Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.3

The Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.3 (Farman or Fighting Experimental) also known as the A.E.1 (“Armed Experimental”) was a pusher biplane aircraft designed to carry a heavy cannon armament in the nose.

The tail of the F.E.3 was attached by a tubular boom to the propellor by bearings and braced by wires running to the wings. The engine was placed at the front of the nacelle and drove the propellor via a shaft and drive chains. The Coventry Ordnance Works COW 1½ lb shell-firing quick loading gun was to be mounted firing through the engine’s cooling air intake.

During testing in the summer of 1913, the propellor broke in-flight resulting in a forced landing. By this time it was realised that the tail boom was unstable and the aircraft was not repaired. However, in order to test the COW gun, the aircraft was suspended and the gun fired, showing that recoil loads were not excessive.