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RAF R.E.8 aircraft investigation, weight and performance calculations for the RAF R.E.8 multi-role combat biplane
RAF R.E.8
role : multi role combat aircraft
importance : *****
first flight : 17 June 1916 operational : November 1916
country : United-Kingdom
design :
production : 4099 aircraft
nickname : “Harry Tate”
general information :
The most widely used British two-seater 0n the Western Front. It was very stable and therefore not manoeuvrable and that made it very vulnerable to
Enemy fighter planes, but it was well armed. Due to the lack
of good qualities, the RE 8 was still a point of
Violent discussion in the Commons. The British Air Board
Had chosen the type and the British stiff stubbornness
ensured that, despite its defects, large numbers were built. In The fall of 1916 it entered service and it remained up to the end of the war at the front in use. It was designed as reconnaissance airplane to replace the BE2c, but soon it was
also used as a light bomber, both at night and during the daytime, as an FAC-plane (Forward Air Controller), CAS and for ground attacks.
Luckily, the observer was finally behind the pilot,
so he finally had a good field of fire.
The engine was initially not very reliable. It was based on the French Renault engine, but had problems with the cooling and was not powerful enough. Gap: 1.84 [M] (O. Hare > Royal aircraft Factory). Upper Wing extensions to weak, prone to spinning, and air cushened at landing.
Early accidents were often caused by the design of the tailplanes.
For the air cooling of the V-12 engine a metal scoop was applied, which was aerodynamic disastrous. The RE. 8 suffered heavy losses in 1917.
users : RFC
crew : 2
armament : 1 synchronized 7.70 [mm] (0.303 in) Vickers machine-gun
and 1 movable 7.70 [mm] (0.303 in) Lewis machine-gun for the observer
engine : 1 RAF 4a air-cooled 12 -cylinder V-engine 163 [hp](119.9 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 12.98 [m], length : 8.48 [m], height : 3.45[m]
wing area : 35.07 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 1301 [kg]
empty weight operational : 817 [kg] bombload : 102 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 166 [km/u] op 1524 [m]
climbing speed : 94 [m/min]
service ceiling : 4115 [m]
endurance : 4.25 [hours]
estimated action radius : 317 [km]
description :
1-bay biplane with fixed landing gear and tail strut
upper wingtips supported by slanted flying wires
two spar upper and lower wing
engines, landing gear, fuel and bombs in or attached to the fuselage
airscrew :
fixed pitch 4 -bladed tractor airscrew with max. efficiency :0.60 [ ]
estimated diameter airscrew 2.99 [m]
angle of attack prop : 23.58 [ ]
reduction : 0.50 [ ]
airscrew revs : 900 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 3.07 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 148 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 1.54 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 1.72 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 8.41 []
gap : 1.84 [m]
gap/chord : 1.19 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 380 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 2.5 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 31.4 [kg/hr] (42.9 [litre/hr]) at 62 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 4.75 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 207 [litre] (152 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 308.0 [kg] = 2.57 [kg/KW]
weight reduction gear : 4.8 [kg]
weight 17 litre oil tank : 1.5 [kg]
oil tank filled with 0.9 litre oil : 0.8 [kg]
oil in engine 1 litre oil : 0.6 [kg]
fuel in engine 1 litre fuel : 0.6 [kg]
weight 18 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 2.7 [kg]
weight cowling 4.8 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 42.0 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 369 [kg](28.4 [%])
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fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 6.16 [cm]): 82 [kg]
bracing : 4.9 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 13.6 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 4.3 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 6.5 [kg]
weight seats : 6.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 5.1 [kg]
weight bomb storage : 7.1 [kg]
weight bomb sight : 1.0 [kg]
weight 189 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 15.1 [kg]
weight engine mounts & firewalls : 6 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 138 [kg](10.6 [%])
***************************************************************
weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 22 [kg]
total weight ribs (69 ribs) : 77 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 560.4 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 280.5 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 54 [kg]
weight wings : 154 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 4.39 [kg]
weight 4 interplane struts & cabane : 20.7 [kg]
weight cables (39 [m]) : 3.3 [kg] (= 85 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 3.7 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (2.0 [m2]) : 8.9 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (3.9 [m2]): 17.6 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 204 [kg] (15.7 [%])
*******************************************************************
weight machine-gun(s) : 28.6 [kg]
