DAN SHUMAKER COLLECTION
No. 7129. Koolhoven F.K.52 (PH-ASW c/n 5202)
Aeroplane Photo Supply (APS) Photo No. 885

Koolhoven F.K.52

11/30/2007. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "The private venture F.K.52 was designed a tactical reconnaissance aircraft. On February 9, 1937 the prototype (c/n 5201) flew for the first time at Waalraven, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, registered with test marking Z-1, on March 3 it was reregistered PH-AMZ. While being demonstrated to the Dutch forces the aircraft crashed at Soesterberg airfield on August 11, 1937. The test pilot Baumann and his mechanic Maan were killed instantly.

Koolhoven decided to build five aircraft for stock and PH-ASW was the first of these to fly, registered on May 6, 1938. Carrying the pseudo military marking "1006" it was also demonstrated to the Dutch forces, with no orders forthcoming. Together with the second stock aircraft PH-ASX (c/n 5203) it was sold to the Swedish Count Carl Gustav von Rosen in January 1940, who donated them to the Finnish AF. Registered OH-MVF and OH-MVG they were flown to Finland were they received the s/n KO-129 and KO-130.

The two aircraft saw action in the Finnish-Russian Winter War (cease-fire in March 1940), and in the continuation of the hostilities (restarted June 1941). KO-130 was shot down near Visele in Estonia, on August 16, 1941, while KO-129 crashed at Kauhava, Finland, on February 23, 1943. The unsold aircraft (c/n 5204 to 5206, PH-ASY, PH-ASZ, PH-ATA) were were lost in the bombardment at Waalraven in May 1940."


Created November 30, 2007