'Arry Tate; the ungainly Arr Eee Ate.
A notorious machine from the Great War has been added to the site. After a photo shoot at the Aviation Heritage Centre at Omaka, I came away with a walkaround of this rather magnificent reproduction Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8. One of the most controversial machines of the war, the R.E.8 was lambasted by its crews and at home alike as, early in its career it suffered handling issues that threw it into a spin, which often resulted in it disintegrating in flight, as well as, being slow and cumbersome, being an easy target for enemy scout pilots. These and other issues resulted in it becoming subject of lively debate in parliament; not an encouraging start to a wartime career, but despite this, the R.E.8 was built in large numbers and saw widespread utilisation with the Royal Flying Corps as an artillery spotter. An awkward looking aeroplane from almost every angle, the R.E.8 was typical of early RAF (Factory, not Royal Air Force) aircraft in that it was very stable and unmanoeuvrable in the air, factors favoured for the reconnaissance role; this contributed to it frequently succumbing to the guns of enemy single-seaters, however. Regardless of how it is remembered, the 'Harry Tate', as it was nicknamed after a music hall performer of the time is a machine that contributed much to the Allied war effort, carrying out a difficult and unrewarding job. Apart from the reproduction at the AHC, images of the Imperial War Museum's F3556 on display at Duxford can be found on the Gallery page. Click on the image for more.
