The Fokker E.XVIII was a small and nimble fighter aircraft designed and built in 1921 by Fokker. Development had to be conducted in secret because of the Treaty of Versaille. It sported two Spandau machine guns in the nose which fired through the propeller blades. It could reach top speeds of around 220 miles per hour with takeoff speeds of around 110 miles per hour. The pilot was given a parachute, which was standard, before each takeoff, but the aircraft also carried an extra (which served as the pilot's back cushion) just in case the first failed to open (the main parachute would be attacked to the front of the pilots uniform and the secondary parachute to his back).