Single engine two seat trainer

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    In January 1940 the Belgian government signed contract N° 40/42 for the acquisition of 20 Koolhoven F.K.56 to be used as pilot-trainers. As the contract stipulated that one aircraft was to be delivered immediately, F.K.56 c/n 5613 destined for the Yugoslavian government was rerouted and arrived in Belgium on 12 February 1940 still wearing part of its construction number as N° 13 on the tail (see picture aboce). The Belgian Militair Vliegwezen / Aéronautique Militaire Belge had attributed the individual type letter "K" for the F.K.56 and serials starting at K-101. In the meantime, a second order was being negotiated by the Belgian for a further 50 Koolhovens. 

    A total of at least 7 Koolhovens was delivered to the AéM by the time of the German attack on 10 May 1940. Six of them attributed to the Goetsenhoven based N° 4 Training Squadron, one Koolhoven was operational with N° 3 Training-Squadron at Deurne. Unfortunately, none of the Goetsenhoven based Koolhovens survived the German attack on the base on 10 May 1940 while K-101 at Deurne escaped narrowly during the bombing of that airfield finally ending up at at Bordeaux-Mérignac (BA 106, FR) where it was still present in September 1940.