F-10

Fokker F-10A Super Trimotor
Role	Passenger and military transport Type of aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Fokker Aircraft Corporation of America
Introduction	1927
Number built	65
Developed from	Fokker F.VII

The Fokker F-10 was an enlarged development of the Fokker F.VII airliner, built in the late 1920s by the Fokker Aircraft Corporation of America. A trimotor, it carried 12 passengers, four more than the F.VII, and had a larger wing and more powerful engines.

Operational history

Fokker built 65 for commercial and military service. After the crash of a Transcontinental & Western Air F-10 in 1931, killing Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne and seven others, which was caused by the deterioration of the wooden wing spar, the type was temporarily grounded, and it was required to undergo more frequent and rigorous inspection. Its public image was also greatly damaged, leading to its early retirement from U.S. airlines.

Variants

F-10: Initial production variant.
F-10A: Improved and revised 14-passenger variant powered by three 420 hp (310 kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engines,^[1] often called the Super Trimotor.
C-5: United States Army designation for the evaluation of one re-engined F-10A powered by three Wright R-975 radials.
LB-2: Light bomber version.
RA-4: United States Navy designation for the evaluation of one F-10A.

Operators

Civil operators

United States

American Airways
TWA
Pan Am
Universal Airlines
Western Air Express (launch customer ^[2])
Boston-Maine Airways^[3]

Mexico

Mexicana
Aerovias Centrales^[3]

Military operators

United States

United States Army Air Corps designations C-5 and C-7A.^[4]

Accidents and incidents

On June 10, 1929, a Pan Am F-10, registration NC9700 and named Cuba, struck telephone wires and crashed while taking off from Santiago de Cuba bound for Havana, killing two of five on board. The aircraft failed to gain altitude due to a waterlogged runway.
On March 31, 1931, a Transcontinental & Western Air F-10 crashed near Bazaar, Kansas after a wing separated in flight, killing all eight on board, including football coach Knute Rockne.
On March 19, 1932, an American Airways F-10A, registration NC652E, struck power lines in heavy fog and crashed into an orchard near Calimesa, California, killing all seven on board.
On September 8, 1932, an American Airways F-10, registration NC9716, crashed into a mountain in poor weather near Salt Flat, Texas, killing three of four on board.

Specifications (F-10)

Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1928,^[5] Aero Favourites:Fokker F.10.^[6]

General characteristics

Crew: 1 pilot
Capacity: 12 passengers
Length: 50 ft 8 in (15.44 m)
Wingspan: 71 ft 2 in (21.69 m)
Height: 12 ft 5 in (3.78 m)
Wing area: 728 sq ft (67.6 m²)
Empty weight: 6,550 lb (2,971 kg)
Gross weight: 11,500 lb (5,216 kg)
Powerplant: 3 × Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 425 hp (317 kW) each
Propellers: 3-bladed metal propellers

Performance

Maximum speed: 140 mph (230 km/h, 120 kn)
Cruise speed: 120 mph (190 km/h, 100 kn)
Landing speed: 55 mph (48 kn; 89 km/h)
Range: 795 mi (1,279 km, 691 nmi)
Service ceiling: 18,000 ft (5,500 m)
Rate of climb: 1,420 ft/min (7.2 m/s)
Time to altitude: 10,000 ft (3,000 m) in 10 minutes
Wing loading: 15.8 lb/sq ft (77 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 9.05 lb/hp (5.50 kg/kW)

References

External links

Fokker aircraft

Company designations
pre-1918

M.1 M.2 M.3 M.4 M.5 M.6 M.7 M.8 M.9 M.10 M.14 M.15 M.16 M.17 M.18 M.19 M.21 M.22
V.1 V.2 V.3 V.4 V.5 V.6 V.7 V.8 V.9 V.10 V.11 V.12 V.13 V.14 V.16 V.17 V.18 V.20 V.21 V.22 V.23 V.24 V.25 V.26 V.27 V.28 V.29 V.30 V.31 V.33 V.34 V.35 V.36 V.37 V.38 V.39 V.40 V.41 V.42 V.43 V.44 V.45 W.1 W.2 W.3 W.4

Austro-Hungarian
military designations

German military
designations

A.I A.II A.III
C.I
D.I D.II D.III D.IV D.V D.VI D.VII D.VIII
Dr.I
E.I E.II E.III E.IV E.V
F.I
K.I

Company designations
post-1918

continuing
German military
style designations:

B.I B.II B.III B.IV B.V B.VI
C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII C.IX C.X C.XI C.XIV C.XV
D.IX D.X D.XI D.XII D.XIII D.XIV D.XV D.XVI D.XVII D.XVIII D.XIX D.XX D.XXI D.22 D.23 D.24
DC.I DC.II
F.I F.II F.III F.IV F.V F.VI F.VII F.VIII F.IX F.X F.XI F.XII F.XIII F.XIV F.XV F.XVI F.XVII F.XVIII F.XIX F.XX F.XXI F.XXIII F.25 F26 F27 F28 F.29 F.37
FG.I FG.II FG.III FG.IV
G.I G.II G.III
S.I S.II S.III S.IV S.V S.VI S.VII S.VIII S.IX S.X S.11 S.12 S.13 S.14 S.15 S.16
T.II T.III T.IV T.V T.VI T.VII T.VIII T.IX T.10

based on
seating:

F.XXII
F.XXIV
F.XXXVI
F.40
50
F.56
60
70
100
130

Atlantic Aircraft
(Fokker America/Atlantic-Fokker)

