Armstrong Whitworth F.K.10

infobox Aircraft
name = FK.10
type = Fighter
manufacturer = Armstrong Whitworth



caption = F.K.10
designer = Frederick Koolhoven
first flight = 1916
introduced =
introduction=
retired =
status =
primary user =
more users =
produced =
number built = 9 (1 F.K.9 + 8 F.K.10)
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = The Armstrong Whitworth F.K.10 was a British two seat quadriplane ("i.e.", four wing) fighter aircraft built by Armstrong Whitworth during the First World War. While it was ordered in small numbers for the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service, it was not used operationally. It is one of the few quadruplane aircraft to reach production.

Development

The F.K.10 was designed in 1916 by Frederick Koolhoven, Mason 1992, p.76. the chief designer of Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft as a single engined two seat fighter. Koolhoven chose the novel quadruplane layout, also used by Pemberton-Billing (later known as Supermarine) for the P.B.29E and Supermarine Nighthawk anti-Zeppelin aircraft, and the contemporary Wight Quadruplane scout. At roughly the same time, Sopwith were building the successful Sopwith Triplane fighter.

The first prototype, the F.K.9 Green and Swanborough 1994, p.25. was built and first flown in the summer of 1916, powered by a 110 hp Clerget 9Z engine. It had a shallow fuselage, with the wings joined by plank-like interplane struts, Bruce 1965, p.11-12.] similar to those used by the Sopwith Triplane. After evaluation at the Central Flying School in late 1916, a production order for 50 was placed by the RFC for a modified version, the F.K.10.

The production F.K.10 had a new, deeper fuselage, and a new tail, but retained the wing planform of the F.K.9. The F.K.10 showed inferior performance to the Sopwith 1½ Strutter, which was already in service as a successful two seat fighter, and only five were built of the RFC order, with a further three built for the RNAS. They were not used operationally and the design was not developed further. Bruce 1965, p.13.]

Variants

;F.K.9:Prototype powered by 110 hp Clerget 9Z engine.;F.K.10:Production version with revised fuselage and tail, powered by 130 hp Clerget 9B or Le Rhône 9J engine. 50 ordered, 8 built.

Operators

;UK
*Royal Flying Corps
*Royal Naval Air Service

pecifications (F.K.10 (130 hp Clerget))

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=Warplanes of the First World War, Fighters Volume One, Great Britain Bruce 1965, p.14.]
crew=One
capacity=
length main= 22 ft 3 in
length alt= 6.78 m
span main= 27 ft 10 in
span alt= 8.48 m
height main= 11 ft 6 in
height alt= 3.50 m
area main= 390 ft²
area alt= 26.3 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,236 lb
empty weight alt= 562 kg
loaded weight main= 2,019 lb
loaded weight alt= 918 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)= Clerget 9B
type of prop= rotary engine
number of props=1
power main= 130 hp
power alt= 97 kW
power original=
max speed main= knots
max speed alt= 84 mph, km/h
max speed more= at 6,500 ft (2,000 m)
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main= 10,000 ft
ceiling alt= 3,050 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= lb/ft²
loading alt= kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= hp/lb
power/mass alt= W/kg
more performance=*Endurance: 2½ hours
*Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 37 min 10 sec
armament=
*One forward firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun and one .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun in observer's cockpit
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
similar aircraft=*Sopwith 1½ Strutter
*Bristol F.2 Fighter
lists=
see also=

References

*cite book |last= Bruce |first=J.M. |title=Warplanes of the First World War, Fighters Volume One, Great Britain |year= 1965|publisher= Macdonald|location=London |isbn=
*cite book |last= Green|first= W. |coauthors=Swanborough, G. |title= The Complete Book of Fighters |edition= |year= 1994|publisher= Smithmark|location=New York |isbn= 0-8317-3939-8
*Cite book|author=Mason, Francis K|title=The British Fighter since 1912
publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Ma|year=1992|isbn= 1-55750-082-7

External links

[http://avia.russian.ee/air/england/arm_fk-10.php Virtual air museum]
[http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=102 British Aircraft Directory]