Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8

what is it?

The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8 was a British two-seat single-engined general purpose biplane of the First World War, designed by John Kenworthy at the Royal Aircraft Factory in 1913. 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.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · biplane · 11.5 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 113 km/htop speed
• built 70made in total

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 113 years ago, in 1913.
• 🚗Wingspan of 11.5 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

1913

introduced

1914

retired

1916

status

retired

number built

70

role

two-seat general purpose biplane

makers

Royal Aircraft Establishment

engines

1× Gnome 7 Lambda / Gnome rotary engine

crew

2

length

8.3 m

wingspan

11.5 m

height

2.8 m

top speed

113 km/h

range

—

wings

biplane

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.