Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8
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| F.K.8 | |
|---|---|
 Late production F.K.8 with small radiators, streamlined nose, and improved undercarriage |
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| Type | Bomber/reconnaissance aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Armstrong Whitworth |
| Designed by | Frederick Koolhoven |
| Maiden flight | May 1916 |
| Primary users | Royal Flying Corps Qantas |
| Developed from | Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3 |
The Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8 was a British two-seat general purpose aircraft built by Armstrong Whitworth during the First World War.
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[edit] Design and development
The aircraft (nicknamed the "Big Ack") was designed by Dutch aircraft designer Frederick Koolhoven as a replacement for the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c and the Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3. It was designed as a sturdier aircraft with a larger fuselage, and a reliable water-cooled motor. It was a rival design to the Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8. The first aircraft flew in May 1916 and was delivered to the Royal Flying Corps' Central Flying School at Upavon. Although it was easier to fly than the R.E.8, and was sturdier, its performance was even more pedestrian, and it shared the inherent stability of the Royal Aircraft Factory types. Nonetheless, a total of 1,650 were built, and the type served alongside the R.E.8 until the end of the war, at which point 694 F.K.8s remained on RAF charge. Late production examples were better streamlined – the original crude undercarriage and large box radiators being replaced with tidier units (as in the illustration).
The type was unusual in having dual controls, enabling the observer to control the aircraft in the event of the pilot becoming incapacitated by enemy action.[1]
[edit] Operational history
The F.K.8 served with several squadrons on operations in France, Macedonia, Palestine and for home defence, proving more popular in service than its better known contemporary, the R.E.8. The first squadron was 35 Squadron. The F.K.8 was principally used for the corps reconnaissance role, but was also used for light bombing, being capable of carrying up to six 40 lb phosphorus smoke bombs, up to four 65 lb bombs or two 112 lb bombs on underwing racks.[2]
Two Victoria Crosses were won by pilots of F.K.8s; one by Second Lieutenant Alan Arnett McLeod of No. 2 Squadron RFC, on 27 March 1918; and the second by Captain Ferdinand Maurice Felix West of No. 8 Squadron RAF on 10 August 1918.
With the R.E.8, the F.K.8 was scheduled to be replaced in the corps reconnaissance role by a version of the Bristol Fighter with a Sunbeam Arab engine. Unfortunately the engine was unsatisfactory, and this version of the Bristol never saw service. Like the R.E.8, the F.K.8 was quickly discarded with the end of the war – the last squadron, No. 150 Squadron RAF, being disbanded at Kirec in Greece on 18 September 1919.
[edit] Civil service
Eight aircraft were civil-registered after the war with two aircraft being used in Australia by the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services (later QANTAS, then Qantas Airways Ltd.).
[edit] Operators
[edit] Civil Operators
[edit] Military Operators
- Royal Flying Corps / Royal Air Force
- No. 2 Squadron RAF
- No. 8 Squadron RAF
- No. 10 Squadron RAF
- No. 17 Squadron RAF
- No. 31 Squadron RAF
- No. 35 Squadron RAF
- No. 39 Squadron RAF
- No. 47 Squadron RAF
- No. 50 Squadron RAF
- No. 55 Squadron RAF
- No. 82 Squadron RAF
- No. 98 Squadron RAF
- No. 142 Squadron RAF
- No. 143 Squadron RAF
- No. 150 Squadron RAF
[edit] Specifications (F.K.8)
Data from The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft[3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 31 ft 5 in (9.58 m)
- Wingspan: 43 ft 6 in (13.26 m)
- Height: 10 ft 11 in (3.33 m)
- Wing area: 540 ft² (50.17 m²)
- Empty weight: 1,916 lb (869 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 2,811 lb (1275 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Beardmore 6-cylinder inline piston engine, 160 hp (112 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 83 knots (95 mph, 153 km/h) at sea level
- Service ceiling 13,000 ft (3960 m)
- Endurance: 3 hours
[edit] See also
Related development
[edit] References
- ^ Munson, Kenneth "Aircraft of World War I". Ian Allan 1967. ISBN 0-7110-0356-4.
- ^ Mason, Francis K. The British Bomber Since 1914. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.
- ^ Donald, David and Lake, Jon, eds. Encyclopedia of World Military Aircraft. London: AIRtime Publishing, 1996. ISBN 1-880588-24-2.
- Taylor, John W.R. "Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8." Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the present. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0-425-03633-2.
[edit] External links
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