The FE2D flown by 20 squadron's 'ace' team Captain Stevens and Lt. Cambray.
RAF F.E.2d
role : multi role combat aircraft
first flight : 7 April 1916 s/n 7995 flown by Frank Goodden, operational : August 1916
country : United-Kingdom
design :
production : 350 aircraft (RAF and Boulton-Paul of Norwich)
general information :
To improve performance of the sturdy but somewhat sluggish FE2b a more powerfull Rolls Royce Eagle was installed.
The airframe was not changed only there was extra provision now for an additional 12 gallons of petrol. With the new engine top speed was 16 km/hr higher at 1524m but landing speed and manoeuvrability were adversely affected.
The higher rate of climb and service ceiling justified the adoptation of the new engine which was also far more reliable then the troublesome Beardmore engine.
The radiator for the Rolls Royce engine proved to be to large, giving excessive cooling during flight. This was cured by replacing the radiator by the radiator previously used for the Beardmore engine, installed without the cowling so it received the full airflow.
Shutters were still fitted to allow a faster warm-up, especially during colder weather.
Unfortunately the German air force became familiar with the new machine almost as quickly as did the RFC, as one of the first F.E.2ds to go to France, was ferried across the Channel by an inexperienced crew and inadvertently landed, without serious damage, on the wrong side of the lines, near Lille, effectively making a present of it to the enemy.
The FE2d was outclassed by the new German fighter planes arriving autumn 1916 and by April 1917 it was withdrawn from offensive patrols. For the defence the FE2 crew adopted what became later known as the Lufbery circle. When a formation of FE2’s was attacked they would form a circle which permitted that each gunner could protect the tail of the other FE2b.
Although outperformed, the FE2 still was liked by it crews for it sturdiness and good flying characteristics.
Also the FE2d still had a sting. Manfred von Richthofen was seriously wounded at the head by a bullet fired from a FE2d of no 20 squadron RFC on 6 July 1917.
The FE2d was replaced by the Bristol fighter at the front in France. It was moved back to the UK and used as Home Defence fighter. The FE2d was unlike the more numerous FE2b not to much used for bombing raids. Probably the bombload was limited due to the heavier RR engine installed in the same airframe.
users : RFC
crew : 2
armament : 2 movable 7.70 [mm] (0.303 in) Lewis machine-guns
engine : 1 Rolls Royce Eagle II liquid-cooled 12 -cylinder V-engine 250 [hp](183.9 KW)
FE2d with oleo undercarriage witch eliminated the nosewheel, as used on the FE2b.
dimensions :
wingspan : 14.56 [m], length : 9.83 [m], height : 3.85[m]
wing area : 45.89 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 1572 [kg]
empty weight operational : 1138 [kg] bombload : 70 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 151 [km/hr] at sea-level
climbing speed : 152 [m/min]
service ceiling : 4334 [m]
endurance : 3.5 [hours]
estimated action radius : 238 [km]
description :
3-bay biplane with fixed landing gear and tail strut
two spar upper and lower wing
tail supported by two open tail booms
engines, landing gear, fuel and bombs in or attached to the fuselage
airscrew :
fixed pitch 4 -bladed pusher airscrew with max. efficiency :0.60 [ ]
estimated diameter airscrew 2.77 [m]
angle of attack prop : 13.55 [ ]
fine pitch
reduction : 1.00 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1600 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 1.57 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 236 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 1.58 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 1.72 [m]
The Sergeant and the Cow, by Merv Corning (RAF FE2d)
Extract from Wikipedia :
On 7 January 1917 near Ploegsteert Wood, Belgium, Sergeant Mottershead was on patrol in FE-2d (serial number A39) with observer Lt. W E Gower when he was engaged in combat by two Albatros D.III of Jasta 8. Lt Gower managed to hit one and put it out of the action, the second Albatros however, flown by German 'ace' Leutnant Walter Göttsch (20 victories),[8] hit Mottershead's aircraft, with the petrol tank pierced and the machine was set on fire. Enveloped in flames which his observer was unable to subdue with a handheld fire extinguisher, the Sergeant was badly burned but nevertheless managed to take his aircraft back to the Allied lines and made a successful forced landing. The undercarriage collapsed on touching the ground however, throwing the observer clear but pinning Mottershead in his cockpit. He was subsequently rescued but died of his burns five days later.[9]
Mottershead received the only V.C. ever awarded to a non-commissioned RFC officer during the First World War.[10] The medal was presented to Mottershead's widow Lilian by King George V in a ceremony in Hyde Park, London on 2 June 1917.[11]
wing aspect ratio : 9.24 []
estimated gap : 1.85 [m]
gap/chord : 1.17 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 551 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 2.8 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 48.2 [kg/hr] (65.7 [litre/hr]) at 63 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 2.82 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 261 [litre] (191 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 379.0 [kg] = 2.06 [kg/KW]
weight 18 litre oil tank : 1.5 [kg]
oil tank filled with 1.4 litre oil : 1.2 [kg]
oil in engine 10 litre oil : 9.2 [kg]
fuel in engine 1 litre fuel : 0.9 [kg]
weight 28 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 4.2 [kg]
weight radiator : 29.4 [kg]
weight exhaust pipes & fuel lines 21.6 [kg]
weight self-starter : 4.5 [kg]
weight cowling 7.4 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 34.9 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 492 [kg](31.3 [%])
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An F.E.2d observer demonstrating the use of the rear-firing Lewis gun, which required him to stand on the rim of his cockpit.
