Frederick Koolhoven
Encyclopedia
Frederick Koolhoven (11 January 1886 – 1 July 1946) was an aircraft designer in Britain and his native Netherlands.
Koolhoven was born in Bloemendaal
, Netherlands
. After training as an engineer in Liège
and Antwerp, he worked from 1907 as a mechanical engineer for Minerva in Antwerp, and also drove in races and rallies for them. He became interested in aviation. In 1910 he acquiried his own Hanriot
aircraft, and was involved in the construction of the first Dutch plane the "Heidevogel"
He designed many aircraft, initially in England from 1912 for British Deperdussin, then from 1914 for Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft
, then from 1917 as chief designer for the British Aerial Transport Company
which went bankrupt in 1919.
He returned to the Netherlands, but there the market was dominated by Fokker
, so he returned to his old job as an automobile engineer for the Spyker
automobile factory.
In 1921, a group of businessmen founded the N.V. Nationale Vliegtuig Industrie
(National Aircraft Industry, Inc.), and hired him as their chief designer. The company lasted only four years. As with BAT, N.V.I. turned out many technically advanced designs, which attracted attention from all over the world but virtually no orders.
At the demise of N.V.I. Koolhoven convinced several shareholders that the company would still have been viable if he had had complete control of the operations. So when N.V.I. was dissolved, its assets were taken over by a new company: N.V. Koolhoven vliegtuigen (Koolhoven aircraft, Inc).
The company (see Koolhoven) became the second aircraft manufacturing company in the Netherlands after Fokker, but the factory at Waalhaven
was destroyed by German bombing in the Blitzkrieg on 10 May 1940 at the outbreak of World War II. Frederick Koolhoven was convinced that the bombing had everything to do with his contribution as an aircraft designer in England during World War I. For unknown reasons he became a very inactive member of the NSB
. After the war he was captured by the Dutch police because of this membership but he was released several days later. Frederick Koolhoven died of a stroke at Haarlem in 1946.
Koolhoven was born in Bloemendaal
Bloemendaal
Bloemendaal is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. According to the Dutch Central Statistical Bureau, Bloemendaal is the wealthiest place in the Netherlands.-Population centres :...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. After training as an engineer in Liège
Liège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
and Antwerp, he worked from 1907 as a mechanical engineer for Minerva in Antwerp, and also drove in races and rallies for them. He became interested in aviation. In 1910 he acquiried his own Hanriot
Hanriot
The Hanriot company was a French aircraft manufacturer.Following pioneering work, mainly with monoplanes, René Hanriot established a new company, Aeroplanes Hanriot et Cie in 1914...
aircraft, and was involved in the construction of the first Dutch plane the "Heidevogel"
He designed many aircraft, initially in England from 1912 for British Deperdussin, then from 1914 for Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft
Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft
Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Company, or Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, was a British aircraft manufacturer.-History:Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft was established as the Aerial Department of the Sir W. G Armstrong Whitworth & Company engineering group in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1912, and...
, then from 1917 as chief designer for the British Aerial Transport Company
British Aerial Transport
British Aerial Transport Company Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1917 to its closure in 1919. The company was based at Willesden, London.-History:...
which went bankrupt in 1919.
He returned to the Netherlands, but there the market was dominated by Fokker
Fokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919....
, so he returned to his old job as an automobile engineer for the Spyker
Spyker
Spyker was a Dutch car manufacturer, started in 1880 by coachbuilders Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker, but to be able to market the brand better in foreign countries, in 1903 the 'ij' was changed into 'y'...
automobile factory.
In 1921, a group of businessmen founded the N.V. Nationale Vliegtuig Industrie
NVI
NVI or nvi may refer to:* Nvi, a text editor* Avial NV, an airline * no value indicator, a non-denominated postage stamp* Navoiy Airport, in Uzbekistan * Negative volume index, a financial analysis method...
(National Aircraft Industry, Inc.), and hired him as their chief designer. The company lasted only four years. As with BAT, N.V.I. turned out many technically advanced designs, which attracted attention from all over the world but virtually no orders.
At the demise of N.V.I. Koolhoven convinced several shareholders that the company would still have been viable if he had had complete control of the operations. So when N.V.I. was dissolved, its assets were taken over by a new company: N.V. Koolhoven vliegtuigen (Koolhoven aircraft, Inc).
The company (see Koolhoven) became the second aircraft manufacturing company in the Netherlands after Fokker, but the factory at Waalhaven
Waalhaven
thumb|right|250px|Waalhaven Airport in 1932, with the [[LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin|Graf Zeppelin]] in the background.The Waalhaven is one of various harbours in the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands and used to be home to an airport, Vliegveld Waalhaven . It was the first civilian airport in the...
was destroyed by German bombing in the Blitzkrieg on 10 May 1940 at the outbreak of World War II. Frederick Koolhoven was convinced that the bombing had everything to do with his contribution as an aircraft designer in England during World War I. For unknown reasons he became a very inactive member of the NSB
National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands
The National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands was a Dutch fascist and later national socialist political party. As a parliamentary party participating in legislative elections, the NSB had some success during the 1930s...
. After the war he was captured by the Dutch police because of this membership but he was released several days later. Frederick Koolhoven died of a stroke at Haarlem in 1946.
See also
- Armstrong Whitworth AircraftArmstrong Whitworth AircraftSir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Company, or Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, was a British aircraft manufacturer.-History:Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft was established as the Aerial Department of the Sir W. G Armstrong Whitworth & Company engineering group in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1912, and...
for Koolhoven aircraft F.K 1 to F.K. 10 (1914 to 1917) - British Aerial TransportBritish Aerial TransportBritish Aerial Transport Company Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1917 to its closure in 1919. The company was based at Willesden, London.-History:...
for Koolhoven aircraft F.K 22 to F.K. 28 (1918 to 1920) - Desoutter Aircraft CompanyDesoutter Aircraft CompanyThe Desoutter Aircraft Company was a British aircraft manufacturer based in Croydon. It was founded by Marcel Desoutter and produced aircraft during the late 1920s and the 1930s.-History:...
which made Koolhoven aircraft (F.K. 41) under licence in England - Koolhoven for a list of his aircraft manufactured by N.V. Koolhoven; F.K. 30 to F.K. 59 (1926 to 1940)