Macfie Monoplane
Robert Francis Macfie · United Kingdom · first flew 1909 · light aircraft
The Macfie monoplane was a British shoulder-wing tractor monoplane, designed, built and flown by the American-born engineer Robert Francis Macfie. Its 35 hp J.A.P. V8 engine was fixed at the front of an open-frame fuselage.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Uncovered open-frame V-section ash fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Shoulder-mounted wings controlled by wing-warping through wires to king posts
- Uncovered open-frame V-section ash fuselage
- J.A.P. V8 engine at the front driving a tractor propeller
Look for an early tractor monoplane with a bare wooden framework in place of a covered fuselage, a shoulder-mounted wing and a pivoting tailplane at the rear.
Specifications
- The Macfie Monoplane has a length of 7.16 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.69 m (29 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Construction began on 2 August 1909 and was completed on 16 September. The first flights took place at Fambridge in the following five weeks.
Variants
Only the one aircraft is described. It resembled the Bleriot XI in overall layout but differed in almost every design detail, and was designed for easy construction, maintenance and repair.
Where you'll see it
It was an individual experimental aircraft. Macfie later urged the Landships Committee to consider caterpillar tracks for an armoured vehicle, which led to the first British tanks.
Related aircraft
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.