The BE-2 biplane was first developed by Geoffrey De Havilland in 1912 and by August 1914 was the standard military aircraft employed by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Although slow, it was stable and therefore played an important reconnaissance role in the early part of the First World War. The design of the plane was constantly being revised and during the war there were five different versions.

The BE-2, with improved tail and wing design; was used by RFC for reconnaissance and light bombing on the Western Front during 1914. The BE-2b had better cockpit protection and more refined controls. By autumn 1915 the BE-2b had been withdrawn and replaced by the BE-2c. With its modified engine for extra stability and the addition of an observer's machine-gun, the BE-2c was Britain's attempt to cope with the superior German Fokker D-VII. The BE-2d could travel longer distances and the BE-2e (introduced in 1916) was faster than previous models. The BE-2e remained in use on the Western Front until the middle of 1917.

In 1918 the BE-2 was mainly used as a defence against Zeppelin raids or on anti-submarine duties for the Royal Navy. It was also widely used to train pilots and a total of more than 3,000 had been manufactured by the end of the War.

Performance Data of the B.E.2c
Type reconnaissance/light bomber
Engine 70 hp Renault
Wing Span 35 ft (10.68 m)
Length 29 ft 6 in (9 m)
Height 10 ft 2 in (3.1 m)
Maximum Speed 70 mph (112 kph)
Maximum Height 10,000 ft (3,048 m)
Endurance 3 hours
Armament 100 lbs (45.35kg) bombs