Glamour has much to do with pleasing aesthetic appearance, often coupled with notable achievement. In terms aesthetics, the Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8, was an 'achiever' largely thanks to the bravery and determination of the crews who operated it on the 'boring' but vital missions they flew over the Western Front during WW1. But the aesthetics is another story! More than four thousand R.E.8 artillery reconnaissance aircraft were built and the only conclusion one can draw from, this figure is that this aeroplane was one of the most successful flops in the history of aviation. (R.E. stands for Reconnaissance Experimental). It was successful in the award of large contracts to several constructors and in the results of hazardous sorties by its courageous flying crews, but it was a flop in that it was designed to an ill-conceived specification and, from the outset, was inadequate for the duties it was intended to perform.
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