Viewing The FK 23 Bantam at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum

On a recent visit to Amsterdam, Center of Excellence Executive Director Jason Petrait toured the city’s famous Rijksmuseum, where tucked away in the corner of the top floor sits Frits Koolhaven’s FK23 Bantam. The aircraft was designed as a fighter plane in World War I by Koolhaven, chief desinger for the British Aereonautical Transport Company.

Built in 1918 from wood, plywood, metal and linen, with construction materials selected for their lightness, the FK 23 Bantam could reach a speed of 220 kilometers per hour.

The Bantam was shown at the First Aviation Exhibition in Amsterdam in 1919. Read more about the exhibition and the FK 23 Bantam.