Fokker Friendship

Fig. 1.1. Adhesively bonded components in the Fokker Friendship F27 airliner.

The most successful application example of this technology is the Fokker F 27/F50 Friendship , in which about 70% of the structure (ca. 550 parts) are bonded. The proven durability (> 1000 aircraft in service for up to 30 years) of this design is also due to the superior fatigue properties compared to a riveted construction. Additionally the chromic acid anodizing (CAA) of the aluminum surftices before bonding resulted in corrosion-resistant joints. 

Firstly, the immediate post-war industry was emerging from a major conflict, which had driven the acceptance of innovation at a greater pace than in peacetime. Secondly, the strong support of de Havilland was clear for aU to see and thirdly there were, in Europe, two passionate advocates for this approach. One was Boh Schliekelmann who was head of the Production Research Department at Fokker (then called N.V. Koninklijke Nederlandse Vliegtuigenfabriek Fokker) who, from the very first, used Redux bonding in Fokker s aeroplanes. This commenced in the late 1940s with the Fokker F-27 Friendship (Fig. 18) and continued to the present day with the F-28, F-50, F-70 and F-100. 

Simplification in design In general, the designs associated with bonded structures are simpler than those using rivets. For example, only simple design criteria were used to produce the Redux bonded wing sections of the Fokker F-27 Friendship and the RJ 80 (Figs. 21 and 22, respectively). 

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