Jan Broos, supported by substantive text and photos.

Broos had been working on the drawings since the beginning of the eighties of the last century. Due to the discovery in 1993 of a large series of construction photos of the Fokker G-1 in Denmark and the affiliation of Broos with the Fokker G-1 Foundation in 1997, this work could finally be completed. With the help of these detailed photos and additional information, Broos made about four hundred technical illustrations. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2019. A manuscript previously written and illustrated by him forms the basis of this book. The composition was in the hands of Cor Oostveen, chairman of the Fokker G-1 Foundation.


Conclusion
The series is written to convey to the reader as much knowledge as possible about the ups and downs of this Fokker G-1. The first sub-topics are discussed such as the designs of the different models of the Fokker G-1, the foreign interest in the aircraft and the different variants of the aircraft that were built or would be built. Part two is about the operational history of the Fokker G-1 A big pitfall for the first two books could have been an abundance of information and too much detail. Too much information can discourage readers from reading further or delving into the topic. Or as the authors themselves indicate: "Describing the Fokker G-1 is a precarious business: for some we go into too much detail and for others not far enough. So be it; We have strived for completeness without always losing ourselves in details". Well, that worked out excellently in part 3.

Buying separately is not an option as far as I'm concerned. The series as a whole should be bought and that's how you should look/read the books! With all three parts in hand, I think it should be possible to build a complete G-1. Jan broos did that, but in scale 1/10. In other words, as a modeller a series to lick your fingers. I have read through the parts with great interest. I highly recommend to give them a place on one of your bookshelf’s. Fokker G-1, Fokkers' most beautiful fighter.  

Thanks to Lanasta/De Walburg Pers for allowing me to review the series.