RAF RE8 at War
By Jim Schubert
Windsock Datafile 153
Author: Paul R Hare
Publisher: Albatros Productions
ISBN: 978-1-906798-25-3
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 44
By July of 1915 the Fokker Monoplanes were wreaking havoc amongst the RFC's "Fokker Fodder" two-seater scouts such as the BE2c, which were unable to defend themselves. The plane chosen to correct this situation was the Royal Aircraft Factory's Reconnaissance Experimental design 8; the RE8. It was a very conventional two-place, single-bay biplane of traditional wood structure covered with fabric save for the metal engine cowling panels and the fuel tank in front of the pilot. The left-handed, four-blade propeller was turned by the RAF Model 4a, 140 hp, air-cooled, vee-12 engine. Armament was one fixed, forward-firing, Vickers .303 machine gun and one flexibly mounted Lewis .303 machine gun. 260 pounds of bombs could also be carried. Morse keys for the built-in wireless telegraphy set were installed in the rear cockpit. Up to 260 pounds of bombs could be fitted to bomb carriers below the fuselage. Maximum speed was 98 MPH, service ceiling was 11,000 feet and climb to 10,000 feet required 40 minutes.
The prototype first flew on June 6, 1916. 4,077 were built. The type had all but disappeared from service by 1920. One restored original survives in the Royal Air Force Museum collection at Duxford and a beautiful reproduction has recently emerged from The Vintage Aviators, Ltd. shops in New Zealand. Most planes were painted with PC-10 over CDL with grey metal panels. They were not only ugly but had dull color schemes too.
This Datafile of 44 pages includes 68 color photos, 58 B & W photos, three pages of color renderings by Ronny Bar, which include seven color profiles. The cover painting is by Jerry Bucher. There are ten pages of line drawings in both 1/72 and 1/48 scale by Mick Davis. To date five kits have been released of this ugly bird; one in 1/32, one in 1/48, two in 1/72 and one in 1/200.
If you have a model of the RE8 amongst your planned projects, you need this Datafile 153.
Copies can be ordered from Albatros Productions' website where you can also see everything else they produce.
Our thanks to Albatros Productions for providing the review sample of Datafile 153.