Pander & Son
 | |
Native name | Nederlandse Fabriek van Vliegtuigen H. Pander & Zonen |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation |
| Founded | The Hague, The Netherlands (1924) |
| Founder | Harmen and Henk Pander |
| Defunct | 1934 |
| Fate | Liquidated |
Key people | Theo Slot |
| Products | Various aircraft models |
Pander & Son was an aviation firm located in The Hague, established by Harmen Pander alongside his son Henk Pander.
History
Harmen Pander, who managed a furniture manufacturing business, acquired the assets of the defunct Vliegtuig Industrie Holland (VIH) in 1924. This acquisition included the employment of designers Theodorus Egbert Slot and H. Van der Kwast. Subsequently, he founded the Nederlandse Fabriek van Vliegtuigen H. Pander & Zonen ("H. Pander and Son Dutch Aircraft Company") and initiated production of an enhanced model of the VIH Holland H.2, which was renamed the Pander D.
In 1929, German sailplane designer Alexander Lippisch visited the Netherlands, which inspired Theo Slot to construct the first Dutch glider in 1930. This glider, designated the P-1 Zögling, was modeled after the Stamer and Lippisch Z-12 Zögling.
The company manufactured a limited series of trainer and sport aircraft, among which the most notable was the Pander S4 Postjager, designed by Theo Slot. The concept originated from pilot Dirk Asjes, who expressed dissatisfaction with the sluggish progress of Dutch airmail services and requested a dedicated mail plane. This aircraft received the designation S.4 and was commonly referred to as the Postjager or Panderjager. Due to frequent mechanical issues, it later earned the nickname Pechjager—with "Pech" translating to "breakdown" in Dutch.
In October 1933, this plane embarked on a flight to the Netherlands East Indies. Despite making an emergency landing in Italy, it ultimately reached Batavia after spending 72 hours and 20 minutes airborne.
The following year, it participated in the MacRobertson London to Melbourne Air Race. While landing at Allahabad, India, the aircraft sustained damage to its landing gear. Although repairs were completed, it collided with a motor tractor during takeoff, crashed, and was destroyed by fire. Fortunately, the crew survived without injuries.[1] This incident marked the conclusion for the Pander enterprise, which was subsequently dissolved.
World War II
During the Second World War, Henk Pander—an ardent supporter of the Dutch Nazi Party (NSB)—revived the company’s operations. It produced 555 SG-38 gliders for use by the German paramilitary organization NSFK and performed maintenance on German aircraft. Following the war’s end, Henk Pander was detained and prosecuted for collaboration.
Pander aircraft
- Pander D (1924)
- A single-seat, single-engine monoplane designed for military training purposes. This model represented an advancement of the Holland H.2, which itself was a refined version of the Carley C.12. A total of seven units were produced and operated by both the MLD and the LA-KNIL (later known as the ML-KNIL).
- Pander E or EG-100 (1926)
- A single-engine sesquiplane accommodating one or two occupants, notable as Pander’s most successful design. Seventeen aircraft were constructed specifically for the Dutch Aviation School (NLS). In 1932, the Pander E, nicknamed Adelaar ("Eagle"), completed a round trip to the Netherlands East Indies.
- Pander P-1/P-2 "Gypsy Pander" (1929)
- A two-seat, single-engine high-wing aircraft intended for sport flying. Although it achieved moderate success in air racing, only two examples were manufactured.
- Pander PH-1 Zögling (1930)
- The Netherlands’ first domestically produced sailplane, modeled after Alexander Lippisch’s Zögling design. A reproduction is exhibited at the Aviodrome aviation museum in the Netherlands.
- Pander P-3 (1932)
- A high-wing, single-engine aircraft with seating for one or two individuals. This model saw limited production, with only one unit built.
- Pander Multipro (1932)
- A three-seat, single-engine high-wing sport aircraft. Production was limited to three units.
- Pander S4 Postjager (1933)
- A low-wing mail plane powered by three engines and configured for three occupants. Only one was constructed; it was lost in a ground accident during taxiing at the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race from London to Melbourne.
References
- Notes
- ↑ van Tuyl, Johan (2011). "Panderjager". aviacrash.nl (in Nederlands). Retrieved 8 March 2012.
- Bibliography
- Hazewinkel, Harm J. (2007). Pander, een Haagse vliegtuigfabriek [Pander, a Hague aircraft company] (in Nederlands). KNVvL. ISBN 90-808868-3-1. OCLC 150398345.
- Hazewinkel, Harm J.; van de Noort, Peter F.A. (1988). Vliegtuigbouw in Fokker's schaduw : de geschiedenis van al die andere Nederlandse vliegtuigbouwers [Aircraft in Fokker's shadow: the history of all the other Dutch aircraft companies] (in Nederlands). Sassenheim: Rebo Produkties. ISBN 90-366-0348-X.
- Wesselink, Theo; Postma, Thijs (1982). De Nederlandse vliegtuigen [Dutch Aircraft] (in Nederlands). Haarlem: Romen. ISBN 90-228-3792-0. OCLC 17259976.
- van der Zee, Sytze (2001). Vergeten legende : Frits Koolhoven 1886-1946 [Forgotten legend : Frits Koolhoven 1886-1946] (in Nederlands). Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij. ISBN 90-234-7057-5.