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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0934.PDF
Wper-S.E.s of "A" Flight, No. 24 Squadron. THE S.E.5 . . . their original power-plants. The first privately-owned S.E.5A, G-EAZT, be longed to Dr. E. D. Whitehead Reid of Canterbury, and had a 90 h.p. R.A.F.iA, whilst G-EBCA had an 80 h.p. Renault with which the machine's maximum speed was little more than 65 m.p.h. In the field of civil flying the S.E.5A is probably best remembered for its sky writing activities in the hands of pilots like Major Jack Savage, inventor of sky-writing, M. L. Bramson, and Sidney St. Barbe. The sky-writing S.E.s had prodigiously long exhaust pipes. The first machines modified for this form of adver tising were registered G-EBDS to G-EBDZ, and 'DU gave the first public demonstration on May 30th, 1922. Sky-writing was exploited successfully all over Europe by G-EBFF to 'FI, G-EBGJ to 'GM and G-EBIA to 'IF, and G-EBGJ to 'GL went to America in the service of the Skywriting Corporation of America. There they were modified to have a streamlined nose with underslung radiator and a pointed spinner. The last batch of sky-writers was G-EBQA to 'QC and G-EBVB. Happily, G-EBIC is still in exis tence, though it is now masquerading under the spurious serial number B.4563—the original B.4563 was a B.E.2E. All the remaining S.E.5AS were privately owned. G-EBOG had a 300-h.p. Hispano-Suiza and was known as the D.W.i : its owner was the late Dudley Watt. The 120 h.p. Airdisco engine was fitted to G-EBTK and G-EBTO, but all the other civil S.E.s were stan dard Viper-powered machines. To attempt to compress the history of one of the greatest aero planes of the first World War into the compass of a few pages is an undertaking which can result only in something short of complete ness. When the aeroplane is one so richly evocative as the S.E.5, it- is inevitable that what is omitted should exceed in volume that which is set down, and the best memories will always be in the minds of those who flew it. In his fine book, The Clouds Remember, Oliver Stewart said of the S.E.: "It is of all aeroplanes the richest in the associations of aerial fighting, of hard-contested and long- drawn-out 'dog fights,' of battles against heavy odds, of extra ordinary escapes." And so it is, even today, when a few—too few— surviving examples remind us that this aeroplane was real, however legendary its accomplishments and those of the men who flew it may become. DIMENSIONS, WEIGHTS AND PERFORMANCE. S.E.5 AND S.E.5A S.E.SE. THE ANCESTORS Dimensions Span Length Height Weight loaded (in lb) ... Max. speed at sea level (m.p.h.) S.E.I 38ft 1,200 B.S.1 27ft 5in 1,230 92 B.S.2 (S.E.2) 27ft 5in 1,150 91 S.E.2A 27ft 5in 1,200 96 S.E.4 160 h.p. 27ft 5in 21ft 9ft10±in 135 S.E.4 100 h.p. 27ft 5in 9ft 10±in 92 S.E.4A 27ft Sin Span Length Height Chord Gap Stagger Dihedral Incidence Span of Tail Wheel Track Wing Area (sq ft) ... Weights (lb):— Weight empty Military load Fuel and Oil Weight loaded Max. speed:— at s.l at 5,000ft at 10,000ft at 15,000ft Climb to:— 5,000ft 10,000ft 15,000ft Service Ceiling Endurance ... S.E.5 prototypes and early production 28ft 21ft 4in 9ft 5in 5ft 4ft 7in 1ft 6in 5 deg 5 deg 11ft 5ft 249 S.E.5 26ft 7iin 21ft 4in 9ft Sin 5ft 4ft 7in 1ft 6in 5 deg 5 deg 11ft 5ft 244 1,399 286 245 1,930 120 116 105 5 min 35 sec 13 min 40sec 29 min 10sec 17,000ft 2i hr S.E.5A 200 h.p. Hispano 26ft 7±in 20ft 11in 9ft 6in 5ft 4ft 7in 1ft 6in 5 deg 5 deg 11ft 5ft 244 1.531 287 230 2,048 * 121 4 min 30 sec 10 min 20sec 18 min SOsec 23,000ft 2hr S.E.5A Viper 26ft 7iin 20ft 11 in 9ft 6in 5ft 4ft 7in 1ft 6in 5 deg 5 deg 11ft 5ft 244 1,940 137.8 126 123 4 min 55 sec 11 min 19min 55sec 2ihr S.E.5A Adder 26ft 7iin 20ft 11 in 9ft 6in 5ft 4ft 7in 1ft 6m 5 deg 5 deg 11ft 5ft 244 2,050 116 5 min 25 sec 13 min 15 sec 27 min 35 sec S.E.5A (American) 26ft 7±in 20ft 10in 9ft 6in 5ft 4ft 7in 1ft 6in 5 deg 5 deg 11ft 5ft 244 2,060 S.E.5B ( Upper 30ft 7in \ Lower 26ft 6in 9ft 6in / Upper 6ft 1 Lower 4ft 3in 4ft 7in 2 deg 30 min 11ft 5ft 278 * 135 m.p.h. with 240 h.p. Hispano-Suiza S.E.S AND S.E.5A DATA Power Plant.