Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8: Difference between revisions

Royal Aircraft Factory BE.8
Role	Two-seat scout biplane
First flight	1913
Primary user	Royal Flying Corps
Number built	approx 70

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Revision as of 03:45, 17 December 2012

The Royal Aircraft Factory BE.8 was a British two-seat single-engined scout biplane of the First World War, designed by John Kenworthy at the Royal Aircraft Factory in 1913.^[1] Small numbers were used by the Royal Flying Corps over the Western Front in the first year of the war, with the type being used as a trainer until 1916.

Development and design

The B.E.8 was the definitive development of the earlier B.E 3 type, and the last of the B.E. series to be designed with a rotary engine. A conventional tractor biplane with a fixed tailskid landing gear, it also had a pair of skids mounted forward to prevent the aircraft nosing over on rough ground. Three prototypes were built at Farnborough with a single long cockpit for both crew members. The production aircraft had two separate cockpits and were built by sub-contractors. The improved B.E.8a of 1915 had new wings, featuring ailerons instead of the wing warping and a revised tail unit.

Operational history

The aircraft entered service with the Royal Flying Corps and a small number served in France between 1914 and 1915 but most were used by training units.

Variants

BE.8: Production aircraft with wing warping.
BE.8a: Production aircraft with ailerons.

Operators

United Kingdom

Royal Flying Corps

Specifications (BE.8)

Data from British Aeroplanes 1914-18^[2]

General characteristics

Crew: 2 (pilot, observer)

Performance

References

^ Hare 1990, p. 171.
^ Bruce 1957, p.376.
^ BE.8a span 37 ft 8½ in (11.49 m)
^ Angelucci 1983, p. 22.
^ Hare 1990, p. 175.
^ Climb to 3,000 ft (910 m) in 10 min 30 s

Angelucci, Enzo. The Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft, 1914-1980. San Diego, California: The Military Press, 1983. ISBN 0-517-41021-4.
Bruce, J.M. British Aeroplanes 1914-18. London: Putnam, 1957.
Bruce, J.M. The Aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing) . London: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30084-X.
Hare, Paul R. The Royal Aircraft Factory. London:Putnam, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-843-7.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). London: Orbis Publishing, 1985, p. 2819.

[Hare_p171-1] Hare 1990, p. 171.

[Bruce_British_p376-2] Bruce 1957, p.376.

[3] BE.8a span 37 ft 8½ in (11.49 m)

[Angel_p22-4] Angelucci 1983, p. 22.

[Hare_p175-5] Hare 1990, p. 175.

[6] Climb to 3,000 ft (910 m) in 10 min 30 s

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 ==Development and design==
-The BE.8 was the last of the [[Louis Blériot|Bleriot]] Experimental types to be designed with a [[rotary engine]]. A conventional 1910s biplane with a fixed tailskid [[Undercarriage|landing gear]]. It also had a pair of skids mounted forward to prevent the aircraft nosing over on rough ground. Three prototypes were built at [[Royal Aircraft Establishment|Farnborough]] with a single long cockpit for both crew members. The production aircraft had two separate cockpits and were built by sub-contractors. An improved '''BE.8a''' in 1915 had new wings the wing warping replaced by [[aileron]]s and a revised [[Empennage|tail unit]].
+The B.E.8 was the definitive development of the earlier [[Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.3|B.E 3 type]], and the last of the B.E. series to be designed with a [[rotary engine]]. A conventional tractor biplane with a fixed tailskid [[Undercarriage|landing gear]], it also had a pair of skids mounted forward to prevent the aircraft nosing over on rough ground. Three prototypes were built at [[Royal Aircraft Establishment|Farnborough]] with a single long cockpit for both crew members. The production aircraft had two separate cockpits and were built by sub-contractors. The improved '''B.E.8a''' of 1915 had new wings, featuring [[aileron]]s instead of the wing warping and a revised [[Empennage|tail unit]].
 ==Operational history==

v t e Royal Aircraft Factory (R.A.F.) aircraft
Armoured Experimental	A.E.1 A.E.2 A.E.3
Blériot Experimental	B.E.1 B.E.2 B.E.3 B.E.4 B.E.5 B.E.6 B.E.7 B.E.8 B.E.9 B.E.10 B.E.11 B.E.12
Blériot Scout	B.S.1 B.S.2
Coastal Experimental	C.E.1
Farman Experimental Fighting Experimental	F.E.1 F.E.2 F.E.3 F.E.4 F.E.6 F.E.7 F.E.8 F.E.9 F.E.10 F.E.11 F.E.12
Night Experimental	N.E.1
Reconnaissance Experimental	R.E.1 R.E.2/H.R.E.2 H.R.E.3 R.E.5 R.E.7 R.E.8 R.E.9
Santos Experimental Scout Experimental	S.E.1 S.E.2 S.E.3 S.E.4 a S.E.5 S.E.6 S.E.7
Tatin Experimental	T.E.1
Airships	Nulli Secundis Baby/Beta Gamma Delta Eta
Nicknames	Farnborough Ram Goldfish Harry Tate

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