In the Organisation of the Defence, stipulated in 1914, was the military aviation only intended for reconnaissance duties.  Two years later, the Chief of the General Staff proposed that also pure combat aircraft should be included. The parliament rejected this proposal, but through voluntary actions the first Swedish fighters could be purchased. The means had been donated by the citizens of Stockholm and the fighters should be used for the defence of the Swedish capital.

The 24 of January 1917 an agreement was signed between the Army and Fokker Flugzeugwerke in Schwerin concerning the delivery of four ”Doppeldecker neues Typs D.IV”. The purchaser should supply the necessary engines and armament.  

It showed itself that that Fokker D.IV was a less successful design that never saw front service in WWI and, except for the Swedish four, only three aircraft of this type were ever built. It made more sense to use the valuable engines in other aircraft.  

When the Fokkers were delivered, they were locked up, unused,  in a hangar at Stockholm aerodrome. They were not even painted with Swedish nationality markings and were never under the command of the Army Aviation Company. When they after many years were allowed to be used, they had become totally obsolete. 

Length:  6,3 m. Span:  9,7 m.  Maximum take-off weight: 920 kg. Max. speed: 100 km/h.

Updated 2010-07-12