Roy's last name

[Coota0]

Anybody know if Roy's last name is in relation to the famous WWII German aircraft, or perhaps in refernce to Anthony Fokker, or maybe he's supposed to be a relative?

[JB0]

Almost guaranteed a reference.

[hellohikaru]

It is Focker not Fokker. If it is inspired by the Fokker aircraft company then how bout Focke-Wulf ?

[Macross_Fanboy]

But in the TV series there does seem to be some refrence to aircraft concerning Roy's name. When Hikaru gets out of his Valkyrie to pick a dandelion he has a flashback about Roy in a biplane. But I think Carl Macek got Roy Fokker from that flashback in the original.

[JB0]

But I think Carl Macek got Roy Fokker from that flashback in the original.

Or from the fact that they're pretty obviously the same name, minor spelling quiblles aside?

[Macross_Fanboy]

Maybe. I noticed that in DYRL? when Misa is calling Roy to help defend Hikaru and Minmay she pronounced "Focker" much the same way "Fokker" is pronounced.

[Pat Payne]

The name is very definetly a reference to Antony Fokker, the Dutch-born aircraft designer who desinged and built some of the most defining German aircraft of WW1: the Fokker E-1 Eindecker (which in 1915 began the "Fokker Scourge"), the Fokker Dr.1 (the Red Baron's mount) and the Fokker D-VII (which was so effective that it was the only piece of military hardware mentioned by name in the Versailles treaty). The D-VII can also be seen a couple of times in Macross: Early on in a flashback, we can see Roy (and, IIRC, Hikaru) flying them and later, Roy gives Hikaru a model kit of the plane as a "get-well" present.

[Nightbat]

It is Focker not Fokker. If it is inspired by the Fokker aircraft company then how bout Focke-Wulf ?

Same as "Nimwegen" which should be "Nijmegen"

blame the Germans for that

but don't worry, us Dutch get even by sending German tourists the wrong way LOL

[David Hingtgen]

Yup, Fokker=very famous Dutch aircraft manufacturer. Big obvious hint: Hikaru is playing with a FOKKER toy plane, and it breaks when Roy dies. Unless it's a total coincidence written into that episode for no reason.

Anyways---Fokker is pronounced "Fock-er". Yes, 99.9% of Americans (including Fokker pilots) pronounce it "Foke-er", but I asked a Dutch guy who was interested in aviation, and he says it's "Fock-er". And I'll trust a Dutch guy who knows planes on how to pronounce a Dutch aviation name.

So Fokker is the right spelling, but Focker is the right pronunciation.

[Coota0]

Roy is definatly an American, maybe his families name was chnged when they left Europe?

[Nightbat]

Too bad Fokker itself went belly up

It's planes were highly praised by pilots

(too small of a country for something as big as aviation industry)

[David Hingtgen]

Sweden's always done well (SAAB), though it's always been considered surprising how a small country can make world-class planes alone. Even the UK and Germany haven't gone alone for a while. France just keeps modifying the Mirage XKR2M01 2000 Mk 6 ver 9.0 Platinum edition. (The Rafale's a Mirage with canards and we all know it)

[F-ZeroOne]

Anybody know if Roy's last name is in relation to the famous WWII German aircraft, or perhaps in refernce to Anthony Fokker, or maybe he's supposed to be a relative?

Sorry to be picky, but I think you mean "WW I" aircraft. AFAIK, Germany never used Fokker built aircraft during WW II, though the Dutch did.

[Coota0]

Anybody know if Roy's last name is in relation to the famous WWII German aircraft, or perhaps in refernce to Anthony Fokker, or maybe he's supposed to be a relative?

Sorry to be picky, but I think you mean "WW I" aircraft. AFAIK, Germany never used Fokker built aircraft during WW II, though the Dutch did.

You're right I was thinking Focke-Wulf, but the Fockker factories did produce German planes

[ewilen]

I didn't know that Fokker continued to make combat planes after WWI, but this discussion should at least include mention of their civilian aircraft, from the famous Fokker Trimotor to the modern F50.

[David Hingtgen]

I always mainly refer to Fokker's commercial planes. They ALL rock and always have. Combat planes--only their really early ones were good, they fell behind after WWI.

