Fokker Spin

The Fokker Spin was the first airplane built by Anthony Fokker. The many bracing wires made the plane resemble a giant spider, hence its name Spin (Dutch for "spider").

Fokker, while studying in Germany, built the Spin in 1910 together with Jacob Goedecker and business partner Franz von Daum, who procured the engine. The plane started out as an experimental design to provide Fokker a means to explore his interest in flying. While the first Spin was destroyed when von Daum flew it into a tree, the engine was still salvageable and was used in the second version.

A second version of the Spin was built soon afterwards, in which Fokker taught himself to fly and earned his pilot license. This plane was also irreparably damaged by von Daum.

In Fokker's third model, he gained fame in his home country the Netherlands by flying around the tower of the Sint-Bavokerk in Haarlem on August 31, 1911. He further added to his fame by flying on the birthday of Queen Wilhelmina. After this success he founded an aircraft factory and flight school near Berlin. There, the M.1 through M.4 were developed for the German Army based on the Spin.

The M.1 was a two-seat monoplane built in small numbers as the M.3. It was first flown in 1911 and by 1913 had been transferred to military flying schools. The M.2 was a true military version of the......
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