Royal Aircraft Factory F.E. Series Fighting Scouts
The F.E.8 Biplane was one of the most successful fighters of the early war, helping to put an end to the Fokker Scourge of 1915. The Fee was faster and considerably more agile than the Fokker Eindecker and the larger twin-seaters that the Germans used for reconnaissance and artillery spotting. The FE8 was a single-seater, pusher-type biplane having the engine and propeller in the back of the fusilage. The advantages of this arrangement were primarily in pilot visibility and the lack of a propeller to fire through. Some disadvantages became apparent with usage. Anything flying out of the aircraft hit the propeller, sometimes damaging or destroying it. While the engine protected the pilot somewhat from bullets fired from behind, it was easier to destroy the engine. Also, in the event of a nose-down crash, the engine and fuel tended to land on top of the pilot, usually killing him.
Technical Details
The Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8 was powered by the 100 hp Gnome Monosoupape engine placed at the rear of the nacelle. giving it the maximum speed of 97 mph (156 kph) and a ceiling of 15,210 ft (4635 m). It was armed with a single Lewis gun with 48-round drums mounted on a spike and fired by the pilot. This was rather difficult to do while flying the airplane. Despite orders to the contrary many pilots fixed the machine gun to the nacelle thereby allowing them to aim it with the aircraft.
Canadian Aces Home Page
Image from: E. Parks, Fighters. The World's Great Aces and Their Planes. Permission to be requested.