Armstrong-Whitworth FK8 Bomber

Armstrong-Whitworth FK8 Bomber

The Armstrong-Whitworth FK8 reconnaissance/bomber was a massive aircraft by WWI standards. It was large, ungainly and sturdy, an excellent platform to drop bombs from, but it was not at all agile. The pilots, gunners and mechanics all called it the "Ack-W" or "Big-Ack" for short. It was an improved version of the FK3 bomber. The F.K.8 went in production in May of 1916. They were widely used in World War I, around 1200 were built, of which 694 were provided to the French.

Technical Details
The Big-Ack was powered by the 120 hp Beardmore engine. It had a maximum speed of 90 mph, a ceiling of 12,800 ft (3900 m) and a range of 240 miles. It was armed with two 0.303 caliber machine guns, a Vickers on the cowling and a Lewis in the rear on a ring mount for the observer/gunner. It could carry 160 lbs of bombs under the wings.

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Image from: R. Rimmell. The Royal Flying Corps in World War One.