Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8

Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8
B.E.8 prototype
Role	Two-seat general purpose biplane
Manufacturer	Various (designed at Royal Aircraft Factory)
Designer	John Kenworthy
First flight	1913
Introduction	1914
Retired	1916
Primary user	Royal Flying Corps
Number built	approx 70

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.

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. The main changes were that the fuselage now rested on the lower wing, in the normal way for a tractor biplane, and that the tail unit was changed to the B.E.2 pattern. 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 B.E.2c type wings, featuring ailerons instead of wing warping and a revised tail unit.

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.

Data from British Aeroplanes 1914-18

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

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