The sole FK.48 was the last airliner built for KLM by the artisanal Koolhoven company, using a surplus FK.40 wing which was literally sawn in halves, interlinked in a gull shape and supported by four struts. Nicknamed 'Ajax', PH-AJX could carry six passengers in KLM service and was mainly used on the Amsterdam - Eindhoven route until it was relegated to sightseeing, air taxi and training duties.

KLM bought this unusual single-seat aircraft for tricycle landing gear training. Sold to the Royal Air Force as R2676 in 1939. Withdrawn from use 3 February 1942. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

'KLM's nose aircraft.' Bought for tricycle landing gear training. Later to the RAF as R2676. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

This photo was filed under 'Airports by country - J to Z', but SCADTA points to Colombia and another shot of the same scene carries the information that Troepiaal inaugurated a KLM West Indies Branch service to Barranquilla - Soledad from Curaçao, via Aruba and Maracaibo (Venezuela). The date was probably 15 May 1938. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

KLM's scheduled DC-2 inside Ringway's 1938 hangar when operating KLM's schedule from Schiphol. Ringway's new Austin ambulance poses alongside. From the airport archive 40 years ago.

KLM's Super Electra "Lepelaar" is operating the Schiphol-Doncaster-Ringway-Speke scheduled service on 12 August, shortly after delivery on 30 June 1938, replacing the usual DC-2. Sold to the first British Airways in August 1939 as G-AFYU and crashed off Malta on 21 December 1939.

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

Original colour picture. Both the DC-2 and the Groningen airport terminal were built in 1935. PH-AKQ was named Kwak (night heron) through a lack of birds beginning with Q. Bagged by the Germans in 1940, becoming D-AEAN with Lufthansa and SG-KV in the Luftwaffe. Captured by the RAF at Flensburg in May 1945 and allocated serial VP102. Last noted at Lüneburg in December 1945. Photo by: Hans Schade / Groninger Archieven

Uil (owl) was destroyed here by German bombing on 10 May 1940. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

A KLM DC-3 framed with three DC-2s, PH-AKN, -R and -S. Note the word 'Amsterdam' on the platform, and the modern spelling IJ rather than Y in the titles of the DC-3. PH-AKS was badly damaged on 28 October 1938. It was eventually repaired but only to be requisitioned for Lufthansa by the Germans, as was PH-AKR. AKN and ARX were destroyed by bombing here on 10 May 1940. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

KLMs Douglas DC-2 "Haan" operating the schedule from Schiphol via Doncaster (request stop) and on to Liverpool's Speke airport for the night. Taken in July 1938 from the rooftop observation balcony on the newly opened terminal. To SE-AKE of ABA and DC-1 and DO-1 of the Finnish AF.

Feathering test. Aircraft entered in the Dutch register on 18 March 1938. Unloaded in Rotterdam on 18 April. Assembled by Fokker. Delivered to KLM on 25 April. Crashed near Schiphol on 14 November 1938 on a flight from Berlin - Tempelhof. Two of the fourteen passengers and four of the five crew were killed. The modern spelling of the aircraft name, meaning kingfisher, would be IJsvogel. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

KLM image. Crashed Curacao on August 13, 1948. Photo from: Civil Aviation Historical Society, Melbourne, Australia

'The captain C.G. von Rosen waves his wife goodbye, though the chocks are still in place.' Adventurous Swedish Count Carl Gustaf von Rosen was hired by KLM after flying in Ethiopia. He married stewardess Hanny Krijgsman in 1938. He took a leave of absence to fly a bomber DC-2 for Finland during the Winter War, and was back in Holland just in time to evacuate a KLM DC-3 to Britain in May 1940. Apparently the RAF did not accept him because he had just visited his uncle - Hermann Göring! He worked for ABA Aerotransport until 1945 and then went back to Africa. Hanny joined the Dutch resistance and survived Dachau concentration camp. She died in 1949. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

Andir airfield at Bandoeng (Bandung) was the terminus of KLM's Holland-Java route. Seen here with KNILM DC-2 PK-AFK before 1940, PH-ARE Emoe was en route during the German invasion of Holland and ended up with KNILM as PK-AFZ. It crash-landed in the area of Kuang Dalem (Ogan Ilir), some 80 km southwest of Palembang (South Sumatra) in late February 1942, allegedly carrying 'a large amount of gold'. Photo from: Tropenmuseum

Flown to England on 13 May 1940 by KLM chief pilot Dirk Parmentier. Used on the wartime Bristol - Lisbon service operated by KLM on behalf of BOAC, as G-EGBE. To NL-201, PH-TBE. Crashed at Lons-le-Saunier, France on 18 November 1946. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

Norway gets land airports. PH-AKI arrived at Fornebu on 31 May 1939 to open the Oslo - Kristiansand - Amsterdam service on 1 June, the official opening day of both Fornebu and Kristiansand - Kjevik. Both airports did have seaplane facilities. Photo by: Asbjørn Barlaup / Nasjonalbiblioteket (Norway)

Crashed on a training flight after the idle starboard engine would not pick up. Hit the ready room of an AAA platoon on the NE side of the airport near the bridge. One soldier killed, five wounded. Forward fuselage reads Vrachtdienst (cargo service). Aircraft repaired by December 1939 but destroyed in the bombing of Schiphol on 10 May 1940. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

Operating a scheduled service from Schiphol via Ringway to Liverpool (Speke). Taken from rooftop viewing area on 1938 terminal.

"Roek" was assembled by Fokker in March 1939. It is making the type's first visit to Ringway on the Schiphol schedule. It was captured by German forces on 16 May 1940 and served with the Luftwaffe and Lufthansa before crashing at Madrid on 9 December 1942. Note the right hand door.