1931-1935



 

The Fokker F-VIIb was the successor to the successful single-engined Fokker F-VII.
When Henry Ford organized his first annual Ford Reliability Tour for airplanes in the autumn of 1925, Fokker quickly ordered his factory in Amsterdam to add an additional engine under each wing of the F-VII and to ship the plane to America to compete for the Ford Trophy. Thus was born the Fokker F-VII Trimotor, probably the most popular airliner in the world during the 1920s. This dependable aircraft was to make aviation history many times.
The Trimotor became the first three-engine airliner in the United States when it was entered in the 1925 Ford Reliability Tour. Sixteen other planes were also in this competition, which included 1,900 miles of flying and landings in 13 Midwestern cities. Piloting his high-wing monoplane himself much of the time, Fokker easily placed first. Immediately thereafter he ordered his three-engine transport into production.
Fokker's F-VII probably had more "firsts" to its credit than any other aircraft--before or since. For example, in 1926 an F-VII named the Josephine Ford carried Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett over the North Pole. In 1928 Australia's Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith spanned the Pacific Ocean from Oakland, California to Brisbane, Australia in his Southern Cross .
Swissair herited its share of Fokker VIIb's from balair and ad astra , its predecessor companies, who bought them at a unit price of CHF 185'200 each, and flew them until 1935.

 

Manufacturer
Fokker, Amsterdam (NL)
Span
21.70 m
Length 
14.60 m
Height 
4.50 m
Power (HP)  
3 x 200
Cruising Speed
180-190 km/h
Passengers
8-10
Range
> 800 km
Area of Operation
Europe

 

CH-162 / HB-LBQ

Fokker F.VIIb-3m

# 5208

26.3..1931

25.05.1935

Former Balair Aircraft. Registration changed to HB-LBQ in 1934.Sold to Ala Littoria as I-AFRO

CH-163 / HB-LBR

Fokker F.VIIb-3m

# 5209

26.03.1931

08.06.1935

Former Balair Aircraft. Registration changed to HB-LBR in 1934.Sold to Ala Littoria as I-UGRI.

CH-164 / HB-LBS

Fokker F.VIIb-3m

# 5210

26.03.1931

31.05.1935

Former Balair Aircraft. Registration changed to HB-LBS in 1934.Sold to Ala Littoria as I-UADI

CH-165 / HB-LAN

Fokker F.VIIb-3m

# 5105

26.03.1931

23.06.1935

Former Balair Aircraft. Registration changed to HB-LAN in 1934.Sold to Ala Littoria as I-UEBI.

CH-166 / HB-LAO

Fokker F.VIIb-3m

# 5238

26.03.1931

11.10.1935

Former Balair Aircraft. Had a Ladning accident as can be seen on the picture.
Registration changed to HB-LAO in 1934.Sold to Ala Littoria as I-ADUA

CH-190 / HB-LAK

Fokker F.VIIb-3m

# 5128

26.3..1931

12.04.1935

Former Ad Astra Aircraft. Registration changed to HB-LAK in 1934. Crash-landed in Promasens (CH), and cannibalized for spares in 1935.

CH-192

Fokker F.VIIb-3m

# 5225

26.3..1931

02.02.1934

Former Ad Astra Aircraft. Sold to Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia.

CH-193

Fokker F.VIIb-3m

# 5136

26.3..1931

19.06.1931

Former Ad Astra Aircraft. Destroyed by a fire during refuelling at Paris-Le-Bourget.

 

 
Southern Cross
Air France
KLM
IBERIA
   

 

 


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last update January 2009