R.E.8

The Royal Aircraft Establishment’s R.E.8 entered service in early 1916 as a purpose‑built reconnaissance and artillery‑spotting machine for the Royal Flying Corps. Developed from the earlier B.E.2 series, the R.E.8 combined a robust airframe with a more powerful 150 hp RAF 4a V‑type engine, giving a top speed of about 106 mph and a service ceiling of 13,000 ft. Its two‑seat, tandem cockpit placed the pilot under the wing and the observer behind, allowing an observer‑mounted Lewis gun on a flexible ring mount and a forward‑firing synchronized Vickers gun for the pilot. The aircraft’s wooden fuselage, fabric‑covered wings and fixed, single‑axle undercarriage made it relatively easy to repair at front‑line aerodromes. Despite early handling difficulties that earned it the nickname “Harry Tate’s messy fart”, steady improvements in pilot training and minor aerodynamic tweaks made the R.E.8 a dependable workhorse throughout the latter half of World I, flying more than 100,000 sorties. Its reliability and abundance established the template for post‑war two‑seat reconnaissance types and cemented the R.E.8’s place as a pivotal step in the evolution of military aviation. It also served as a training platform for many pilots who later flew the more advanced fighters of the 1920s.

Royal Aircraft Establishment

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Design & Classification