Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2

The Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 was a biplane hunter British of the First World War. It could also be used as bomber. This apparatus equipped with a propelling engine entered in service starting from the autumn 1915. It had, in company of the Airco D.H.2, to face the German monoplanes Fokker which dominated the sky then.

The F.E.2 ( F arman E xperimental 2 ) was developed by the Royal Aircraft Factory starting from its predecessor, F.E.1. In 1913, the design of this apparatus was completely modified and a prototype was construct. But in February 1914 this one was crushed and was completely destroyed. Right before the beginning of the First World War, the Royal Flying Corps placed order of the first production aircraft, and this in spite of the fact that the propelling engine apparatuses then were regarded as exceeded. But the British then did not have yet a machine-gun synchronized which made it possible to draw through the trajectory from the propeller, contrary with the German monoplanes Fokker. The F.E.2 was a two-seater aircraft and the gunner (which acted also as observer) had sat with front, in front of the pilot, which conferred an excellent visibility to him. Initially the plane was equipped with a machine-gun Lewis cal. 7,7 mm, later it accepted a second from it. The F.E.2 could also carry up to 235 kg of bombs.

The first series of 12 F.E.2a quickly was reformed and replaced by the F.E.2b . This aircraft was initially been driven by an engine Beardmore on line cooled by water of 120 ch. (89 kw). Later on it was replaced by a Beardmore engine of 160 ch. (119 kw). In the version of " bomber nocturne" " F.E.2c" , the places of the pilot and the observer were reversed.

F.E.2b entered in service as from September 1915 within the Squadron No 6 of RFC . Approximately two thirds of the apparatuses flew as hunters and a third as bombers. The June 18th 1916, of the " F.E.2b" succeeded in overcoming the German ace max Immelmann during an aerial combat but probably Immelmann did not accept the fatal blow by an enemy shooting but by the broken propeller of its monoplane Fokker. On the whole 1939 specimens of the versions " F.E.2b" and " F.E.2c" were built.

It flew as diurnal bombers until in 1917, then as night bombers until August 1918. 16 escadrilles of the RFC equipped with F.E.2 were stationed in France and 6 others were assigned to the defense of the British territory.

The last version, built with 336 specimens, was the F.E.2d . It had an engine Rolls-Royce Eagle of 250 ch. (186 kw). This version was equipped with a machine-gun fixed at the higher empennage and the observer was to handle it while being to upright be able to draw backwards, which was rather delicate lasting an aerial combat… Certain apparatuses had a fixed machine-gun directed towards before which could be handled by the pilot.

From 1917, the F.E.2 started to have more and more evil to hold head with the German modern hunters but its pilots appreciated it for his remarkable stability. Manfred von Richthofen was also seriously wounded with the head in June 1917 whereas it fought against several F.E.2.

The F.E.2 was also employed in the anti-submarine Lutte and it was then equipped with bags filled with air to prevent that it does not run too quickly in the event of ditching.

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