R.A.F. S.E.5

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R.A.F. S.E.5
Role Fighter
Manufacturer R.A.F.
Designer H.P. Folland [1][2], J. Kenworthy, and F.W. Goodden[2]
First flight Dec 1916 [1][3]
Introduction March[3] or April 1917
Primary user U.K. (RFC/RAF)
Number built 58 [2][4] [note 1]
Variants SE.5a
Wingspan 8.12 m (26 ft 8 in)[5][4][3][note 2]
Propeller Diam. 2.39 m (7 ft 10 in)[4]
Engine 150hp Hispano-Suiza 8A vee-eight
Armament fixed, sync. Vickers and
Lewis on Foster mount[note 3]
Crew 1
Max Speed 190 km/h (120 mph) [1][4] to 212 km/h (132 mph)[5]
Climb 2,000 m (6,500 ft) in 8:00[1][6][4]
3,000 m (10,000 ft) in 14:10[1][6] to 14:15[4]
4,600 m (15,000 ft) in 29:30[1][6][4][3]
Service Ceiling 5,200 m (17,000 ft) [1][6][4] to 6,700 m (22,000 ft)[5]
Endurance 2:30 [1][5][4]

The R.A.F. S.E.5 was a plane built around an engine. The 150hp Hispano-Suiza vee-eight showed great promise in 1915 due to a high power-to-weight ratio, and the Royal Aircraft Factory set about developing a fighter to use it. The S.E.5 was also designed to be a fairly stable plane since so many British pilots of the period were under-trained and liable to have an edgy plane like the Sopwith Camel turn against them. The earliest S.E.5s featured wider, sharp-raked wings, but an early crash led to an adjustment in span and shape that was applied to all subsequent models. A gravity fuel tank set atop the upper wing slightly to port. Early planes had the pilot enclosed in a glass wrap-around "greenhouse", but later planes and field modifications replaced it with a simple windscreen.

№ 56 Squadron was the first to take the plane to France in April, 1917. The plane was found to have great strength. It would find greater fame when the engine was upgraded with the 200hp geared Hispano-Suiza in the R.A.F. S.E.5a.

By December 1917 the original batch of S.E.5s had likely either been retired or had been re-engined as S.E.5a's.[7]

For more information, see Wikipedia:Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5.

Timeline [note 4]

Game Data

Wings of Glory

Official Stats
Availability Maneuver Damage Dmg Points Max Alt. Climb Points
Apr17-Dec17 FR A 16 12 [9] 4 [9] 89

Plane and Crew Cards

Card Links

Blue Max/Canvas Eagles

Aircraft Chart

Miniatures and Models

1:144 Scale

1:285/6mm/1:288 Scale

Resources

Orthographic Drawings

References

Notes
  1. 5,205 combined SE.5 and SE.5a total.[1]
  2. The prototypes and the first batch of 24 had wingspan of 8.51 m (27 ft 11 in) but reduced in later models.[4][6]
  3. This allowed the Lewis to be pulled back to a position of firing directly upward.
  4. British usage numbers are approximate, derived from the squadron histories.[8]
  5. 5.0 5.1 Updated card
Citations
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Bruce'69, p.445.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Angelucci, p.57.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Argus Vol. 2, p.24.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 Bruce'66, p.12.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Angelucci, p.46.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Lamberton, pp.214-215.
  7. Bruce'66, p.10.
  8. Philpott'13, pp.379-444.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Ares Climb Rates and Maximum Altitude Table, version 1.2, Oct 2021
Bibliography
  • Enzo Angelucci, ed. The Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft, 1914-1980. New York: The Military Press, 1983 edition. ISBN 0-517-41021-4.
  • Argus Books, Airplane Archive: Aircraft of World War One, Volume 2. Great Britain: Argus Books, 1989. ISBN 0-85242-984-3
  • J.M. Bruce. British Aeroplanes 1914-18. Great Britain: Funk & Wagnalls, 1957, 1969. ISBN 0370000382
  • J.M. Bruce, Profile Publications 103: The S.E.5. Great Britain: Profile Publications, ca. 1966.
  • W.M. Lamberton and E.F. Cheesman, Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War. Great Britain: Harleyford Publications Limited, 1960.
  • Ian Philpott, The Birth of the Royal Air Force. Great Britain: Pen & Sword Books Limited, 2013. ISBN 978-1-78159-333-2