#royalflyingcorps

The Armstrong Whitworth F.K.10 was a British First World War quadruplane fighter developed as part of a brief period of experimental interest in multi-wing aircraft. Designed by the Dutch-born engineer Frederick Koolhoven, the F.K.10 aimed to improve lift and manoeuvrability by stacking four narrow-chord wings in a compact arrangement. Although the concept appeared promising on paper, it emerged late in 1916, just as biplane fighters were proving dominant in both performance and practicality.

Constructed primarily of wood and fabric, the F.K.10 featured a single-bay wing structure with balanced ailerons on the middle wings, a neatly faired fuselage, and a two-seat configuration intended for reconnaissance and fighting. Power came from a 130 hp Clerget rotary engine, which was common among Allied aircraft of the period. Despite the engine’s reliability, the aircraft struggled to match the speed and climb of contemporary fighters such as the Sopwith 1½ Strutter.

Key British Weapons of World War I

The First World War (1914-18) witnessed an arsenal of new weapons as all sides were desperate to gain an advantage, particularly in the static trench warfare of the Western Front. There were some old tried-and-tested weapons like the Lee-Enfield rifle and massively armed battleships, but innovations included hand grenades, heavy artillery, armoured cars, tanks, and fighter planes. Below are some of the successes employed by the British armed forces as designers searched for ever more destructive weapons that could turn the tide of the war in their favour.

Rifle & Bayonet

The standard-issue rifle to British Army infantry was the Lee-Enfield rifle. This bolt-action rifle of joint US-British design had been in production in one form or another since 1888. It was a reliable and fast-loading gun with a 10-round or a 5-round magazine of .303 ammunition. An experienced soldier could fire off from 15 to 20 rounds a minute. The rifle was effective up to a range of around 600 yards (550 metres) and could be fitted with an M1907 bayonet, a knife with a 17-inch (43-cm) long blade and handle, for brutal close-quarter fighting. The Lee-Enfield was such a success that it was still being used by the army in the 1950s.

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