The BE2e can be recognized by the bigger upper wing span
RAF B.E.2e
role : two-seat armed reconnaissance and artillery observation
first flight : operational : July 1916
country : United-Kingdom
design :
production : 1800 aircraft
general information :
The "c" began to be superseded by the final version, the B.E.2e in 1916. This variant was again distinguished by completely new wings, braced by a single pair of interplane struts per side (as a "single-bay" biplane), and a set of shorter wingspan lower wing panels. The ailerons, on upper and lower wings, were joined by light struts. The tailplane was again a new unit - being smaller than that of the B.E.2c and d - and the larger, quadrant shaped vertical fin of the late B.E.2c became standard. It was intended to fit a new, uprated version of the RAF 1 - the RAF 1b - but in the event this engine did not achieve production status, and the B.E.2e used the same engine as its predecessor, considerably reducing the expected improvement in performance. Many B.E.2c and B.E.2d aircraft still under construction when the new model entered production were completed with B.E.2e wings. To rationalise the supply of spare parts these aircraft were officially designated as the "B.E.2f" and "B.E.2g". Some 3,500 B.E.2s were built by over 20 different manufacturers: an exact breakdown between the different models has never been produced, although the B.E.2e was almost certainly the most numerous. Once the threat from the Fokker monoplanes was contained by the introduction of allied fighters such as the Airco D.H.2, Nieuport 11 and Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b, B.E.2c losses over the Western Front dropped to an acceptable level, with official records indicating that in the second quarter of 1916 the B.E.2 actually had the lowest loss rates of all the major types then in use.[16] Encouraged by this, the RFC took delivery of large numbers of the BE.2e, which promised improved performance, and combined the stability of the B.E.2c with rather "lighter" controls (i.e. better manoeuvrability). By the spring of 1917, however, conditions on the Western Front had changed again, with the German fighter squadrons re-equipped with better fighters such as the Albatros D.III. It had been planned that by this time B.E.2s in front-line service would have been replaced by Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8s and Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8s, but delivery of these types was initially slower than hoped. This situation culminated in what became known as "Bloody April", with the RFC losing 60 B.E.2s during that month. An incident illustrating both the poor level of piloting skills with which new RFC pilots were sent to France in 1917 and the level of popularity of the B.E.2e on the Western Front at that time is recorded by Arthur Gould Lee, then a young RFC novice, in his book No Parachute. On 19 May 1917 six pilots, newly arrived in France and still to be allocated to a squadron, were each given a new B.E.2e to ferry between RFC depots at St Omer and Candas. One crashed in transit, three crashed on landing and one went missing (the pilot was killed). Lee, the pilot of the only aircraft to arrive safely, wrote in a letter to his wife: I felt rather a cad not crashing too because everyone is glad to see death-traps like Quirks written off, especially new ones. Fortunately the B.E.2e was by this time already being rapidly replaced on the Western Front by later types, but this was from several points of view more than a year too late.B.E.2e: the final version, with new single-bay wings. Expected to be a great improvement on the "c", it was a major disappointment. Nicknamed the "Quirk".
users : RFC
crew : 2 (observer in front)
armament : 1 movable 7.70 [mm] (0.303 in) Lewis machine-gun for the observer
engine : 1 RAF 1a air-cooled 8 -cylinder V-engine 90 [hp](66.2 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 12.42 [m], length : 8.31 [m], height : 3.45[m]
wing area : 33.46 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 953 [kg]
empty weight operational : 649 [kg] bombload : 113 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 132 [km/u] op 1980 [m]
service ceiling : 3048 [m]
endurance : 4.0 [hours]
BE2e replica, the Lewis gun for the observer in the front seat had a very limited field of fire.
