Handley Page W.8e
SABCA / Handley Page · United Kingdom · first flew 1924 · airliner
The Handley Page W.8e was a three-engine development of the W.8 biplane airliner series, licence-built in Belgium by SABCA for Sabena. It offered an enclosed cabin for up to 14 passengers on early European air routes.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 3 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Fixed spatted undercarriage on a portly fabric-covered fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Biplane airliner with three Siddeley Jaguar or Rolls-Royce Eagle engines
- Open cockpit forward of an enclosed passenger cabin
- Fixed spatted undercarriage on a portly fabric-covered fuselage
The three-engine biplane configuration—centre engine in the nose, two mounted between the wings—instantly separates W.8e variants from the twin-engine W.8b; the spatted main undercarriage and slab-sided fabric fuselage are characteristic.
Specifications
- The Handley Page W.8e has a length of 18.06 m (59 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 22.86 m (75 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 169 km/h (105 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
SABCA constructed the W.8e under licence to equip Sabena's cross-Channel and continental services from the mid-1920s. The three-engine layout improved safety margins over the original twin, and the type operated European routes until superseded by more modern equipment.
Variants
The W.8e was one of several W.8 sub-variants; others included the W.8b (Imperial Airways) and W.8f with different engine arrangements.
Where you'll see it
Operated exclusively by Sabena of Belgium; the aircraft provided an important stepping stone in that airline's early growth on European trunk routes.
Related aircraft
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