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Stephen, I hate to contradict you, especially when you wax so eloquent...BUT:
The fuel tank of the R.E.8 was placed so far forward, and the aircraft itself was so nose heavy, that it often nosed down into the ground during landings and caught itself on fire. The tail assembly was too small, giving poor rudder control, increasing the chances of a fatal spin...
Just LOOK at the miserable thing. I love these pilots for their unflappable loyalty, but it was not a prize-winning aircraft. It's a miracle of aviation history (and a credit to his markmanship) that Canadian ace Freddie McCall managed to bag 8 victories with one.
I wince every time I see a picture of one.
Melinda, the Ralph Nader wanna-be
P.S.
A kid in my high school actually owned an Edsel. Huge ugly car, red and white two-tones, windows so thick it looked like a greenhouse on wheels.
When I hear of a kid flying an R.E.8 to school, then I'll rewrite it as no.2 on my list of lemons.
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