Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9

Royal Aircraft Factory · United Kingdom · first flew 1917 · fighter

The Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9 was a prototype British two-seat fighter-reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War. It was a single-engined pusher biplane with poor performance and handling, and only three were built.

Recognition (WEFT)

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

• Pusher biplane with the nacelle extending well forward of the wings
• Unequal-span single-bay wings, with the upper wing longer than the lower
• Observer seated in the nose ahead of the pilot

The nacelle extends well forward of the wings and sits high in the wing gap. The observer sits in the nose ahead of the pilot, and the wings are of unequal span.

Specifications

• The Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9 has a length of 8.61 m (28 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 11.52 m (38 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 169 km/h (105 mph).
• Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The Royal Aircraft Factory began the design in summer 1916 as a replacement for the F.E.2 and kept the pusher layout. The first of three prototypes flew in April 1917.

Variants

The second prototype had two-bay wings. Various designs of aileron and rudder were fitted to try to cure the handling problems.

Where you'll see it

After service trials in France, Major General Hugh Trenchard recommended that development be stopped. The second prototype was passed to No. 78 Squadron at Biggin Hill for home defence, and the 24 ordered production aircraft were not completed.

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• Royal Aircraft Factory A.E.3
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