Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8
Royal Aircraft Factory First World War reconnaissance biplane / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 is a British two-seat biplane reconnaissance and bomber aircraft of the First World War that was designed and produced at the Royal Aircraft Factory. It was also built under contract by Austin Motors, Daimler, Standard Motors, Siddeley-Deasy and the Coventry Ordnance Works.
Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 | |
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A vintage R.E.8 performing over the Duxford Jubilee Airshow 2012 | |
Role | Reconnaissance, Bomber |
Manufacturer | Royal Aircraft Factory |
Designer | John Kenworthy / Walter Barling |
First flight | 17 June 1916 |
Introduction | 1916 |
Retired | 1918 |
Status | Retired |
Primary users | RFC/RAF Australian Flying Corps Aviation Militaire Belge |
Produced | 1916–1918 |
Number built | 4,077[1] |
Variants | Siddeley-Deasy R.T.1 |
Intended as a replacement for the vulnerable B.E.2, the R.E.8 was widely regarded as more difficult to fly and gained a reputation in the Royal Flying Corps for being "unsafe" that was never entirely dispelled. Although eventually it gave reasonably satisfactory service, it was never an outstanding combat aircraft. Nonetheless, it remained the standard British reconnaissance and artillery observation aircraft from mid-1917 to the end of the war, serving alongside the rather more popular Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8.
More than 4,000 R.E.8s were eventually produced; these aircraft saw service in a range of different theatres, including Italy, Russia, Palestine and Mesopotamia, as well as the Western Front. The R.E.8 was rapidly withdrawn from service after the end of the war, by which time it was regarded as totally obsolete.