—S.E.5: 150 h.p. Hispano-Suiza (ungeared). S.E.5A: 200 h.p. Hispano-Suiza (geared); 220 h.p. Hispano-Suiza (geared); 240 h.p. Hispano-Suiza (geared); 200 h.p.,Wolseley W.4A Viper (ungeared); 200 h.p. Wolseley W.4B Adder (geared). S.E.5B: 200 h.p. Wolseley Viper. Manufacturers.—The Royal Aircraft Factory, Farnborough, Hants. Known batches of S.E.5AS: C.1051-C.1150. D.7001-D.7050. Other Contractors.—The Austin Motor Co., Longbridge, Birming ham: known batches of S.E.5AS: B.8231-B.8346, B.8377-B.8500 (prob ably parts of a complete batch, which may have been B.8231-B.8500), C.9486-C.9635, D.201-D.300, E.5637-E.5936. The Air Navigation Co., Ltd., Adjdlestone, Surrey: known batches of S.E.5AS: C.1751-C.1950, E.5937-E.6036. Martinsyde, Ltd., Brooklands, Weybridge and Woking: known batches of S.E.5AS: B.i-B,200, D.3911-D.4010, E.3154-E.3253, F.5249-F.5348. The Standard Motor Co., Ltd., Coventry. Vickers, Ltd., Vickers House, Broadway, Westminster: known batches of S.E.5AS: B.501-B.700, C.5301-C.5450, D.301-D.450, D.3426-D.3575, D.5951- D.6200, D.8431-D.8580, E.1251-E.1400, E.3904-E.4103, F.551-F.615, F.5449-F.5698. Wolseley Motors, Ltd., Adderley Park, Birmingham: known batches of S.E.5AS: C.6351-C.6500, D.6851-D.7000, F.851- F.950- Production.—5,205 S.E.5S and S.E.5AS were built; 828 in 1917 and 4,377 in 1918. Of the total, only 238 were built at the Royal Aircraft Factory itself—namely two prototypes in 1916, 132 production machines in 1917, and 104 in 1918. The remainder were built by other contractors. In America, 57 were built by Curtiss, commencing in August, 1918. Of these, 56 were assembled from British-made components, and one was the first of a contract for 1,000 machines. The signing of the Armis tice led to the cancellation of the remaining 999. Allocation.—To the Expeditionary Force, France, 1,999; to the Middle East Brigade, 172; to Home Defence Units, 74; to Training Units, 728. Distribution of S.E.5S and 5As on October 31st, 1918: With the Expeditionary Force in France, 472; in transit to Eastern stations, 56; Egypt and Palestine, 91; Salonika, 18; Mesopotamia, 13; in transit to and at aeroplane repair depots, 35; squadrons mobilizing, 22; training units, 92; various home establish ment stations, 308; with contractors and at aircraft acceptance parks, 182; in store, 1,407. Total number on charge, 2,696. Costs.—S.E.5A airframe, less guns, instru ments and engine, £1,063 x°s; 200 h.p. Hispano-Suiza, £1,004; Wolseley Viper, £814; Wolseley Adder, £946. Armament.—One fixed 0.303m Vickers machine-gun mounted on top of fuselage to port of centre, synchronised by Constan- tinesco gear to fire forward through the air screw arc. One 0.303m Lewis machine-gun on Foster mounting above the upper centre- section, fired by Bowden cable. Four hundred rounds for Vickers; four 97-Found drums for Lewis. Four 25-lb Cooper bombs could be carried on external racks under the fuselage. Service Use.—Western Front: S.E.5: R.F.C. Sqns. No. 24, 40, 56, 60. S.E.5A: R.F.C. Sqns. No. 1, 24, 29, 32,40, 41, 56, 60, 64, 68 (No. 2 Australian F.C.), 74, 84, 85, 92, 94. Home Defence: Sqns. No. 37, 50, 61 and 143. Palestine: Sqns. No. in and 145. Mesopotamia: "A" Flight of No. 72 Sqn. Macedonia: Sqns. No. 17, 47 and 150. Operational Training: Schools of Aerial Fighting at Turnberry, Marske, Sedgeford and Freiston. Known Serial Numbers and Notes on Individual Machines.— S.E.2A: 609. S.E.4: 628. S.E.5: A.4561—first prototype. A.4563 —early installation of 200 h.p. Hispano- Suiza; wings of 26ft 7iin span. A.4848, A.4850-A.4856, A.4860-A.4862, to No. 56 Sqn. (A.4850 flown by Ball). A.4891—rebuilt Concluded at foot of page 93)
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