<p>Built in 1918, this is one of only two genuine RE.8s known to survive. The other is in the Brussels Air Museum, see:-
ADD LINK.
She is currently on display suspended in the ‘AirSpace’ hangar at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford Airfield, Cambridgeshire, UK.
26th January 2018
</p><p>The following history for F3556 comes from the IWM website:-
</p>
“This aircraft was delivered to the Royal Air Force on 25 October 1918. Test flown by Lt. Halstead for 30 minutes it was then sent to No. 1 Aircraft Acceptance Park, Coventry where it received its name 'Paddy Bird from Ceylon'. This was originally worn by a Be.2c but when this was lost in March 1916 the name became available for use on another aircraft. The name derived from an aircraft subscription scheme sponsored by The Times of Ceylon newspaper. It was despatched to France, arriving on 11 November 1918. As hostilities had just ceased it was sent back, still crated, and went into store at RAF Tadcaster. It was later transferred to RAF Cardington, from where it was retrieved in 1935 and sent to the Imperial War Museum. It was suspended from the roof of the museum shortly thereafter and stayed in this configuration until 1943 or 1944 when the building was damaged by a German bomb or V1. This caused the aircraft to fall on to an exhibit below. The museum asked the RAF to undertake repairs. This was carried out at RAF Newton in May / June 1949. The aircraft then returned to the Imperial War Museum in London where it stayed until 1974 and its transfer to Duxford. It logged a few hours flying time only. Apart from a Belgian licence-built example, preserved in the Musee Royal l'Armee in Brussels, F3556 is the only complete RE.8 in existence.”
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/65001151@N03">Alan Wilson</a> from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK
CC BY-SA 2.0
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ajw1970/39296800495/">Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 ‘F3556’ “A Paddy Bird from Ceylon”</a>