Their final aircraft was the F70, a shortened version of the F100 but with just as much power. Here's one of the few that was in service in the US: (I have personally seen this exact one, there was only 2 like this)

[hellohikaru]

The F70 was intended as a modern F28 replacement too bad Fockker folded b4 they could be produced in significant numbers.

[Pat Payne]

Anybody know if Roy's last name is in relation to the famous WWII German aircraft, or perhaps in refernce to Anthony Fokker, or maybe he's supposed to be a relative?

Sorry to be picky, but I think you mean "WW I" aircraft. AFAIK, Germany never used Fokker built aircraft during WW II, though the Dutch did.

They may have used some of Fokker's planes after Holland was overrun in 1940. The Germans, whose own military industry was never able to keep up with demand (the Germans didn't even go to a total war footing until 1943! ) gleefully used captured equipment themselves whenever they could. But that's getting a little off the track of this conversation

[mister_e]

I always assumed that the spelling of Roy's last name was changed to "Fokker" for Robotech because the spelling "Focker" is too close to...well, you know.

[David Hingtgen]

Ironically, "Fokker" was actually "correcting" the name to a real-world aviation name. But Focker was, IMHO, an INTENTIONAL miss-spelling from Kawamori, like the dozens of other "almost spelled like" aviation names throughout all of Macross. Either due to a joke, or avoiding copyright infringement.

Edited November 9, 2003 by David Hingtgen

[TheLoneWolf]

I'd say it's definitely an intentional misspelling. It fits in perfectly with Kawamori's love for bad puns.

Destroyed = Destroid

Maguro (tuna)= Ma-ku-ross (Macross)

and most recently...

Bulky Lee = Valkyrie

[Zero Enna]

You're talking about Roy Fokker from robotech.

And About Roy Focker from macross?

[David Hingtgen]

Yes, both.

[Pat Payne]

I always assumed that the spelling of Roy's last name was changed to "Fokker" for Robotech because the spelling "Focker" is too close to...well, you know.

Nope, although IIRC, they did change the pronouniation from Fokker (short "o," how it's supposed to be pronounced to something like "fohker" (long "o") to keep over sensitive parents from accidentally hearing it as "#*$%er" or "*#$% her."

[mister_e]

I always assumed that the spelling of Roy's last name was changed to "Fokker" for Robotech because the spelling "Focker" is too close to...well, you know.

Nope, although IIRC, they did change the pronouniation from Fokker (short "o," how it's supposed to be pronounced to something like "fohker" (long "o") to keep over sensitive parents from accidentally hearing it as "#*$%er" or "*#$% her."

They did indeed pronounce it "Foke-er" in Robotech.

[David Hingtgen]

That's because that's how about 99.9% of Americans (including me until I found out it was wrong) pronounce Fokker. I need to meet more Fokker pilots etc. and see what pronunciation variations I find....

[Agent ONE]

You don't need a slide rule to figure this out... Watch SDF-Macross, DYRL, or MZero. It is FOCKER pronounced exactly like it is spelled.

[Pat Payne]

Watch "Meet the Parents" with Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller -- that's how "Focker" is supposed to be pronounced.

Edited November 10, 2003 by Pat Payne

[tom64ss]

Watch "Meet the Parents" with Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller -- that's how "Focker" is supposed to be pronounced.

It's funny 'cause it's true.

[mildred]

That's because that's how about 99.9% of Americans (including me until I found out it was wrong) pronounce Fokker. I need to meet more Fokker pilots etc. and see what pronunciation variations I find....

i never knew that "fokker" was pronounced with a long o ("foh-ker) by anybody. if it was spelled "foker", a long o sound would be applicable, i guess.

i've always thought "focker " was an error-- i've always thought that it was roy fokker (pronounced as "fock-er"). i should pay more attention

[Blaine23]

Watch "Meet the Parents" with Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller -- that's how "Focker" is supposed to be pronounced.

It's funny 'cause it's true.

Jack Byrnes: His parents gotta be decent people if they named their son Gaylord Focker.

[Guvava]

The Martha Focker line in the movie was pretty funny.