Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8

The Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8 was a British single‑seat fighter designed during the First World War and produced by the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. First flown in February 1916, the aircraft emerged from the factory’s “Farman‑type” series, intended to replace the earlier F.E.2 with a more capable tractor‑propeller layout and a forward‑firing machine gun synchronized to the propeller. Its most distinctive feature was the sesquiplane wing arrangement, with a large upper wing and a much smaller lower wing, which gave the type a compact appearance and improved upward visibility for the pilot. Powered by a 110 hp Le Rhône rotary engine, the F.E.8 could reach 90 mph and climb to 10,000 ft in roughly ten minutes. Structural innovations included a steel tube fuselage and a distinctive “V”‑shaped interplane strut that reduced drag. Although only about 200 were built and the type was quickly outclassed by newer German aircraft such as the Albatros D.III, the F.E.8 played a crucial role in the transition from pusher‑propeller fighters to the modern tractor‑propeller configuration. Its service with the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 demonstrated the importance of synchronized armament and contributed valuable lessons that shaped subsequent British fighter designs.

Royal Aircraft Establishment

Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8

Classification

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Design & Classification