Vickers F.B.14
Vickers · United Kingdom · first flew 1916 · fighter
The Vickers F.B.14 was a British two-seat fighter and reconnaissance biplane. About 100 were built for the Royal Flying Corps, but it saw only limited use.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.66 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Conventional single-bay biplane
- Two tandem open cockpits
- Steel-tube airframe with a fixed tailskid undercarriage
It is a conventional single-bay biplane with two tandem open cockpits. The wings are of unequal span.
Specifications
- The Vickers F.B.14 has a length of 8.66 m (28 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.04 m (40 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 160 km/h (99 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was designed for a new 230 hp BHP inline engine, which was not ready when the steel-tube airframe was completed in mid-1916. A 160 hp Beardmore engine was fitted instead and the aircraft was underpowered and unreliable.
Variants
The F.B.14 had a Beardmore engine and 104 were built. The F.B.14A had a Lorraine-Dietrich, the F.B.14D a Rolls-Royce Eagle IV and two-bay wings, and the F.B.14F a RAF 4a engine.
Where you'll see it
Some were sent to Mesopotamia and seven were used by home defence squadrons. On 22 July 1917 an F.B.14D engaged a German air raid and claimed an unconfirmed Gotha shoot-down.
Related aircraft
- Vickers F.B.11
- Vickers F.B.12
- Vickers F.B.16
- Vickers F.B.19
- Airco DH.5
- Albatros D.I
- Albatros D.II
- Albatros D.IV
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