74. RAF FE8

Although somewhat overshadowed by its better known contemporary-the de Havilland DH 2 (subject of DATAFILE No.48) which preceded it into service-the Royal Aircraft Factory's FE8 pusher fighter served in four Frontline RFC units in France with at least one pilot scoring eight victories on the type. Nevertheless, the FE8 was already obsolete by the time it arrived at the Front and proved to be a poor match for superior twin-gunned  German Albatros fighters, suffering particularly badly at the hands of von Richthofen's elite Jasta 11. In this highly informative monograph, Jack Bruce relates the development and service history of the FE8 supported with many rare and revealing archive images. These,combined with Ian Stair's scale plans and series editor Ray Rimell's colour notes, provide a unique study of this largely unsung British warplane that enjoyed the dubious distinction of being the last pusher fighter to see combat service.