Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.7

__NOTOC__ Infobox Aircraft
name=Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.7


caption=
type=Light bomber and reconnaissance biplane
manufacturer=Royal Aircraft Factory
designer=
first flight=1915
introduced=1915
retired=
status=
primary user=Royal Flying Corps
more users=
produced=
number built=230
developed from=Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.5
variants with their own articles=The Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.7 was a British two-seat light bomber and reconnaissance biplane designed by the Royal Aircraft Factory and built under contracts by the Coventry Ordnance Works, Austin, Napier and Siddeley-Deasey for the Royal Flying Corps.

Development

Developed from the R.E.5 the R.E.7 was designed to carry heavier loads and also suitable for escort and reconnaissance duties. It was an-unequal span biplane with a fixed tailskid landing gear and powered by a nose-mounted 120hp (89kW) Beardmore engine driving a four-bladed propeller. The aircraft was built by a number of different contractors with the first aircraft operational with the Royal Flying Corps in France in early 1916. The aircraft had two open cockpits with the observer/gunner in the forward cockpit under the upper wing and the pilot aft.

Operational history

It was soon found that the aircraft could not be used in the escort role due to the limited field of fire for the single lewis gun, but the R.E.7 had a useful payload and was soon used in the light bomber role with the a more powerful engine (either a 150hp (112kW) RAF 4a or 160hp (119kW) Beardmore). Over a quarter of the aircraft built were used in France in the middle of 1916, but their slow speed and low ceiling with a bomb load made them vulnerable to attack. The R.E.7s were withdrawn into a training role and a number were used as engine test beds. An unusual role was as a target tug trailing a sleeve drogue for air-to-air firing practice, probably one of the first aircraft used in this role.

Operator

;UK
*Royal Flying Corps
**No. 9 Squadron RFC
**No. 12 Squadron RFC
**No. 19 Squadron RFC
**No. 20 Squadron RFC
**No. 21 Squadron RFC
**No. 37 Squadron RFC
**No. 49 Squadron RFC

pecifications (light bomber)

aerospecs
ref=cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|year= |publisher= Orbis Publishing|location= |issn=|pages=2820
met or eng?= eng
crew=2 (pilot, observer/gunner)
capacity=
length m=9.72
length ft=31
length in=10½
span m=17.37
span ft=57
span in=0
swept m=
swept ft=
swept in=
rot number=
rot dia m=
rot dia ft=
rot dia in=
dia m=
dia ft=
dia in=
width m=
width ft=
width in=
height m=3.84
height ft=12
height in=7
wing area sqm=50.91
wing area sqft=548
swept area sqm=
swept area sqft=
rot area sqm=
rot area sqft=
volume m3=
volume ft3=
aspect ratio=
empty weight kg=1036
empty weight lb=2285
gross weight kg=1565
gross weight lb=3450
lift kg=
lift lb=
eng1 number=1
eng1 type=RAF 4a Vee piston engine
eng1 kw= 112
eng1 hp= 150
eng1 kn=
eng1 lbf=
eng1 kn-ab=
eng1 lbf-ab=
eng2 number=
eng2 type=
eng2 kw=
eng2 hp=
eng2 kn=
eng2 lbf=
eng2 kn-ab=
eng2 lbf-ab=
max speed kmh=135
max speed mph=84
max speed mach=
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
range km=
range miles=
endurance h= 6
endurance min= 0
ceiling m=1980
ceiling ft=6,500
glide ratio=
climb rate ms=
climb rate ftmin=
sink rate ms=
sink rate ftmin=
armament1=1 x 336lb (152kg) bomb or
armament2=smaller bombs up to 324lb (147kg)
armament3=
armament4=
armament5=
armament6=

ee also

aircontent
see also=
related=
similar aircraft=
sequence=
lists=
*List of aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps

References

*
*cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|year= |publisher= Orbis Publishing|location= |issn=|pages=2820
* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=839 British Aircraft Directory]