Airframe of the prototype Fokker M.5

The Fokker M.5 was an unarmed single-seat monoplane aircraft designed and built by Anthony Fokker in 1913. It served as a light reconnaissance aircraft with the German army at the outbreak of the First World War and was the basis for the first successful fighter aircraft, the Fokker E.I. Prototypes or prototypical instances combine the most representative attributes of a category. ... A monoplane is an aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. ... Time magazine, December 31, 1923 Anton Herman Gerard Anthony Fokker (April 6, 1890 – December 23, 1939), was born in Kediri (Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia) and became a Dutch aircraft manufacturer. ... 1913 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for attacking other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... Max Immelmann of Feldflieger Abteilung 62 in the cockpit of his Fokker E.I. The Fokker E.I was the first successful fighter aircraft, entering combat with the German Army Air Service in mid-1915 which marked the start of a period known as the Fokker Scourge during which the...

Fokker's inspiration for the M.5 was the French Morane-Saulnier Type H shoulder-wing monoplane though instead of the wooden wire-braced box girder structure of the Type H, Fokker used a welded steel tube frame. The powerplant was a 80 hp (60 kW) Gnôme 7-cylinder rotary engine (built under licence by Oberursel). The tail and elevators were fully-movable, having no fixed section. There were two versions of the M.5: the long-span M.5L and the short-span M.5K ("K" for kurz meaning "short" in German). The M.5 was light, strong and manoeuvrable, capable of aerobatics — Fokker himself performed in the M.5 at Johannisthal in May and June 1914, winning a number of awards. Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. ... For articles on non-piston rotary combustion engines, see also: Wankel engine Quasiturbine The rotary engine was a common type of internal combustion aircraft engine in the early years of the 20th century. ... Motorenfabrik Oberursel A.G. was a German manufacturer of automobile, locomotive and aircraft engines. ... A rudder is a device used to steer a ship or other watercraft. ... For other meanings of elevator see Elevator (disambiguation). ... Soon after aircraft were invented, pilots realised that they could be used as part of a flying circus to entertain people or impress others in what was termed aerobatics. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

The German army adopted the militarised long-span M.5, designated the A.II. A two-seat version, known as the M.8 also entered service as the A.I. These aircraft were used on the Western and Eastern Fronts in the early stages of the war. In early 1915, five M.5Ks were ordered, designated the A.III, but before delivery they were modified, being equipped with a single machine gun, becoming the Fokker E.I. For most of World War I, Allied Forces, predominantly those of France and the United Kingdom, were stalled at trenches on the Western Front. ... The Eastern Front refers to a theatre of war during the first World War in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. ... 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... Max Immelmann of Feldflieger Abteilung 62 in the cockpit of his Fokker E.I. The Fokker E.I was the first successful fighter aircraft, entering combat with the German Army Air Service in mid-1915 which marked the start of a period known as the Fokker Scourge during which the...

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Related development: Fokker E.I Max Immelmann of Feldflieger Abteilung 62 in the cockpit of his Fokker E.I. The Fokker E.I was the first successful fighter aircraft, entering combat with the German Army Air Service in mid-1915 which marked the start of a period known as the Fokker Scourge during which the...

Comparable aircraft: Morane-Saulnier Type H

Designation sequence: M.1 - M.2 - M.3 - M.4 - M.5 - M.8