Fokker M.5's

Like the Allies during the first World War, Germany also saw the importance of air power and what it could bring to the battlefield, and so with the funding of empires, the famous Anthony Fokker got his start. Fokker began his company in 1912 at the age of 20, and by the beginning of the war was manufacturing aircraft for the Germans.

For those that saw our Morane-Saulnier Type G you will recognize a similar design in the Fokker M.5. That is because the M.5 is in fact a licensed copy of the Morane-Saulnier Type H purchased before the war. With the exception of the Type G having a passenger seat, the two planes were considered virtually identical.

While the Type G would be retired by the Allies in mid 1915, The M.5 was in service until September of that year, and would later serve as the prototype for the far more famous Fokker EIII "Eindecker" the first plane to be fitted with a forward-fixed synchronized machine gun.

For those familiar with Canvas Eagles you will notice that we have done it yet again. Like the Morane-Saulnier Type G, and the Albatros BII before it, the Fokker M.5 is not a standard aircraft available in Canvas Eagles. So again I had to get creative and make my own sheet to simulate this era of combat.

Take a look:

Identical in its performance to the Type G, the Fokker M.5 has only a minor advantage in that the standard sidearm issued to German and Austrian pilots had 10 rounds, as opposed to the 6-7 the allies weapons had.

Using our modified "Rifle/Carbine Rules" which enforces ammo restrictions, it can make a big difference.

The model for the M.5 comes from Shapeways, which have really let me expand my available aircraft for Canvas Eagles. They are a little pricier than their pewter counter parts, but the detail on them is great!

Written by: Andrew Gregory