Koolhoven F.K.56

what is it?

The Koolhoven F.K.56 was a 1930s Dutch basic training monoplane designed and built by Koolhoven.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 11.5 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 300 km/htop speed
• range 800 kmwithout refuelling
• size 1,600 kgmax take-off weight
• built 31made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 88 years ago, in 1938.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.3× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 11.5 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1938-06-30

number built

31

role

basic training monoplane

origin

🇳🇱 Netherlands

makers

Koolhoven

engines

1× Wright Whirlwind R-975-E3

crew

2

length

7.9 m

wingspan

11.5 m

height

2.3 m

max take-off weight

1,600 kg

top speed

300 km/h

range

800 km

ceiling

7,300 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.