1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. B.E.2c: Royal Navy? (1915)· Public domain
what is it?
The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 is a British single-engine tractor two-seat biplane, designed and developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory. Most of the roughly 3,500 built were constructed under contract by private companies, including established aircraft manufacturers and firms new to aircraft construction. Early versions entered squadron service with the Royal Flying Corps in 1912 and the type served throughout the First World War.
How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 11.3 m wingspan
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 114 years ago, in 1912.
- Wingspan of 11.3 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1912-02-01
- introduced
- 1912
- retired
- 1919
- status
- retired
- number built
- 3,500
- role
- reconnaissance aircraft
- makers
- Royal Aircraft Establishment
- engines
- 1× RAF 1a
- length
- 8.3 m
- wingspan
- 11.3 m
- height
- 3.4 m
- max take-off weight
- 1,066 kg
- top speed
- 116 km/h
- range
- 320 km
- ceiling
- 3,048 m
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q1189769, Wikipedia: Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.