Time Period: Pre-WW1, World War I
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Type: Biplane, General Purpose, Fighter Aircraft
Manufacturer: Various, Royal Aircraft Factory
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 Aircraft Overview
The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 was a British single-engine biplane aircraft produced during World War I. It was developed as an improvement over the earlier B.E.2 and B.E.8 reconnaissance aircraft, and it was designed to provide better performance and protection for the pilot.
The B.E.12 entered service with the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) in 1916, and it was used primarily for reconnaissance and artillery spotting missions. It was armed with a single Lewis machine gun, which was mounted on a flexible mount and operated by the observer in the rear cockpit.
The B.E.12 featured a number of improvements over its predecessors, including a more powerful engine and a redesigned wing structure that provided better stability and control. It also had a more modern cockpit design that provided better protection for the pilot.
Despite these improvements, the B.E.12 was still relatively slow and vulnerable to attack, particularly later in the war when it faced more advanced German fighters. It was eventually replaced by newer and more advanced aircraft, such as the S.E.5a and the Sopwith Camel, but it remained in service in various roles throughout the war.
Overall, the B.E.12 was an important aircraft in the middle years of World War I, and it played a key role in the development of aerial reconnaissance and military aviation in general.
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 Specifications
- Crew: 1
- Length: 27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)
- Wingspan: 37 ft 0 in (11.28 m)
- Height: 11 ft 1.5 in (3.391 m)
- Wing area: 371 sq ft (34.5 m2)
- Empty weight: 1,635 lb (742 kg)
- Powerplant: × RAF 4a V-12 air-cooled piston engine, 150 hp (110 kW)
- Propellers: 4-bladed fixed-pitch wooden propeller.
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 Performance
- Maximum speed: 102 mph (164 km/h, 89 kn) at sea level
- Endurance: 3 hours
- Service ceiling: 12,500 ft (3,800 m)
- Time to altitude: 5,000 ft (1,500 m) in 11 minutes.
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 Armament
- Guns: 1× .303 in (7.7 mm) synchronized Vickers machine gun – some aircraft carried various arrangements of rearward firing Lewis guns.
- Bombs: up to 336 pounds (152 kg) bombs.
