Reinhold Platz, chief engineer for Fokker, was at first shocked by the idea: further thought only strengthened this reaction.

Balanced control surfaces were fitted to the upper wings, those at the front acting as conventional ailerons and those in the rear working with the elevators.

Fokker, who was his own test pilot, made two brief flights in October 1917, after which it was abandoned.

The Fokker V.8 was powered by a 119 kW (160 hp) Mercedes engine.

[clarification needed] Platz regarded the aircraft as such a monstrosity that later on he would only speak of it reluctantly, and disliked its design being attributed to him.