Jack van Egmond was just 14 when, in the 1960s, he acquired some original D.XXI drawings and began collecting related items. Over the years that followed he was instrumental in restoring a wide range of historic aircraft, including a Spitfire IX, Fairchild PT-26, Focke-Wulf Stieglitz and many others. The D.XXI, though, remained something of a 'holy grail'. Its combat debut had been with the Finnish Air Force during the Winter War against the Soviet Union in late 1939. When Germany attacked the Netherlands on 10 May 1940, 28 D.XXIs were serviceable with the Militaire Luchtvaart, and performed heroically against the odds. They shot down 37 of 55 Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 52/3ms that entered Dutch airspace that day, and at least three Messerschmitt Bf 109Es.
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