Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3

The Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3 was a British two-seat general-purpose biplane built by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft during the First World War. It was one of the series of aircraft designed by the Dutch designer Frederick Koolhoven, who joined the firm in 1914 and gave each design his initials. It followed the layout of the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c that Armstrong Whitworth was building for the Royal Flying Corps, with a simplified structure that was easier to build and no welded joints. An early batch of seven, sometimes called the F.K.2, was rejected for service in France. Later aircraft had a new fin and rudder, a 90 hp RAF 1a engine and one extended cockpit for pilot and observer. Armstrong Whitworth received a contract for 150 aircraft, with another 350 to be built by Hewlett and Blondeau at Luton. Only 47 Squadron at Salonika used it overseas, and most were used for training until the Avro 504 replaced them.