The raf re8 introduced in early 1917 was the long awaited replacement for the be2 series of recon airplanes offering greater speed and strength initial reactions were mixed as the re8 required more pilot attention than the be2 and early accidents of spinning and stalls resulted once overcome the airplane became the standard for british observation and light bombing serving through the end of the war it was nicknamed quotharry tatequot after a cockney comedian who pronounced his name quotai