Design and Development
In the late 1940s, the Dutch aircraft manufacturer, Fokker, realising that the increasing use of jet-powered fighters meant that existing piston-engined advanced trainers had insufficient performance, started design of a jet-engined advanced trainer, the S.14 Machtrainer. The S.14 was a low-winged monoplane of all-metal construction. In order to aid use in its role as a trainer, the crew of two sat side by side on Martin-Baker ejection seats, with room in the spacious cockpit for a third crew member, although this capability was never used. This gave a fairly wide fuselage. It had a retractable nosewheel undercarriage, and was powered by a single Rolls-Royce Derwent engine mounted in the centre fuselage, fed from air inlets in the aircraft's nose. Three airbrakes were fitted to the rear fuselage. The wing design and size allowed for the aircraft to land at much lower speeds than most jet aircraft at the time.
The first prototype, powered by a Derwent V engine, and registered PH-NDY, made its maiden flight on 19 May 1951, and despite being damaged when its undercarriage failing to extend on its second flight later the same day, was displayed at the Paris Air Show later that year.
The Royal Netherlands Air Force placed an order for 20 S.14s, with the more powerful Rolls-Royce Derwent 8 engine. Fokker had great hopes for exporting the Machtrainer, with Brazil planning to build 50 Rolls-Royce Nene powered Machtrainers under licence. The first prototype was refitted with a 5,100 lb (22.7 kN) Nene III engine, flying on 25 October 1953, this increasing the Machtrainer's maximum speed to 831 km.h (516 mph). In addition, the American aircraft manufacturer Fairchild, which later also built the Fokker Friendship under license, hoped to win an order for the aircraft from the United States Air Force. The Brazilian plans evaporated following political changes in Brazil, while Fairchild abandoned its production plans. Although several other countries also tested the aircraft, orders did not materialize.
Read more about this topic: Fokker S.14 Machtrainer
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