The aircraft first flew on May 26, 1938 and entered service on August 12, 1938. In May 1940 it was equipped with a radio, making it only 1 of 3 radio-equipped aircraft out of all D.XXI's. The aircraft made 6 wartime flights and was burned at Schiphol during the capitulation. The aircraft was part of the 1 JaVA of the 2 aviation regiment at Ypenburg.

Photo taken on October 1, 1939 - the brand new orange triangle markings were being shown to the troops. The caption on the back of the photo reads: 'We were flying the D.21, which could stay in the air for over 1.5 hours.' This airfame crashed at Hillegersberg on November 22, 1939. Seen here flying together with 241, which was shot down while landing on May 10, 1940. Photo by: Hein Schmidt Crans / Royal Netherlands Air Force

First flight on September 22, 1938 and entered service a week later. In December 1939 the aircraft was damaged while being flown by Sgt Jacob Roos. On May 15, 1940, it was seized by the Germans while still under repair at Fokker and cannibalised to support other captured examples.

On 11 May 1940 this fighter was shot down by Bf 110s near Nieuwkoop, which happens to be my place of birth. In 1993 the wreck was excavated by members of the Crash Foundation to be put on display in their small museum. The museum later moved to Aalsmeerderbrug, just south of Schiphol.

The first D.XXI fighter for Denmark, one of two Dutch-built aircraft delivered in April 1938. Photo from: Alf Blume collection

De Kooy is a naval airfield but the D.XXI fighters of 1 JaVA/1 Regt were based here briefly during November 1939 and again from 10 April 1940. This was arguably the top Dutch fighter unit and it did fairly well in air combat when the Germans invaded one month later. Note orange triangle national insignia, carried as of 1 October 1939. Photo from: Jaap de Moor collection

Delivery of the first four D.XXI fighters for the Dutch army air force. They are not armed yet. A month later during the Munich Crisis the service could only form three small fighter flights, one with D.XXIs, one with D.XVIIs and one with C.X reconaissance biplanes. Photo from: Bodo Sandberg collection

This replica of this small but rugged Dutch fighter is now on display in these Dutch WWII neutrality period markings at the Nationaal Militair Museum located at the former Soesterberg Air Base near Utrecht.

Fokker's D.21 (or D.XXI) fighter. This Fokker-built replica is pretty good although it has thick 'Finnish' undercarriage leg fairings. Unfortunately this nice exhibit is very poorly displayed in the new Military Museum at EHSB.

The D.21 or D.XXI was the closest thing to the Spitfire for three minor nations - Finland, Denmark, and Holland - in 1940, when Dutch military aircraft wore orange nationality markings. Serving with the White Mice squadron, the real 221 (c/n 5494), flown by Lt Herman Doppenberg, shot down a Bf 109 over Den Helder on 10 May 1940.