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In 1915, Frederick Koolhoven, the chief designer of Sir W
G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd, initiated work on a
highly unorthodox three-seat triplane powered by a
250hp Rolls-Royce 12-cylinder water-cooled engine. It
was intended to accommodate two gunners each with
a 7.7mm machine gun in shallow nacelles
mounted above the centre wing on each side of the
fuselage, the gunners being seated ahead of the propeller
plane of the tractor engine. Although a prototype
was completed and allegedly designated F.K.5, this
was never flown, being extensively damaged as a result of a ground loop during its first take-off attempt.
The design, was extensively revised early in 1916 to
meet an RFC requirement for an airship interceptor and
long-range escort fighter. The revised design is
believed to have been designated F.K.6 (and certainly
not F.K.12 as has sometimes been stated) and four
examples were ordered, two of these being intended
for the RNAS. In the event, only one F.K.6 was built. The
gunners' nacelles were underslung on the central
mainplane, armament remained two 7.7mm
Lewis guns and the 250hp Rolls-Royce engine was retained.
It is believed that relatively limited flight testing
was undertaken.
 | A three-view drawing (1620 x 977) |
| CREW | 3 |
| ENGINE | 1 x 250hp Rolls-Royce piston engine |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 19.14 m | 63 ft 10 in |
| Length | 11.29 m | 37 ft 0 in |
| Height | 5.18 m | 17 ft 0 in |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 160 km/h | 99 mph |
| napo, 18.06.2011 My wife is of Whitworth decent out of England and any information you could send me regards the Whitworth name as connected to Sir W.G. Armstrong partnership would be greatly appreciated for its geneagolicical value to my wife's research. | | , wholesale=gmail.com, 18.06.2011 Thank you, | | Bruno, bcouplez=aol.com, 03.02.2008 Hello
From several sources the plane on photo is not a F.K.6 but a F.K.12
go and see this site: http://www.koolhoven.com/history/airplanes/aw/
Cordialement
Bruno | | Ray Larson, rglarson=oregontrail.net, 03.02.2007 I am very interested in any information as to the origin of the Whitworth part of the the W.G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Ltd. airplane manufacturing firm.
My wife is of Whitworth decent out of England and any information you could send me regards the Whitworth name as connected to Sir W.G. Armstrong partnership would be greatly appreciated for its geneagolicical value to my wife's research.
Thank you,
Ray Larson
rglarson@oregontrail.net |
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Do you have any comments about this aircraft ?
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COMPANY
PROFILE
FACTS AND FIGURES© The pilot of the original F.K.6
is unlikely to have been able
to see much in any direction.
The completely revised
second example
was only a marginal
improvement. © The nacelles were intended to give
the gunners a good field of fire but
a better solution might have been a
single gunner in the rear fuselage.
No armament was actually fitted. © The middle wing was much
longer than the others, but it is
hard to know quite why. The
other wings were equal span.
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