United States
military designations

Observation:	AO-1 CO-4 XO-27
Transports:	T-2 C-2 C-5 C-7 C-14 C-15 C-16 C-20 C-31 RA
Bombers:	XHB-2 XLB-2 XB-8 FT-1 FT-2
Attack:	XA-7
Fighters:	PW-5 PW-6 PW-7
Ambulance:	A-2
Trainer:	TW-4

United States military transport aircraft designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems

United States military transport aircraft designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems
Army/Air Force sequence (1925-1962)	C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7 C-8 C-9 C-10 C-11 C-12 C-13¹ C-14 C-15 C-16 C-17 C-18 C-19 C-20 C-21 C-22 C-23 C-24 C-25 C-26 C-27 C-28 C-29 C-30 C-31 C-32 C-33 C-34 C-35 C-36 C-37 C-38 C-39 C-40 C-41 A C-42 C-43 C-44 C-45 C-46 C-47 F T AC-47 C-48 C-49 C-50 C-51 C-52 C-53 C-54 C-55 C-56 C-57 C-58 C-59 C-60 C-61 C-62 C-63 C-64 C-65 C-66 C-67 C-68 C-69 C-70 B C-71 C-72 C-73 C-74 C-75 C-76 C-77 B-D C-78 C-79 C-80 C-81 C-82 C-83 A B C-84 C-85 C-86 C-87 C-88 C-89 C-90 C-91 C-92 C-93 C-94 C-95 C-96 C-97 KC-97 C-98 C-99 C-100 C-101 C-102 C-103 C-104 C-105 C-106 C-107 C-108 C-109 C-110 C-111 C-112 C-113 C-114 C-115 C-116 C-117 D C-118 C-119 AC-119 C-120 C-121 F C-122 C-123 A C-124 C-125 C-126 C-127² C-127 (I) C-127 (II) C-128 C-129 C-130 J AC-130 DC-130 EC-130/H HC-130 KC-130 LC-130 MC-130 WC-130 C-131 NC-131H C-132 C-133 C-134 C-135 KC-135 C-136 C-137² YC-137 (I) YC-137 (II) C-137 C-138¹ C-139¹ C-140 C-141 C-142
Tri-service sequence (1962-present)	C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7² C-7 RC-7 C-8 C-9 C-10² C-10 KC-10 C-11 C-12 RC-12 C-13¹ C-14 C-15 C-16¹ C-17 C-18 C-19 C-20² A-D F-J C-21 C-22 C-23 C-24 C-25 C-26 C-27 J C-28 C-29 C-30¹ C-31 C-32 C-33 C-34¹ C-35 C-36³ C-37A B C-38 C-39¹ C-40 C-41 C-42¹ C-43¹ C-44¹ C-45 C-46
Revived original sequence (2005-present)	C-143 C-144 C-145 C-146 C-147
Non-sequential designations	C-767 C-880
Related designations	CT-39 CT-43 CV-2 CV-7
¹ Not assigned • ² Assigned to multiple types • ³ Unconfirmed

USAAS/USAAC/USAAF/USAF bomber designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems

Original sequences
(1924–1930)

Light Bomber	LB-1 LB-2 LB-3 LB-4 LB-5 LB-6 LB-7 LB-8 LB-9 LB-10 LB-11 LB-12 LB-13 LB-14
Medium Bomber	B-1 B-2
Heavy Bomber	HB-1 HB-2 HB-3

Main sequence
(1930–1962)

B-1
B-2
B-3
B-4
B-5
B-6
B-7
B-8
B-9
B-10
B-11
B-12
B-13
B-14
B-15
B-16
B-17
B-18
B-19
B-20
B-21
B-22
B-23
B-24
B-25
B-26
B-27
B-28
B-29
- D
B-30
B-31
B-32
B-33
B-34
B-35
B-36
- G
B-37
B-38
B-39
B-40
B-41
B-42
B-43
B-44
B-45
B-46
B-47
- C
B-48
B-49
B-50
- C
B-51
B-52
B-53
B-54
B-55
B-56
B-57
- D
- F
B-58
B-59
B-60
B-61
B-62
B-63
B-64
B-65
B-66
B-67
B-68
B-69
B-70
B-71

Long-range Bomber
(1935–1936)

Tri-Service sequence
(1962–current)

B-1
B-2

Non-sequential

Redesignated A-series	B-20 B-26
Fighter-bomber, in F-series	FB-22 FB-111
Other	B-21

USN/USMC transport designations pre–1962

T-series (pre–1931)

Atlantic Aircraft	TA

R-series (1931–1962)

Atlantic Aircraft	RA -4
Budd	RB
Curtiss	RC R2C⁴ R3C⁴ R4C R5C
Douglas	RD R2D R3D R4D R4D-8 R5D R6D
Bellanca	RE
Kinner	RK
Kreider-Reisner	RK² R2K
Martin	RM
Lockheed	RO R2O R3O R4O R5O R6O R7O-1/-2 to "V" (see below, at "Lockheed")
Stinson	RQ R2Q² R3Q
Fairchild	RQ R2Q R3Q² R4Q
Ford	RR
Sikorsky	RS
Northrop	RT
Lockheed	from "O" (see above, at "Lockheed") R6V R7V-1/-2 R8V
Convair	RY R2Y R3Y R4Y

¹ Not assigned
² Assigned to a different manufacturer's type
³ Sequence restarted
⁴ Assigned to a different class of aircraft