Price: £100.00

Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c

Designed and test flown by Geoffry De Haviland the BE2 prototype first flew in 1912 when it was found to be the best aeroplane attending the military trials of that year. The most important variant of the BE2 was the BE2c, of which a single example accompanied the RFC to France in August 1914. Deliveries of production BE2c's was slow to build up. One of the first bombing raids carried out by the BE2c was made by Lieut. Lanoe G. Hawker who attacked a Zeppelin shed on 19 April 1915. The arrival of the agile Focker monoplanes with their synchronised forward firing machine guns meant that the BE2c squadrons began to suffer appalling losses. Attempts were made to increase the defensive armament but that only served to degrade the BE2c's already mediocre performance.

Although the BE2c and its later variants served with the RFC into 1917 it's reputation never recovered and newer, and more capable aircraft gradually replaced it in front line service. Many BE2c's were modified as single seaters and used as stop gap night fighters to combat the Zeppelin raids over the United Kingdom and achieved a certain degree of success.

Performance

77 mph at sea level
Weight: 2,142 lb's all up weight
Ceiling: 10,000 ft
Powerplant: One 90 HP RAF 1a liquid cooled engine