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on 14 August 1915. Early testing indicated that performance was little different from the B.E.2c upon which it was based, although the "difficulty" (surely an understatement) in communicating between the pilot and observer, separated by both engine and propeller, was reported. and in
September that
134:
A general layout of this kind had various drawbacks - the most obvious being the perilous situation of the gunner - who was liable to injury by the propeller, or to be crushed by the engine in the mildest of crashes. The type was not developed further by the
589:
1019:
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188:, head of the RFC in France said that "this type of machine cannot be recommended". It was sent back to the United Kingdom early in 1916. In his memoirs, Lt
1024:
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1029:
184:, at the time commander of 16 Squadron, stating that the B.E.9 was "...an extremely dangerous machine from the passenger's point of view", while
185:
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192:
recalls his gratitude that initial combat experience with the type proved inconclusive and that it was not ordered into mass production.
481:
195:
Design work had started on the B.E.9a, a more powerful version powered by a 140hp V12 RAF4a engine, but a prototype was never built.
548:
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181:
840:
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on a trainable mount. The normal observer's cockpit of the B.E.2c was removed, allowing the engine (the standard air-cooled
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176:. While the B.E.9 carried out a few operational patrols in France, including one encounter with a German
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of the B.E.2) to be moved rearwards, while the wingspan was increased, and a larger fin was fitted.
239:
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143:, of similar concept, saw service) and was soon rendered superfluous by the availability of
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year the B.E.9 was sent for testing in the field in France by a number of units, including
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123:") in front of the aircraft's propeller, which would accommodate a gunner armed with a
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aircraft with a good field of fire for the observer's machine gun, as provided by
318:
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140:
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107:
The intention of the designers was to combine the high performance of
30:
511:
Bruce, J. M. (March 1963). "Aircraft of the 1914-18 War: The B.E.9".
180:, the opinion of those testing it was generally negative, with Major
120:
99:
was a
British experimental reconnaissance aircraft of World War I.
314:
128:
571:
119:
by adding a small wooden box (which soon gained the nickname "
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522:
The
Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing)
115:. It was therefore decided to modify an example of the
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82 mph (132 km/h, 71 kn) at sea level
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Britain's
Forgotten Fighters of the First World War
371:
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
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80:
72:
62:
50:
42:
37:
23:
440:
438:
428:
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1020:1910s British military reconnaissance aircraft
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8:
46:Experimental fighter/reconnaissance aircraft
16:British experimental reconnaissance aircraft
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576:
568:
20:
558:Grinnell-Milne, Duncan William (1980).
395:
342:4.5 min to 1,000 ft (300 m)
7:
476:. Stroud UK: Fonthill. p. 150.
562:. Garden City, NY: Ayer Publishing.
155:The single prototype built (serial
307:11 ft 5 in (3.48 m)
281:29 ft 0 in (8.84 m)
14:
205:
29:
1025:Royal Aircraft Factory aircraft
599:Royal Aircraft Factory (R.A.F.)
226:(prototype tested briefly by:)
1030:Single-engined pusher aircraft
462:Grinnell-Milne, 1968 pp. 73-74
1:
1040:Aircraft first flown in 1915
97:Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.9
825:Reconnaissance Experimental
1056:
541:The Royal Aircraft Factory
321:, 90 hp (67 kW)
28:
301: in (12.459 m)
496:Bruce March 1963, p.83.
420:Bruce March 1963, p.82.
411:Hare 1990, pp. 178–179.
402:Hare 1990, pp. 177–178.
266:General characteristics
275:2 (pilot and observer)
256:
137:Royal Aircraft Factory
57:Royal Aircraft Factory
743:Fighting Experimental
607:Armoured Experimental
539:Hare, Paul R (1990).
520:Bruce, J. M. (1982).
255:
248:Specifications (BE.9)
190:Duncan Grinnell-Milne
145:synchronization gears
139:(although the French
109:tractor configuration
725:Coastal Experimental
633:Blériot Experimental
875:Santos Experimental
741:Farman Experimental
472:Hare, Paul (2014).
444:Bruce 1982, p. 384.
432:Bruce 1982, p. 385.
240:No. 16 Squadron RFC
38:General information
930:Tatin Experimental
877:Scout Experimental
809:Night Experimental
543:. London: Putnam.
524:. London: Putnam.
453:Hare 1990, p. 179.
257:
235:No. 8 Squadron RFC
230:No. 6 Squadron RFC
220:Royal Flying Corps
67:Royal Flying Corps
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560:Wind in the Wires
340:Time to altitude:
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178:Fokker Eindekker
159:) first flew at
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151:Service testing
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334:Maximum speed:
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213:United Kingdom
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186:Hugh Trenchard
166:No. 6 Squadron
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89:14 August 1915
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704:Blériot Scout
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550:0-85177-843-7
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531:0-370-30084-X
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513:Air Pictorial
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182:Hugh Dowding
156:
154:
133:
106:
96:
94:
86:First flight
73:Number built
63:Primary user
52:Manufacturer
18:
327:Performance
317:air-cooled
311:Powerplant:
287:40 ft
174:16 Squadron
161:Farnborough
1014:Categories
999:Harry Tate
385:References
319:V-8 engine
170:8 Squadron
982:Nicknames
958:Baby/Beta
360:Lewis gun
285:Wingspan:
260:Data from
199:Operators
125:Lewis gun
1035:Biplanes
994:Goldfish
946:Airships
601:aircraft
515:: 80–83.
377:SPAD S.A
366:See also
348:Armament
141:SPAD S.A
846:H.R.E.3
841:H.R.E.2
305:Height:
296:⁄
279:Length:
113:pushers
81:History
800:F.E.12
795:F.E.11
790:F.E.10
695:B.E.12
690:B.E.11
685:B.E.10
547:
528:
480:
315:RAF 1a
210:
129:RAF 1a
121:pulpit
117:B.E.2c
103:Design
968:Delta
963:Gamma
937:T.E.1
921:S.E.7
916:S.E.6
911:S.E.5
899:S.E.4
894:S.E.3
889:S.E.2
884:S.E.1
866:R.E.9
861:R.E.8
856:R.E.7
851:R.E.5
837:R.E.2
832:R.E.1
816:N.E.1
785:F.E.9
780:F.E.8
775:F.E.7
770:F.E.6
765:F.E.4
760:F.E.3
755:F.E.2
750:F.E.1
732:C.E.1
716:B.S.2
711:B.S.1
680:B.E.9
675:B.E.8
670:B.E.7
665:B.E.6
660:B.E.5
655:B.E.4
650:B.E.3
645:B.E.2
640:B.E.1
624:A.E.3
619:A.E.2
614:A.E.1
390:Notes
356:Guns:
273:Crew:
24:B.E.9
545:ISBN
526:ISBN
478:ISBN
313:1 ×
172:and
157:1700
95:The
43:Type
973:Eta
358:1×
1016::
437:^
425:^
289:10
168:,
147:.
904:a
839:/
591:e
584:t
577:v
553:.
534:.
486:.
298:2
294:1
291:+
76:1
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