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Known as the 'Harry Tate', the R.E.8 looked a little like a scaled-up B.E.2. During the course of the latter half of World War I no less than 4,077 were built for the RFC/RAF and a few for Belgium. R.E.8s for British service standardised on the 112kW RAF 4a engine. During a brief spell on the Western Front in late 1916 several were lost through accidents, resulting in their temporary withdrawal. However from early 1917 the aircraft settled to a steady career as a reconnaissance aircraft and light bomber on the Western Front and in Palestine and Italy, remaining active until the Armistice.
| ENGINE | 1 x RAF 4a, 112kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 1300 kg | 2866 lb |
| Empty weight | 717 kg | 1581 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 12.98 m | 43 ft 7 in |
| Length | 8.5 m | 28 ft 11 in |
| Height | 3.47 m | 11 ft 5 in |
| Wing area | 35.07 m2 | 377.49 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 164 km/h | 102 mph |
| Ceiling | 4115 m | 13500 ft |
| ARMAMENT | 2 x 7.7mm machine-guns, 100kg of bombs |
 | A three-view drawing (662 x 664) |
| wendy magnall, wmagnall(@)shaw.ca, 09.10.2009 The RE-8 had an interrupter system and a regular forward firing gun on the port side. You claim the gun shot up over the propeller under "Facts and Figures" but this is not the case, at least not for any model I have found, seen, or read of. (My grandfather flew in one, BTW.) | | Bob Hughes, rf.hughes(@)virgin.net, 09.03.2007 I have a photograph of my grandfather and his mates standing round a RAF RE8 circa 1917. The plane carries the numbers C 2464 - is it possible to get any further inforamtion about this particular plane? Thanks |
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Do you have any comments about this aircraft ?
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COMPANY
PROFILE
FACTS AND FIGURES© The RE.8 had a forward-firing
machine gun set at an angle so
the pilot could fire it, but
where the bullets would miss
the propeller. This made hitting
an opponent almost impossible. © At least on early model RE.8s the
observer could not turn around in his
seat or fire the rear gun from a standing
position, so he had to somehow aim
and fire it over his shoulder. © The tendency to spin was reduced
by fitting a venrral fin at the base
of the tail. This further reduced
what little agility the RE.8 had.
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