weight Scarff ring mounting mg :5.0 [kg]
weight ammunition magazine(s) :1.8 [kg]
weight synchronizing system : 1.0 [kg]
weight armament : 36 [kg]
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Preparing for a night take off, note the synchronized Vickers gun mounted to the side of the fuselage
Can only operate from paved runways
wheel pressure : 650.5 [kg]
weight 2 wheels (710 [mm] by 79 [mm]) : 17.0 [kg]
weight tailskid : 2.2 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 31.4 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 50.7 [kg] (3.9 [%]
*******************************************************************
********************************************************************
calculated empty weight : 799 [kg](61.4 [%])
weight oil for 5.1 hours flying : 12.8 [kg]
weight 5 drums empty : 1.0 [kg]
weight ammunition (635 rounds) : 22.6 [kg]
weight Very pistol with cartridges : 3.6 [kg]
weight automatic pistol with spare magazines : 1.2 [kg]
*******************************************************************
calculated operational weight empty : 839 [kg] (64.5 [%])
published operational weight empty : 817 [kg] (62.8 [%])
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weight crew : 162 [kg]
weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 63 [kg]
********************************************************************
operational weight : 1064 [kg](81.8 [%])
bomb load : 102 [kg]
operational weight bombing mission : 1166 [kg]
fuel reserve : 89 [kg] enough for 2.82 [hours] flying
possible additional useful load : 46 [kg]
operational weight fully loaded : 1301 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 1301 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (operational without bombload) : 8.87 [kg/kW]
total power : 119.9 [kW] at 1800 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 2.9 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 3.75 [g] ultimate load : 5.6 [g] load factor : 1.5 [g]
design flight time : 3.40 [hours]
design cycles : 147 sorties, design hours : 500 [hours]
operational wing loading : 298 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 203 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
Attaching bombs to the bomb racks beneath the fuselage
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.39 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 11.83 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 1.68 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.12 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.15 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.27 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0035 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0302 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0267 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 74 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 89 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) : 103 [km/hr] at 2058 [m](power :35 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 113 [km/hr] at 2058 [m] (power:37 [%])
max. rate of climb speed : 103.8 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 149 [km/hr] op 2058 [m] (power:57 [%])
design speed prop : 158 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 166 [km/hr] op 1524 [m] (power:77 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 234 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 259 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 13.63 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 4650 [m] with flying weight :908 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight): 4050 [m] with flying weight :1064 [kg]
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 3300 [m] with flying weight :1270 [kg]
published ceiling (4115 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 7.35 [min]
climb to 3000m (without bombload) : 19.38 [min]
max. dive speed : 365.5 [km/hr] at 2300 [m] height
load factor at max. angle turn 2.27 ["g"]
The RE8 had a CFS 4b bomb sight
turn radius at 500m: 51 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 10.0 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 4.82 [hours] with 2 crew and 148 [kg] bombload and 100.0 [%] fuel
published endurance : 4.25 [hours] with 2 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 166 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
action radius : 665 [km] with 2 crew and 20[kg] photo camera/radio transmitter or bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 574 [litre] fuel : 2001 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 316 [kg]
production : 47.18 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 0.72 [kg]
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Literature :
praktisch handboek vliegtuigen deel 1 page 178,179
jagdflugzeuge WO I page 35
Tussen vleugels van linnen page 46,47
bomber 14-39 page 17
bombers 1914-19 page 59
warplanes WW1 page 22,55,59,60,94,101f,103,125
Royal aircraft factory (P.Hare/Putnam)
www.flyingmachines.ru
Jane´s FAWOI page 37f
Armament of British aircraft 1909-1939 page 295
The History and development Aircraft Instruments 1909-1919 page 165
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program.
For copyright on drawings/photographs/content please mail to below mail address
(c) B van der Zalm 21 August 2019 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4