Fokker F-30 Transport

The Fokker F-30 is a heavy-duty transporter aircraft designed and built for the Royal Dutch Air Force (KLu). The Fokker F-30 is 250 feet (76 m) long with a wingspan of 180 feet (55 m) and a height of 60 feet (18 m). A long-range craft, it is capable of reaching anywhere in the world without refueling and has a maximum speed of 6,000 miles per hour (9,700 km/h), which is roughly Mach 7.82 (but cruises at 2,000 miles per hour (3,200 km/h), roughly Mach 2.6).

The F-30 first flew in 2060 and the Dutch Air Force ordered 20 of the aircraft for their own use. The Dutch military uses the F-30 to transport its tanks to their operation deployment areas.

Initially meant to take a new generation of tanks, shortage of funds meant that the new Dutch tank was cancelled and the Leopard II remained the main battle tank for the Dutch army.

Owing to it's advanced design there was a lot of international interest in the Fokker F-30. The US Air Force ordered 200 of the type as the Fokker C-50 Thunderbird. Other customers are the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and India.

Model: 1/350 kit by AIP. TomZ