Royal Aircraft Factory N.E.1
Royal Aircraft Factory · United Kingdom · first flew 1917 · fighter
The Royal Aircraft Factory N.E.1 was a prototype British night fighter of the First World War. It was a single-engined pusher biplane developed from the earlier F.E.9, but it was not successful and only six were built.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.69 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-engined pusher biplane with the engine behind the crew nacelle
- Three-bay equal-span wings with ailerons on both upper and lower wings
- Tail unit carried on tailbooms, with horn-balanced elevators
A pusher biplane powered by a 200 hp Hispano-Suiza 8 driving a four-bladed propeller, with the tail carried on booms. The gunner was armed with a Vickers 40 mm gun.
Specifications
- The Royal Aircraft Factory N.E.1 has a length of 8.69 m (29 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.58 m (48 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 153 km/h (95 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
In 1917 the Royal Aircraft Factory began a night fighter development of the F.E.9, which used the F.E.9 tailbooms, undercarriage and wing centre-sections with new three-bay outer wings and a larger tailplane. The design was revised to become the N.E.1, for Night-flying Experimental. The first prototype flew on 8 September 1917 and crashed six days later.
Variants
The first prototype carried a searchlight in the nose and was rebuilt with a new nacelle with the gunner moved ahead of the pilot. It flew again in that form on 4 October 1917. The Royal Aircraft Factory A.E.3 was a variant.
Where you'll see it
Testing showed the N.E.1 to be easy to fly and land, with an excellent field of fire for the gunner, but the official report doubted its performance was good enough for a night fighter. All six prototypes were completed, and the second went to No. 78 Squadron RFC.
Related aircraft
- Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9
- Royal Aircraft Factory A.E.3
- Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2e
- Royal Aircraft Factory C.E.1
- AEG D.I
- AEG Dr.I
- Albatros C.XIII
- Albatros D.IX
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