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During World War I several types of aircraft engines were designed and developed by the Royal Aircraft Factory, a government facility located in Farnborough, England, previously known as the HM Balloon Factory. The first of these was the RAF-1, development which began in 1913. It was an air-cooled V-8 engine based on the Renault V-8, but with larger cylinders. The design was improved in 1914 as the RAF-1a. A total of 2,860 RAF-1a engines were built between August 1914 and December 1918. The RAF-1a powered the: Airco D.H.6; Armstrong Whitworth F.K.2/F.K.3; Avro 504K; Boulton & Paul P.6 and P.9; de Havilland D.H.51; and Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c/d/e, B.E.9. and S.E.5 aircraft.