The Koolhoven F.K.55 was a Dutch fighter prototype of the 1930s, which did not progress beyond the prototype stage. Design of a Koolhoven high-performance aircraft first started late in 1937. The result, finished in early 1938 was the F.K.55, a single-seat fighter of radical design with contra-rotating propellers and an engine housed behind the pilot. It had initially been proposed to do away with ailerons on the wings, and replace them with “slot-spoilers” for lateral control, however this idea was abandoned early in the project.
Of mixed metal and wood construction with wooden wings, the F.K.55’s front fuselage was made of steel tube while wood formed the tail and rear fuselage. Its 640 kW (860 hp) Lorraine Pétrel engine afforded only just enough power to take off and to stay in flight. The production version would have used the more powerful 900 kW (1,200 hp) Lorraine 12R Sterna engine, but this never happened.
The aircraft flew for the first time on 30 June 1938. The booklet tells the story of the aircraft, well-illustrated with photographs, documents and a timeline of the history of the aircraft, and a technical drawing.
