page_title: Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2
section_title: Airship gondola
hierarchical_section_title: Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 / Operational history / Airship gondola
caption_attribution_description: English: Aviation in Britain Before the First World War An SS (sea scout) class blimp flying. The gondola is a BE 2c with its wings and tail removed. Comment&#160;: this class was introduced in 1915.
context_page_description: The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 was a British single-engine tractor two-seat biplane designed and developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory. Most production aircraft were constructed under contract by various private companies, both established aircraft manufacturers and firms that had not previously built aircraft. Around 3,500 were manufactured in all.
  Early versions of the B.E.2 entered squadron service with the Royal Flying Corps in 1912; the type continued to serve throughout the First World War. It was initially used as a front-line reconnaissance aircraft and light bomber; modified as a single-seater it proved effective as a night fighter, destroying several German airships.
  By late 1915, the B.E.2 was proving inadequate in defending itself against German fighters such as the then-new Fokker Eindecker, leading to increased losses during the period known as the Fokker Scourge. Although by now obsolete, it had to remain on the front line while suitable replacements were designed, tested and brought into service.
context_section_description: A number of B.E.2 fuselages were employed as makeshift gondolas for the hastily designed SS class "blimps", which were introduced into service by the Royal Naval Air Service for anti-submarine duties during March 1915. Later classes featured purpose-built gondolas.
caption: An SS class airship using a B.E.2 fuselage as a gondola
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