Fokker T.II

The Fokker T.II or T.2 was a single engine floatplane designed in the Netherlands in the early 1920s as a torpedo bomber. Three were bought by the US Navy who tested them against other aircraft from the US and the UK. The T.IIs did not win further production orders but remained in service for several years.

Design and development

Fokker's T-designation included both bombers and torpedo bombers; the T.II was the first of this series, as the T.I was an unbuilt project. Three were ordered by the US Navy early in 1921 and completed towards the end of that year. Air power enthusiast General Billy Mitchell visited the Fokker works at Veere in early 1922. General Clayton Bissell, traveling with him, was encouraged by Fokker to fly the T.II. He reported it unresponsive to the controls; Fokker responded by having about a meter of the rear fuselage cut out and the structure re-welded, which cured the problem. The three T.IIs were delivered to the US later in 1922, where they were given the designation FT-1 (Fokker torpedo).