Andrew Chaplin wrote:

"Avsec" wrote in message
u...
From my very knowledgeable friend who knows almost every thing about WW1
flying machines.

"Easy! It's F3556, the Imperial War Museum's RE 8 at Duxford. The
aeroplane was a presentation aircraft from British residents in Ceylon,
and named A Paddy Bird from Ceylon (each of the aircraft presented by
Ceylon was
named after a bird of the country). F3556 went to France after
acceptance
by the RAF, but saw no service; it was given to the IWM in 1920. It's
one of two RE 8s left in the world - the other is a Belgian machine with
a
Hispano-Suiza engine that's preserved in Brussels. Film maker Peter
Jackson had a replica built in NZ, but I understand that it's a
non-flier, at least so far."

These aircraft also bore the name of a Scots music hall performer, Harry
Tate, as a form of rhyming slang.

The Peter Jackson built replica is he
http://www.omaka.org.nz/exhibits.htm#re8