Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}} {{Use British English|date=January 2018}} {{Infobox aircraft |name=Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8 |image=B.E.8 prototype.jpg |caption=B.E.8 prototype |type=Two-seat general purpose biplane |manufacturer=Various (designed at Royal Aircraft Factory) |designer=John Kenworthy |first_flight=1913 |introduction=1914 |retired=1916 |status= |primary_user=[[Royal Flying Corps]] |more_users= |produced= |number_built=approx 70 |variants= }} 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.<ref name="Hare p171">Hare 1990, p. 171.</ref> Small numbers were used by the [[Royal Flying Corps]] over the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] in the first year of the war, with the type being used as a [[training aircraft|trainer]] until 1916.

==Development and design== 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]]. The main changes were that the lower wings were now attached to the fuselage near the lower longerons, rather than running under it, and that the tail unit was changed to the B.E.2 pattern. 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 B.E.2c type wings, featuring [[aileron]]s instead of [[wing warping]] and a revised [[Empennage|tail unit]].

==Operational history== Both models of the aircraft entered service with the [[Royal Flying Corps]] and a small number served in [[France]] in 1914 and early 1915 but most were used by training units.<ref>Hare, 1990 p. 174</ref>

==Variants== ;BE.8 :Production aircraft with wing warping. ;BE.8a :Production aircraft with ailerons.

==Operators== ;{{UK}} *[[Royal Flying Corps]] **[[No. 1 Squadron RAF|No. 1 Squadron RFC]] **[[No. 2 Squadron RAF|No. 2 Squadron RFC]] **[[No. 3 Squadron RAF|No. 3 Squadron RFC]] **[[No. 5 Squadron RAF|No. 5 Squadron RFC]] **[[No. 6 Squadron RAF|No. 6 Squadron RFC]] **[[No. 9 Squadron RAF|No. 9 Squadron RFC]]

==Specifications (BE.8) ==

{{Aircraft specs |ref=The Royal Aircraft Factory<ref name="Hare">{{cite book |last1=Hare |first1=Paul R. |title=The Royal Aircraft Factory |date=1990 |publisher=Putnam Aeronautical |location=London |isbn=0851778437 |pages=171–175 |edition=1st}}</ref> |prime units?=imp  |crew=2 |length ft=27 |length in=4.5 |length note= |span ft=37 |span in=8 |span note= |height ft=9 |height in=4 |height note= |wing area sqft=368 |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight lb= |empty weight note= |gross weight lb= |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |more general=  |eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=[[Gnome 7 Lambda]] |eng1 type=7-cylinder air-cooled rotary piston engine |eng1 hp=80 |eng1 note=

|prop blade number=2 |prop name=fixed-pitch propeller |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop dia note=  |max speed mph=70 |max speed note=at sea level |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed note= |stall speed mph= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed note= |range miles= |range note= |ferry range miles= |ferry range note= |endurance=1 hour 30 minutes |ceiling ft= |ceiling note= |climb rate ftmin= |climb rate note= |time to altitude={{cvt|3000|ft|0}} in 10 minutes 30 seconds |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |power/mass= |more performance=  |guns= Small arms operated by crew |bombs=1× 100 lb (45 kg) bomb }}

==See also== {{aircontent  |see also= |related= |similar aircraft= |sequence= |lists= *[[List of aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps]] }}

==References== ===Citations=== {{commons category|Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8}} {{reflist}}

===Bibliography=== * 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.

{{Royal Aircraft Factory aircraft}}

[[Category:1910s British military reconnaissance aircraft]] [[Category:Royal Aircraft Factory aircraft|BE08]] [[Category:Biplanes]] [[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]] [[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1913]] [[Category:Rotary-engined aircraft]]