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Typenumber
Spin (Spider) 3
Type
Experimental 2 seat aircraft
Country
Germany
Date first flight
1911

 

 

 

Fokker Spin (Spider) 3

Anthony Fokker proudly poses in his Spider, the picture was taken in 1922

Anthony circles around the Saint Bavo Church in Haarlem , 13 september 1911

Anthony after his flight over Haarlem with a Spider 3, september 1911

Anthony Fokker in the backseat of his third Spider, 1912

Fokker (right) with Fritz Cremer in the front seat, Th. Reinhold standing in front of Spider nr.3

Postcard from 1913: Fokker Spider 3 with closed fusulage in a turn over Fokker Military Flyingschool in Johannisthal

 

 

A first production model

 

This 3rd airplane was dramatically improved; the wings where standing in a V-position, by this the airplane was able to make better turns.

The airplane was put on a train to Haarlem and on the 31st of August 1911 Fokker made a couple of demonstration flights for the exciting spectators.

The next day he even got the courage to make a flight over the city and fly around the ST-Bravo church tower.



The people of Haarlem went outrageous and the parents of Anthony where very proud. To show this to Anthony how proud, they gave him a watch with a suitable inscription.

 


Production of the Spider


From that day on Fokker established on the Johannistal airport near Berlin.

After that he build more Spin's. The planes witch where build later got a more streamlined fuselage. Because of the many activities Johannistal Fokker became quick a well known appearance.
More off because his name was written in capitals under the wings of his Spin planes. It worked.

The Spin planes where build for sale and for training new pilots.
The market for training flights was not big but it was big enough for Fokker to live.

Two Spin's where saved by Fokker. One is coming from 1913 but the Germans took it to a museum in Berlin in the World War two. But the museum was destroyed by a bombardment. The Germans put the planes in a train and the train was send to the east. The Polish found the train after the war. The remainders of the Spin were given back to Fokker after many negotiations in the eighties. After that it was repaired.

Another Spin witch was made for the flying-jubilee of Fokker is in the Aviodome in Schiphol, Amsterdam. It did fly again for television recordings in 1990.