weight tail boom : 47 [kg]
fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 7.52 [cm]): 142 [kg]
bracing : 10.4 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 11.9 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 3.8 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 7.0 [kg]
weight seats : 6.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 5.1 [kg]
weight bomb storage : 4.9 [kg]
weight C.F.S4B bomb sight : 1.2 [kg]
weight 233 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 18.6 [kg]
weight engine mounts & firewalls : 9 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 209 [kg](13.3 [%])
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weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 29 [kg]
total weight ribs (82 ribs) : 93 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 849.5 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 301.9 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 98 [kg]
weight wings : 221 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 4.81 [kg]
weight 12 interplane struts & cabane : 41.2 [kg]
weight cables (100 [m]) : 15.4 [kg] (= 154 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 5.0 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (2.5 [m2]) : 12.2 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (4.4 [m2]): 21.5 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 311 [kg] (19.8 [%])
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weight machine-gun(s) : 25.4 [kg]
weight Scarff ring mounting mg :13.8 [kg]
weight armament : 39 [kg]
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wheel pressure : 786.0 [kg]
weight 2 wheels (830 [mm] by 128 [mm]) : 39.2 [kg]
weight tailskid : 3.5 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 40.0 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 82.7 [kg] (5.3 [%]
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calculated empty weight : 1134 [kg](72.1 [%])
weight oil for 4.2 hours flying : 11.6 [kg]
weight cooling fluids : 39.7 [kg]
weight 6 drums empty : 1.2 [kg]
weight ammunition (282 rounds) : 9.0 [kg]
weight automatic pistol with spare magazines : 1.2 [kg]
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calculated operational weight empty : 1195 [kg] (76.0 [%])
published operational weight empty : 1138 [kg] (72.4 [%])
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weight crew : 162 [kg]
weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 96 [kg]
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operational weight : 1454 [kg](92.5 [%])
bomb load : 70 [kg]
operational weight bombing mission : 1524 [kg]
fuel reserve : 48 [kg] enough for 1.00 [hours] flying
operational weight fully loaded : 1572 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 76 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 1572 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (operational without bombload) : 7.91 [kg/kW]
total power : 183.9 [kW] at 1600 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 2.3 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 3.75 [g] ultimate load : 5.6 [g] load factor : 2.1 [g]
design flight time : 2.80 [hours]
design cycles : 321 sorties, design hours : 900 [hours]
operational wing loading : 311 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 194 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.36 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 11.49 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 1.93 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.12 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.14 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.29 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0052 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0525 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0473 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 76 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 91 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) : 96 [km/hr] at 2167 [m](power :42 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 110 [km/hr] at 2167 [m] (power:47 [%])
max. rate of climb speed : 92.5 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 136 [km/hr] op 2167 [m] (power:66 [%])
design speed prop : 143 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 151 [km/hr] op 100 [m] (power:98 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 236 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 101 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 9.29 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 4375 [m] with flying weight :1290 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight): 3825 [m] with flying weight :1454 [kg]
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 3600 [m] with flying weight :1524 [kg]
published ceiling (4334 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 7.32 [min]
climb to 3000m (without bombload) : 19.81 [min]
max. dive speed : 317.5 [km/hr] at 2600 [m] height
load factor at max. angle turn 1.99 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 55 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 11.4 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 3.00 [hours] with 2 crew and 70 [kg] useful (bomb)load and 75.6 [%] fuel
published endurance : 3.50 [hours] with 2 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 46 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
action radius : 275 [km] with 2 crew and 20[kg] photo camera/radio transmitter or bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 434 [litre] fuel : 899 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 141 [kg]
production : 19.20 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 2.65 [kg]
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Literature :
Praktisch handboek vliegtuigen deel 1 page 175
Warplanes WOI page 55,60,94
Jane’s fighting aircraft WOI page 35f
They fought for the sky page 118
Fighters 1914-19 page 99
Wikipedia
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
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(c) B van der Zalm 23 September 2019 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4