Fokker G . I The Fokker G . I was a Dutch heavy twin - engined fighter plane comparable in size and role to the German Messerschmitt Bf 110 and the British Mosquito . Although in production prior to World War II , its combat introduction came at a time when the Netherlands was overrun . The few G . 1s that were mustered into service were able to score some victories , but ultimately the aircraft was withdrawn from operations , and the remainder of the production run was taken over by the " Luftwaffe " as trainers . Design and development . The G . I , given the nickname " le Faucheur " ( " reaper " in French ) , was designed as a private venture in 1936 by Fokker chief engineer Dr . Schatzki . Intended for the role of " jachtkruiser " , " heavy " fighter or air cruiser , able to gain air superiority over the battlefield as well as being a bomber destroyer , the G . 1 would fulfill a role seen as important at the time , by advocates of Giulio Douhet ' s theories on air power . The Fokker G . I utilized a twin - engined , twin - boom layout that featured a central nacelle housing two or three crew members ( a pilot , radio operator / navigator / rear gunner or a bombardier ) as well as a formidable armament of twin 23 mm ( . 91 in ) Madsen cannon and a pair of 7 . 9 mm ( . 31 in ) machine guns ( later eight machine guns ) in the nose and one in a rear turret . Besides its main mission , the G . 1 could be configured for ground attack and light bombing missions ( it could carry a bomb load of one 400 kg / 882 lb bomb or combinations of two 200 kg / 441 lb or 10 26 kg / 57 lb bombs ) . The design and construction of the prototype ( registered as X - 2 ) was completed in just seven months . At its introduction at the Paris Air Show in November 1936 , even before its first flight , the G . I was a sensation , appearing in a purple and yellow finish ( evocative of the Spanish Republican colors , thought to be Fokker ' s first export customer ) . Like all Fokker aircraft of the period , the G . I was of mixed construction ; the front of the central pod and the tail booms were built around a welded frame , covered with aluminium plating . The back of the central pod , however , as well as the wings , had a wooden frame , covered with triplex , a technique also used in Fokker ' s successful passenger aircraft at that time . The G . I prototype , powered by 485 kW ( 650 hp ) Hispano - Suiza 14AB - 02 / 03 engines , had its first flight at Welschap Airfield , near Eindhoven on 16 March 1937 with Karel Toman - Mares at the controls . Later , Emil Meinecke took over much of the test flights . The maiden flight went well , but a subsequent test flight in September 1937 ended with a supercharger explosion that nearly caused the loss of the prototype . The accident prompted a replacement of the Hispano - Suiza engines with 559 kW ( 750 hp ) Pratt & Whitney SB4 - G Twin Wasp Junior engines . Operational history . During testing , the company received a contract from the Spanish Republican government for 26 G . 1 " export " versions with Pratt & Whitney engines . Despite receiving payment , the order was destined never to be fulfilled as the Dutch government placed an embargo on the sale of military equipment to Spain . Fokker however continued building the aircraft and a story was released to the press that they were intended for Finland , hence the persistent tales about a " Finnish " order . Besides the Dutch " Luchtvaartafdeeling " , several foreign air forces showed an interest in the G . I . as either a fighter or dive - bomber . In order to test its potential as a dive - bomber , the G . 1 prototype was fitted with hydraulically operated dive brakes under the wings . Flight tests revealed that the G . 1 was capable of diving at over 644 km / h ( 400 mph ) and demonstrated aerobatic capabilities . Swedish Air Force officer Captain Björn Bjuggren tested the G . 1 in over 20 dives and reported favourably on its effectiveness as a dive bomber . Orders for G . 1b Wasp aircraft came from Spain ( 26 ordered ) and Sweden ( 18 ) , while the Mercury variant was ordered by Denmark ( 12 ) and Sweden ( 72 ) . Although Belgium , Turkey , Hungary and Switzerland air forces showed great interest , they never placed firm orders . The " Luchtvaartafdeeling " ordered 36 G . Ias with 541 kW ( 725 hp ) Bristol Mercury VIII engines , the standard engine used by the Dutch Air Force in the Fokker D . XXI fighter , in order to equip two squadrons . Only the first four examples were built as three - seaters intended for ground - attack , with the remainder being completed as two - seat fighters . During the lead - up to hostilities , a total of 26 G . Ias were operational in the 3rd " Jachtvliegtuigafdeling " ( JaVA ) at Rotterdam ( Waalhaven Airfield ) , and 4th JaVA Fighter Group at Bergen near Alkmaar . The aircraft were actively involved in border patrols and in order to ensure neutrality , on 20 March 1940 , a G . 1a from 4th JaVA forced down an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley from the RAF ' s 77 sqn when it strayed into Dutch air space . Battle of the Netherlands . On 10 May 1940 , when Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands , 23 G . 1a aircraft were serviceable while production of Spain ' s order of the G . 1b variant continued with a dozen aircraft completed , awaiting armament . The German invasion started with an early morning ( 03 : 50 hours ) " Luftwaffe " attack on the Dutch airfields . While the 4th JaVA received a devastating blow , losing all but one of its aircraft , at least two 3rd JaVA G . 1a fighters were launched in time to down three of the Heinkel He 111 bombers . The two squadrons continued to fly , but with mounting losses , bringing their numbers down to three airworthy aircraft by the end of the first day . At the Fokker factory , the embargoed Spanish G . 1bs aircraft were confiscated . All of these aircraft were unarmed , but three examples were hastily fitted with a four nose - mounted machine gun armament array . In the " Five - day War " , the available G . 1 fighters were mainly deployed in ground attack missions , strafing advancing German infantry units , but also used to attack Junkers Ju 52 / 3m transports . Although reports are fragmentary and inaccurate as to the results , G . 1 fighters were employed over Rotterdam and the Hague , contributing to the loss of 167 Ju 52s , scoring up to 14 confirmed kills . Aftermath . At the conclusion of hostilities , several G . Is were captured by the Germans , with the remainder of the Spanish order and G . 1bs that the Danish government had ordered in 1939 completed at the Fokker plant by mid - 1941 in order for the G . 1s to be assigned as fighter trainers for Bf 110 crews at Wiener Neustadt . For the next two years , " Flugzeugführerschule " ( B ) 8 flew the G . 1b until attrition grounded the fleet . On 5 May 1941 , a Fokker test pilot , Hidde Leegstra , accompanied by engineer ( and member of the Fokker Board of Directors ) Ir . Piet Vos , managed to fly a G . 1 to England . The crew ' s subterfuge involved acquiring additional fuel for the supposed test flight as well as ducking into clouds to deter the trailing " Luftwaffe " aircraft from following . After landing in England , the G . 1 was conscripted by Phillips and Powis Aircraft , later Miles Aircraft . The company had designed an all - wooden fighter - bomber , and was interested in the G . 1 wing structure and its resistance to the rigours of a British climate . Despite being left outdoors for the remainder of the war , the G . 1 survived only to be eventually scrapped after 1945 . There are no surviving G . Is today , although a replica can be found at the Dutch Air Force Museum in Soesterberg .