One of two Super Electras briefly operated by KLM in Europe, Ekster (magpie) arrived in Rotterdam on 10 March 1938 and crashed near Schiphol during a training flight on 9 December 1938. The four crew were all killed. The accident investigation blamed the experienced instructor for turning off the starboard engine too soon after take-off, while the trainee pilot had only one hour on the type. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

Beautiful night shot by professional photographer Van de Poll. Havik (Hawk) served KLM from 1932 until 1936. To British Airways on 31 October 1936 as G-AEOT but already lost three weeks later. Photo by: Willem van de Poll / Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

KLM opened its scheduled intercontinental service to the Dutch East Indies in 1930 on a fortnightly basis with the Fokker F.VIIb/3m. From 1 October 1931 it was flown weekly in both directions by the new Fokker F.XII, which could carried four to six passengers on the 15,000-km route in addition to the mail. PH-AIV Valk (falcon) has been put up horizontally for an inspection by Queen Wilhelmina. The comfy chairs, courtesy suitcases and catering provisions are also on display outside for the media, including the Polygoon cinema newsreel. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

The Farman F.170 is F-AIIA. PH-AEI to G-AEPU and SE-AHA. Donated to Finland and ferried from Sweden on 12 March 1940, the big Fokker twin served in the Finnish air force as FE-1 and crashed on 27 September 1941 following an engine failure. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

Prototype of the large twin-engined F.VIII airliner which had a 12-passenger interior in KLM service. It crashed near Sevenoaks, England after less than two months with the airline in 1927, but the company still ordered six production aircraft to serve its busiest European routes. Photo from: Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie

KLM's first multi-engined aircraft, the large FK.33 was designed by Frits Koolhoven for the NVI company. It was intended for evening services, flown by a crew of two pilots and a navigator. The three engines were uncovered. The pusher on the wing was not an afterthought but the aircraft did initially fly with two engines. Note the ladder behind the cabin. Seen here over Rotterdam, 'Dikke Dirk' (Fat Derek) was not a succes and only flew 85 hours for KLM between December 1925 and mid-1927 when it was sold as D-1250. The c/n was then registered as 501, and later changed to 1001.

Speed or comfort? Announced together with the luxurious F.XXXVI (F.36) in December 1932, the F.XX (F.20) was the only prewar Fokker airliner with retractable landing gear. Like its big sister, it was not ordered in series by KLM which opted for the metal DC-2. The only example, KLM's Zilvermeeuw (herring gull) is best known for going tech on 18 December 1933, an F.XVIII, PH-AIP Pelikaan, making a hyped Christmas mail flight to the Netherlands East Indies instead. Despite carrying the legend Holland-Java on its belly, the F.XX served on European routes. It ended up with the Spanish airline LAPE and crashed at Barcelona - El Prat in February 1938. Photo from: Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie

One of a few oddballs in the KLM fleet by Koolhoven, the other Dutch manufacturer. The FK.40 was a domestic airliner designed to carry up to six passengers, but the sole example was given a spacious interior for four. It was sold to a private pilot in 1936 and ended up in the Spanish Civil War. Photo from: ETH-Bibliothek Zürich

Entry number 1 in the Netherlands register, and one of the first two planes owned by KLM. Aircraft built at Schwerin in Germany, formerly D-57. Soon refitted with a Siddeley Puma engine, H-NABC is seen here over the western outskirts of Amsterdam. The diagonal canal is Kostverlorenvaart and the lone ribbon bending northwest along the tramway to Zandvoort is Admiraal de Ruijterweg. The uncompleted block on Baarsjesweg below the landing gear dates the photo from the second half of the 1920s. Aircraft to Sabena in 1927 as O-BAIC. Photo from: Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie

Schiphol was quite a throbbing hub by 1930. Seen here are three of KLM's 15-passenger Fokker F.VIIIs, PH-AEF, PH-AED and PH-AEI. Also present are three foreign Junkers, including G24s D-901 and D-1092 of Lufthansa, and Farman F.60 Goliath F-AEAU of Lignes Aériennes Farman. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

Former PH-DNM is awaiting delivery to United Aviation Service in the USA. New registration is applied, but still in full KLM colours.

KLM 100 years sticker