estimated action radius : 238 [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 2.74 [m]
angle of attack prop : 23.07 [ ]
reduction : 0.50 [ ]
airscrew revs : 800 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 2.75 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 120 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 1.54 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 1.72 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 8.07 []
estimated gap : 1.77 [m]
gap/chord : 1.15 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 356 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 1.5 [kg/hr]
The pilot in the BE2e still occupied the back seat
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 21.6 [kg/hr] (29.5 [litre/hr]) at 67 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 5.50 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 134 [litre] (98 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 204.0 [kg] = 3.08 [kg/KW]
weight reduction gear : 2.6 [kg]
weight 10 litre oil tank : 0.8 [kg]
oil tank filled with 0.5 litre oil : 0.4 [kg]
oil in engine 0 litre oil : 0.3 [kg]
fuel in engine 0 litre fuel : 0.3 [kg]
weight 13 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 1.9 [kg]
weight cowling 2.6 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 23.2 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 238 [kg](25.0 [%])
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fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 6.78 [cm]): 98 [kg]
bracing : 5.7 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 13.0 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 4.2 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 6.4 [kg]
weight seats : 6.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 5.1 [kg]
weight bomb storage : 7.9 [kg]
weight 121 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 9.7 [kg]
weight engine mounts & firewalls : 3 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 146 [kg](15.3 [%])
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weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 21 [kg]
total weight ribs (51 ribs) : 57 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 690.8 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 208.8 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 61 [kg]
weight wings : 139 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 4.16 [kg]
weight 4 interplane struts & cabane : 20.0 [kg]
weight cables (37 [m]) : 3.6 [kg] (= 96 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 4.0 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (1.8 [m2]) : 7.7 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (3.8 [m2]): 15.9 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 186 [kg] (19.6 [%])
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weight machine-gun(s) : 12.7 [kg]
weight Scarff ring mounting mg :5.0 [kg]
weight armament : 18 [kg]
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wheel pressure : 476.5 [kg]
weight 2 wheels (700 [mm] by 78 [mm]) : 20.8 [kg]
weight tailskid : 2.7 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 29.9 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 53.5 [kg] (5.6 [%]
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calculated empty weight : 642 [kg](67.3 [%])
weight oil for 4.8 hours flying : 7.3 [kg]
weight 5 drums empty : 1.0 [kg]
weight ammunition (235 rounds) : 9.0 [kg]
weight automatic pistol with spare magazines : 1.2 [kg]
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calculated operational weight empty : 659 [kg] (69.2 [%])
published operational weight empty : 649 [kg] (68.1 [%])
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weight crew : 162 [kg]
weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 43 [kg]
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operational weight : 864 [kg](90.7 [%])
bombload could not be carried with fuel for 2 hours flying time
weight camera : 20 [kg]
operational weight photo mission : 884 [kg]
fuel reserve : 55 [kg] enough for 2.54 [hours] flying
possible additional useful load : 14 [kg]
operational weight fully loaded : 953 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 953 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (operational without bombload) : 13.06 [kg/kW]
total power : 66.2 [kW] at 1600 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 2.1 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 3.75 [g] ultimate load : 5.6 [g] load factor : 2.5 [g]
design flight time : 3.20 [hours]
design cycles : 416 sorties, design hours : 1330 [hours]
operational wing loading : 259 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 187 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.40 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 11.97 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 2.96 ["]
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 : 0.37 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0073 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0354 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0280 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 68 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 82 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) : 94 [km/hr] at 1980 [m](power :46 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 104 [km/hr] at 1980 [m] (power:50 [%])
max. rate of climb speed : 87.1 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 119 [km/hr] op 1980 [m] (power:60 [%])
design speed prop : 125 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 132 [km/hr] op 1980 [m] (power:75 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 142 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 270 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 13.03 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 4350 [m] with flying weight :741 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight): 3475 [m] with flying weight :864 [kg]
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 3050 [m] with flying weight :931 [kg]
published ceiling (3048 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 12.13 [min]
climb to 3000m (without bombload) : 32.50 [min]
max. dive speed : 342.6 [km/hr] at 2050 [m] height
load factor at max. angle turn 1.79 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 48 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 11.3 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 0.87 [hours] with 2 crew and 113 [kg] bombload and 19.1 [%] fuel
published endurance : 4.00 [hours] with 2 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 45 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
action radius : 307 [km] with 2 crew and 20[kg] photo camera/radio transmitter or bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 322 [litre] fuel : 1296 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 145 [kg]
production : 17.20 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 1.34 [kg]
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Literature :
Wikipedia
Bombers 1914-19 page 56,134
Jane’s FAWOI page 36f
Warplanes WOI page 94,104f
Praktisch handboek vliegtuigen deel 1 page 213
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.
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(c) B van der Zalm 21 August 2019 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4