Fokker D-21 • Dutch WWII fighter • Restoration documentary

[Garfly]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75crsxINQcs

 

 

YT Description:

 

"A lost Dutch fighter roars back to life. After decades of hunting parts and drawings, one family pushes the world’s only Fokker D-21 toward the sky. From a stethoscope diagnosis on a stubborn cylinder to the moment the Wright Cyclone finally thunders into sync, Warplane Workshop tracks the Van Eggmans’ meticulous rebuild and the nerve-wracking first test flight with veteran pilot Dan Griffith. See how a wing-attachment mystery was solved using relics from a 1940 crash, why a variable-pitch prop can make or break the engine, and what rare color footage from RAF 322 Squadron reveals about the Dutch few who escaped to fight on. With today’s F-35 crews cheering them on, the family chases certification, airshow deadlines, and a promise made generations ago. What did the stall tests uncover? How close did the D-21 come to disaster on taxi runs? And why does this one-off machine matter so much to Dutch aviation history?"

 

 

 

[rgmwa]

Great effort over many years to get this flying again. They only had 28 operational aircraft when the Germans invaded in May 1940 but thanks mainly to their manoeuvrability managed to destroy about 250 German aircraft despite being much slower and heavily outnumbered, although I think a lot of those were transports on the ground or flying boats on the water. The Finns also used them very effectively against the Russians. 

[danny_galaga]

Leuk 😊 

[Hagunthum]

On 06/09/2026 at 12:52 AM, Garfly said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75crsxINQcs

 

 

YT Description:

 

"A lost Dutch fighter roars back to life. After decades of hunting parts and drawings, one family pushes the world’s only Fokker D-21 toward the sky. From a stethoscope diagnosis on a stubborn cylinder to the moment the Wright Cyclone finally thunders into sync, Warplane Workshop tracks the Van Eggmans’ meticulous rebuild and the nerve-wracking first test flight with veteran pilot Dan Griffith. See how a wing-attachment mystery was solved using relics from a 1940 crash, why a variable-pitch prop can make or break the engine, and what rare color footage from RAF 322 Squadron reveals about the Dutch few who escaped to fight on. With today’s F-35 crews cheering them on, the family chases certification, airshow deadlines, and a promise made generations ago. What did the stall tests uncover? How close did the D-21 come to disaster on taxi runs? And why does this one-off machine matter so much to Dutch aviation history?"

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing the YouTube link and description! The story of using relics from a 1940 crash to solve the wing-attachment mystery is fascinating. Watching the video right now!