This plane is near and dear.
I had a 1 and a half year veteran character in my install of Over Flanders Fields that started in 16 RFC at the Etrun/Arras airfield complex in mid April of 1917, and survived to the Armistice. While serving he became a multi Distinguished Service Medal recipient and a small ace-hood ( 7 kills, 4 probables..) flying one of the least likely two seaters to be flown offensively. Hundred or so sorties, many close calls, and 3 months in the hospital after crashing on the British side near No-Man's land west of Lille in late November of 1917.
The RAF RE8 had a reputation of not being a great replacement for the BE2e Quirck. The 150 h.p. V12 RAF 4A engine was heavy and not particularly powerful, and the maximum takeoff weight only allowed for about 250# of ordinance. There were other, better two-seaters at the time, the Armstrong Whitworth Elephant or FK8, SPAD's new 11 two-seater and the Bristol Fighter. The 'Arry Tate did have some early teething problems with lack of longitudinal stability coupled with the pronounced dihedral, which made it prone to Dutch rolling if too much aileron control was initiated. The fix was to add the subfin seen below the stabilizer, and as an operational factor, to have the observer crouch more when using the defensive gun on the Scarff ring. The gunner's body blanked some of the fin and rudder causing a degradation in yaw control if he stood up.
There were a couple Australian RE8 squads that had fitted two Lewis's to their Scarff ring's and had taken the art of Artillery Barrage Directing to a new offensive level by actively flying close to Jasta's to pick fights with while directing Arty from 9000' up.