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Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.9
The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.9 (Blériot Experimental) was a British prototype reconnaissance aircraft of World War I.
Contents
Design
The intention of the designers was to provide the B.E.2c then in service with a forward field of fire. This was achieved by adding a small wooden box (which soon gained the nickname "pulpit") in front of the aircraft's propeller, which would accommodate a gunner armed with a Lewis gun on a trainable mount. As is obvious from the photograph, the wings were moved forward a little to maintain the centre of gravity.
A general layout of this kind had various drawbacks - the most obvious being the perilous situation of the gunner - who was liable to injury by the propeller, or to be crushed by the engine in the mildest of crashes. The type was not developed further by the Royal Aircraft Factory (although the French SPAD A.2, of broadly similar concept, saw some service) and was soon rendered superfluous by the availability of interrupter gears.
Service testing
The single prototype built (serial 1700) first flew at Farnborough on 14 August 1915, and in September that year was tested in the field in France by No. 16 Squadron RFC.[1] In his memoirs, Lt Duncan Grinnell-Milne recalls his gratitude that initial combat experience with the type proved inconclusive and that it was not therefore ordered into mass production.
Operators
Specifications (BE.9)
General characteristics
- Crew: 2 (pilot and observer)
- Length: 29 ft (8.84 m)
- Wingspan: 40 ft 10½ in (12.46 m)
- Height: 11 ft 5 in (3.48 m)
- Powerplant: 1× RAF 1a V-8 engine, 90 hp ()
Performance
- Maximum speed: 82 mph at sea level (71 knots, 131 km/h)
- Rate of climb: 4.5 min to 1,000 ft ()
Armament
See also
Comparable aircraft
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References
Notes
- ↑ Bruce March 1963, p.82.
- ↑ British Aircraft directory
- ↑ Bruce March 1963, p.83.
Bibliography
- Bruce, J.M. "Aircraft of the 1914-18 War: The B.E.9". Air Pictorial (March 1963): 80—83.
- Grinnell-Milne, Duncan William (1980). Wind in the Wires. Garden City, NY: Ayer Publishing.
Template:Royal Aircraft Factory aircraft
Lists relating to aviation | |
|---|---|
| General | Timeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines |
| Military | Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft |
| Notable incidents and accidents | Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths |
| Records | Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft |
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