VFW-Fokker GmbH was a joint venture of Fokker and

Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW) was a West German aerospace manufacturer. The company was formed by the 1964 merger of two German aerospace firms, Focke-Wulf and Weser Flugzeugbau GmbH (Weserflug). The formation of VFW was a natural outco ...

(VFW) started in 1969 that, from then on, controlled the ERNO initiative. The Entwicklungsring Nord (Northern development circle) — abbreviated ERNO — was a 1961 joint venture of Bremen-based

Weserflug Weser Flugzeugbau GmbH, known as Weserflug, was an aircraft manufacturing company in Germany. History The company was founded in 1934 as a subsidiary of the ship and machine company Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG (DESCHIMAG). It began prod ...

and Focke-Wulf with Hamburger Flugzeugbau to develop parts for rockets and get involved in space activities. In 1961 work began on a small, jet-powered transport aircraft initially styled Erno-61-4. After Weserflug and Focke Wulf formally merged into

(VFW) in 1964, the machine was redesignated VFW 614. The draft design was amended to a STOL 40-44 passenger jet with overwing engines, for easier operation from unprepared runways. German government

subsidies A subsidy or government incentive is a form of financial aid or support extended to an economic sector (business, or individual) generally with the aim of promoting economic and social policy. Although commonly extended from the government, the ter ...

enabled development to start in earnest in 1966. The first prototype started in August 1968, but then VFW and Fokker of the Netherlands formed a joint transnational holding company. VFW-Fokker teamed with

Republic Aviation The Republic Aviation Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer based in Farmingdale, New York, on Long Island. Originally known as the Seversky Aircraft Company, the company was responsible for the design and production of many important ...

to develop the ''D-24 Alliance'' Variable sweep wing

VTOL A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is one that can take off and land vertically without relying on a runway. This classification can include a variety of types of aircraft including helicopters as well as thrust-vectoring fixed-wi ...

aircraft as part of the AVS ("Advanced Vertical Strike"). The prototype flew on July 14, 1971, but crashed next February. Two more prototypes flew in 1972. German,

FAA The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

, and French DGA certifications completed in 1974, 1975, and 1976 respectively. The collaborative production arrangements involved Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) in Germany,

Fokker VFW VFW-Fokker GmbH was a joint venture of Fokker and Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW) started in 1969 that, from then on, controlled the ERNO initiative. The Entwicklungsring Nord (Northern development circle) — abbreviated ERNO — was a ...

in the Netherlands and SABCA and Fairey in Belgium. The first sale was to

Cimber Air Cimber may refer to: * Lucius Tillius Cimber (fl. 44 BC), ancient Roman governor, one of the assassins of Julius Caesar * Cimber Sterling, Danish airline * Cimber (airline), Danish airline, established in 2012 * Adam Cimber (born 1990), American p ...

, which started commercial flights in November 1975. The VFW-Fokker alliance affected the VFW 614 negatively, as Fokker needed to sell its competing F27 and F28. National subsidies were diverted to the

Airbus Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft throughout the world. The company has three divisions: ' ...

program, and the end came for the VFW-614. On August 19, 1977, the nineteenth (including prototypes) and last machine was completed. Few VFW 614 aircraft remained in use. Only the Koln/Bonn Flugbereitschaft der Luftwaffe continued flying VFW 614 until they finally ceased in 1998. Only DLR in

Braunschweig (region) Braunschweig (German Regierungsbezirk Braunschweig) was one of the eight former administrative regions (Regierungsbezirke) of Lower Saxony, Germany. It was located in the southeast of the state. The region covers roughly the area of the former st ...

and EADS

at Bremen now retain the machines for research duties. The European Space Agency ESA in June 1974 named a consortium headed by ERNO-VFW Fokker (Zentralgesellschaft VFW-Fokker GmbH) to build pressurized modules for

Spacelab Spacelab was a reusable laboratory developed by European Space Agency (ESA) and used on certain spaceflights flown by the Space Shuttle. The laboratory comprised multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier, ...

British Aerospace British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. Formed in 1977, in 1999 it purchased Marcon ...

, under contract to ERNO-VFW Fokker, built five -long, unpressurized, U-shaped pallet segments. West Germany provided 53.3% of Spacelab's cost and fulfilled 52.6% of all Spacelab work contracts. ERNO VFW Fokker, in competition with MBB, submitted the winning design, and became the prime contractor for Spacelab. MBB in 1981 took over VFW Fokker. The ERNO plant in Bremen continued as the headquarters for Spacelab design, production management, component testing, and assembly. Today, it is a part of

EADS Astrium Space Transportation Astrium was an aerospace manufacturer subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) that provided civil and military space systems and services from 2006 to 2013. In 2012, Astrium had a turnover of €5.8 billion and 18 ...

References

External links

VFW-Fokker Vfw 614 Regional jet
{{VFW-Fokker aircraft Defunct aircraft manufacturers of Germany Joint ventures Fokker