KLM had 7 Fokker VIII's in their fleet, with the first one arriving on June 24, 1927. They were used exclusively on the European routes. The PH-AED was exported to Venezuela on March 10, 1938. PH-AEF became G-AEPT on November 11, 1936 (wfu at Gatwick in May 1938, scrapped afterwards). PH-AEG became SE-AEB (later Tp.10/916) on October 19, 1934. PH-AEH was cancelled on November 9, 1936. PH-AEI was cancelled on November 28, 1936 and became G-AEPU, SE-AHA, OH-FOA and FE-1. Written off in Latva on September 27, 1941.

This old lady started her life in the USAF as 42-92298, became FZ549 in the RAF and then moved on to civilian duties. Those duties started with a transfer to KLM in 1947 and in 1949 it got registered as PH-TDV, was reregistered PH-UEV for a brief while before becoming PH-DAV (also with KLM). After that, she went to Itavia as I-TAVE and she ended her life with Pluna as CX-BDA. She never flew for Pluna, but was used for spare parts and is subsequently scrapped now.

Originally CH-159 in 1927, it joined DDL (Det Danske Luftfartselskab / Danish Airlines) between roughly 1929-1946 as OY-DED "Esbjerg". It then flew for nine years in Sweden as SE-ASE returning to Denmark as OY-ASE in 1955. Stored in Copenhagen for a while, it was sold to the museum in 1956 and flown to Amsterdam. It has been restored as "H-NACT", a KLM aircraft which was destroyed during the German attack on Schiphol in May 1940. It was later moved to Lelystad as H-NADP

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: Wereldmuseum

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

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 Withdrawn from use 3 February 1942.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

Schiphol in 1935, view towards the north. The airfield is becoming a tourist attraction. An old KLM Fokker .VIIa is presumably in use for sightseeing flights. Beyond the terrace is a D.XVI fighter. The DC-2 is named Koetilang, Malay for bulbul bird, reflecting the importance of the East Indies to KLM and to Dutch society in general. This DC-2 was destroyed by bombing here on 10 May 1940. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

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.

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 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

Postcard probably published in 1929. Later G-AEPU and SE-AHA. Donated to Finland and ferried from Sweden on 12 March 1940, the aircraft served in the Finnish air force as FE-1 and crashed 27 September 1941 following an engine failure.

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 radio operator. The three engines were uncovered. The pusher engine on the wing was not an afterthought although 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 in KLM service 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, -AED and -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

The largest Fokker aircraft ever in terms of wing area, the F.XXXVI (F.36) could accomodate four crew and 32 passengers, or 16 with pairs of seats converted to couches. Still of mixed construction with man-sized non-retractable mainwheels, it was not ordered in quantity by KLM president Albert Plesman who turned to the Douglas DC-2 for the Holland - Java route. The sole F.36, named Arend (eagle) was used on KLM's European network. Sold to Scottish Aviation in 1939 as G-AFZR, it crashed at Prestwick on 21 May 1940. Photo from: Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie

One of the FK.43 air taxis used by KLM, Citroenvlinder crashed on a training flight in December 1937. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives