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Concept
Royal Aircraft Factory A.E.3
Summary
The Royal Aircraft Factory A.E.3 (Armed or Armoured Experimental), also known as the Farnborough Ram, was a prototype British armoured ground attack aircraft of the First World War. The A.E.3, which was a development of the Royal Aircraft Factory's N.E.1 night fighter, was a two-seat single-engined pusher biplane. Three were built in 1918, but the type was unsuccessful, with no further production ensuing.
In late 1917, the Royal Aircraft Factory started development of a two-seat, heavily armoured contact patrol aircraft for the Royal Flying Corps, designed to carry out observation in contact with the infantry, a job that required flying at low altitudes over the front line, exposing the aircraft to heavy small-arms fire from the enemy's trenches. Three prototypes of the resulting design, designated A.E.3, were ordered. It was a single-engined pusher biplane, based on the N.E.1 night fighter. It retained much of the structure of the N.E.1, including the outer wings, undercarriage, tailplane and tail booms, but had a new armoured nacelle constructed completely of armour plate. Two Lewis guns were fitted on an armoured mounting in the front of the nacelle that allowed the guns to be depressed to attack targets below, while another Lewis gun was mounted on a pillar mounting between the gunner and pilot to defend the aircraft from attack.
The A.E.1 was originally intended to be powered by the same Hispano-Suiza engine that had powered the N.E.1, but there were severe shortages of this engine, with over 400 S.E.5A fighters waiting incomplete due to lack of engines in January 1918, and it was decided to use alternative engines, with the Sunbeam Arab being chosen for the first prototype, and the Bentley BR.2 rotary engine (which would have been used if the aircraft was chosen for production) for the second.
The first A.E.1 flew during April 1918, with the second prototype following on 1 June 1918, while the third prototype, which was powered by an Arab engine, and fitted with face-hardened armour, was finished later that month.
Official source
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