RAF S.E.5 Aircraft

S.E.5a, South Kensington

Production Details

Design Company:

Royal Aircraft Factory

First Flight:

22 November 1916

S.E.5:

77 - Royal Aircraft Factory

S.E.5a:

200 - Royal Aircraft Factory 560 - Air Navigation 1650 - Austin 258 - Martin and Handasyde 2165 - Vickers 431 - Wolseley Motors

S.E.5b:

1 - Royal Aircraft Factory (converted from S.E.5)

Type Specification

Applies to:

RAF S.E.5

Type:

Fighting scout

Wing:

Single bay biplane with equal span, staggered, unswept wings of wooden structure and fabric covering. Ailerons on all four wings

Fuselage:

Box section fuselage with faired top surface mounted on lower wing

Tail Unit:

Wire braced tailplane at top of fuselage with split elevator and single fin and rudder

Landing Gear:

Cross axle type supported on V struts attached to fuselage lower longeron. Tail skid

Power Plant:

One 150 hp Hispano-Suiza 8Aa engine mounted in nose driving a two bladed wooden propeller

Accommodation:

Single seat for pilot in open cockpit aft of upper wing

Armament:

One fixed Vickers gun mounted on fuselage with one Lewis gun on mounting on upper wing

Span:

27 ft 11 in

Length:

20 ft 11 in

Height:

9 ft 6 in

Wing Area:

249.8 sq ft

Empty:

1,399 lb

Loaded:

1,935 lb

Max Speed:

114 mph at 10,000 ft

Preserved in British Museums

S.E.5a:

F904 - Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden - Airworthy F938 - RAF Museum, Hendon - Display G-EBIB - Science Museum, South Kensington - Display

S.E.5a Replica:

F943 - Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington - Display F5475 - Brooklands Museum, Brooklands - Display

Web Sites