Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.9

Infobox Aircraft
name=B.E.9


caption=
type=Armed reconnaissance aircraft
manufacturer=Royal Aircraft Factory
designer=
first flight=
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retired=
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primary user=Royal Flying Corps
more users=
produced=
number built=1
variants with their own articles=The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.9 ("Blériot Experimental") was a British prototype reconnaissance aircraft of World War I. The intention of the designers was to provide the B.E.2 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. This design 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 concept 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. The single prototype built (serial "6800") was however tested in the field by No. 16 Squadron RFC. In his memoirs, Lt Duncan Grinnell-Milne recalls his gratitude that initial combat experience with the type proved inconclusive and that the it was not therefore ordered into mass production.

Operators

;UK
*Royal Flying Corps
**No. 16 Squadron RFC

pecifications (BE.9)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref= [ [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=694 British Aircraft directory] ]

crew=2 (pilot and observer)
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main=29 ft
length alt=

span main=40 ft 10 in
span alt=
height main=11 ft 5 in

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engine (prop)= RAF 1a
type of prop=V-8 engine
number of props=1
power main= 90 hp
power alt=
power original=

max speed main= 82 mph at sea level

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climb rate main= 4.5 min to 1,000 ft
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armament=Lewis gun

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References

*
* "Air Pictorial" March 1963

ee also

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft=
SPAD A.2 -
SPAD A.4

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