Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3

infobox Aircraft
name = F.K.3
type = General purpose / Trainer aircraft
manufacturer = Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft



caption =
designer = Frederick Koolhoven
first flight =
introduced =
retired =
status =
primary user = Royal Flying Corps
more users =
produced =
number built =
unit cost =
developed from = Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2
variants with their own articles = The Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3 was a British two-seat general purpose aircraft built by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft.

History

The Dutch aircraft designer Frederick Koolhoven joined Armstrong Whitworth in 1914. He designed a series of aircraft that had his initials in their designation. The F.K.3 followed the basic layout of the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c, which Armstrong Whitworth were building for the Royal Flying Corps. It was designed as an improvement, with a simplified structure. Trials at Upavon in May 1916 proved that the F.K.3 had a better performance in some respects than the B.E.2c, although it had a poorer useful load. Armstrong Whitworth were given a contract to build 150 aircraft with another 350 being built by Hewlett & Blondeau Limited at Luton. Production F.K.3s had the pilot's and observer's positions reversed from that of the prototype (and the B.E.2), so that the pilot sat in the front seat and the observer in the rear, thus allowing the observer a much more effective field of fire, although in the event few F.K.3s were flown with armament.

Operational Service

The F.K.3 was not adopted for use by operational squadrons of the RFC in France, as the more capable F.K.8 and R.E.8 were both already in prospect. Only one overseas unit received the F.K.3 (which was 47 Squadron at Salonika), all the other aircraft were based in the United Kingdom. Most of the aircraft were used for training until replaced by the Avro 504.

Military Operators

;AUS
* Australian Flying Corps
**No. 3 Squadron AFC - Used for training.;UK -
*Royal Air Force
**No. 47 Squadron RAF
*Royal Flying Corps
**No. 43 Squadron RFC
**No. 47 Squadron RFC
**No. 53 Squadron RFC
**No. 55 Squadron RFC
**No. 63 Squadron RFC

pecifications (F.K.3)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=The British Bomber since 1914Cite book
author=Mason, Francis K
authorlink =
|title=The British Bomber since 1914
publisher=Putnam Aeronautical Books
year=1994
id= ISBN 0 85177 861 5
crew=2
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 29 ft
length alt=8.84 m
span main=40 ft
span alt=12.19 m
height main=11 ft 11 in
height alt=3.63 m
area main=442 ft²
area alt= 41.1 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,386 lb
empty weight alt= 629 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 2,056 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 983 kg
more general=
engine (prop)=RAF 1A
type of prop=inline piston engine
number of props=1
power main= 90 hp
power alt=67 kW
max speed main= 77 knots
max speed alt= 89 mph, 143 km/h
max speed more=at sea level
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main= 12,000 ft
ceiling alt= 3,660 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance= *Endurance: 3hr
more performance= *Rate of Climb: 5000 ft in 19 min
armament= *1 0.303 in Lewis gun in rear cockpit
or
*up to 112 lb bombs (if flown as single seater)
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
* F.K.8
similar=
* Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2

References