johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
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The Fokker T.VI, or also know as the Ontwerp 115 (Design 115), was from what I know the only 4 engines bomber design by any Dutch aircraft manufacturer.
But sadly this beauty has never been build because of the infasion of the Netherlands by the German army.
So let's start with the origins of this Heavy Bomber.
(The text below was in Dutch,
History
Between August 1934 and February, work was begun on the Ontwerp 115 (Design 115), a long-range heavy-bomber that got the name T.VI (T.6)
It's not clear for who this aircraft was ment. The Netherlands, wich at the time declared itself neutral in the European conflict, would not want an aircraft like this.
One of the drawings has notes in French and English. The saved papers of data where written in French. But that doesn't prove anything, because Fokker sometimes made papers in Dutch, French, German, English and Spanish. Still it must not be excluded that the French might have been interested in an aircraft like this.
The Ontwerp 115 was never build. The designation T.VI was used again in 1937-1938 for the Ontwerp 152. The successor of the T.V and this T.VI would have been a cross between the T.V and the G.I, so it would have been a bomber with a twin boom design.
Design
The Ontwerp 115 was of a four engined low-wing design with retractable landing gear and a twin rudder design. It had the same wings as the Fokker F.XXXVII, wich was a non-build version of the Fokker F.XXXVI with retractable landing gear.
The aircraft would have been loaded with 4 radial engines and the performance are calculated with the Gnome-Rhóne 14Krfs of 900Hp and 14Krsd of 1110Hp, and with Wright Cyclone SFR-1820-F2 of 712Hp. The propellers would have been three bladed en would have been adjustable in-flight.
The four fuel tanks of a total of 4500 liters would have been inside the wings.
The aircraft would have been of mixed construction of the typical Fokker design: Wooden wings, a steel tube hull and part linen cover.
The main landing gear had double wheels and where hydraulically operated. Also the tail wheel where also retractable.
The heavily armed craft would have had a crew of at least six men and could carry two tons of bombs inside two shafts. There would have been a passage way between the two shafts for the crew to walk through.
The crew would have existed out of two pilots, a observer, a telegraphist, and (In the back) two gunners.
Th21e hull would have been three meters high at the cockpit. The pilots would have been on a 'level' higher that was accessible by a ladder. The cockpit had a small roof. The first pilot would have sat in0the middle and the second pilot behind him on the right. The door was on the left front of the hull.
The observer would have of course sat in the nose of the aircraft, where he also served as bomber-aimer.
The telegraphist had his office at the wings. His equipment would have been a radio and a photo-camera.
The toilet would have been in the back of the hull.
Two drawings of the Ontwerp 115 where kept safe. Drawing 34223, from September 27th of 1934, is shown here. On the second drawing, from August 1934, the type is slightly more streamlined and the armament is also slightly different: On top of the hull the retractable 20mm turret remained. But behind that a new machinegun turret. And on the bottom a single retractable machinegun post remained.
The specifications of the weaponry from February 12th 1935 matches the drawings from September.
Weaponry
The aircraft would have had five gunners, so that incase of a fight, all the crew would have served as gunners, except for the first pilot ofcourse.
The weaponry existed out two turrets in the nose, with the lower one having a 20mm Oerlikon Cannon for the observer. And a dual .30cal machineguns in the top nose turret, wich the second pilot would have aimed while standing up.
A 20mm Oerlikon Cannon would have been on the Dorsal (Top) turret, this turret was also retractable and would have been controlled by one of the gunners.
A single .30cal would have been on the front-bottom and a dual .30cal on the back-bottom of the hull, mounted on a gun-mount with a hatch. The telegraphist and the second gunner would have controlled these machine guns.
General characteristics
· Crew: 6
· Length: 24m
· Wingspan: 33m
· Height: 3,3 m (5,7m with the gear extended)
· Powerplant: 4x Gnome-Rhóne 14Krfs of 900Hp
or 4x Gnome-Rhóne 14Krsd of 1110Hp
or 4x Wright Cyclone SFR-1820-F2 of 712Hp
- Armament
· Guns: (September 27th, 1934)
Nose Upper: 2x 30.cal Machine Guns
Nose Lower: 1x 20mm Oerlikon Cannon
Dorsal: 1x 20mm Oerlikon Cannon, in a retractable turret
Ventral Front: 1x .30cal Machine Gun
Ventral Back: 2x .30cal Machine Gun
(August 1934)
Nose Upper: 2x 30.cal Machine Guns
Nose Lower: 1x 20mm Oerlikon Cannon
Dorsal Front: 1x 20mm Oerlikon Cannon, in a retractable turret
Dorsal Back: 1x .30cal Machine Gun
Ventral: 2x .30cal Machine Gun
· Bombs: Up to two Tons of bombs (2000Kg, 4400 Lbs)
