Royal Aircraft Factory H.R.E.2

Royal Aircraft Factory · United Kingdom · first flew 1913 · reconnaissance aircraft

The Royal Aircraft Factory H.R.E.2 was intended as a naval reconnaissance floatplane. The single example built was serving with the Royal Naval Air Service at the start of World War I.

Recognition (WEFT)

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

• Two-bay biplane with staggered wings of equal span and constant chord
• Twin main floats on struts with a small third float under the tail
• Triangular fin with a teardrop-shaped rudder

Look for a staggered two-bay biplane with long floats braced to the fuselage, or in landplane form a two-wheel undercarriage with forward-projecting skids.

Specifications

• The Royal Aircraft Factory H.R.E.2 has a length of 9.83 m (32 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 13.8 m (45 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 97 km/h (60 mph).
• Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

It was the second aircraft designed by the Royal Aircraft Factory under its Reconnaissance Experimental designation, to an Admiralty specification. It was meant to use a 100 hp 12-cylinder Renault but first flew as a landplane with a smaller 70 hp Renault V-8.

Variants

The landplane version was often called the R.E.2. After a take-off accident at Frensham Pond the aircraft was rebuilt as a landplane with ailerons instead of wing warping.

Where you'll see it

In its rebuilt form it served with the Royal Naval Air Service as aircraft no. 17.

Related aircraft

• Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.3
• Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.2
• Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2
• Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.3
• Albatros B.I
• Albatros B.IIa
• Avro 511
• Burgess Model I

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