SE5a (oz3468)

About this Plan

SE5a. Control line scale model WWI biplane fighter, for .29 engine

Quote: "Scale controliners will come and go but the old SE5A has a permanency all its own. This one is a standout with a .29. The SE5A, by Dick Ealy.

In the early months of 1917, Allied airmen were having a rough time. Losses of machines and pilots were terrific, and April was aptly called 'Bloody April' by England's flyers. The British were hard pressed to develop a design to cope with the Albatross, which was sweeping the skies for the Kaiser. The answer finally came with the introduction of the SE5A - a gallant old war bird which carried the brunt of the air war from late '17 to early '18.

The SE5A makes an easy-to-build scale model. Though boxy, it still has trim lines. The original was built 1-1/10 in to 1 ft scale and powered by a Torpedo .29 which gave it a 65 to 70 mph speed. This model incorporates the use of real flying wire rigging, designed by Walt Farrel who built the ship. It makes a stronger set of wings and is more truly a scale model. When standing on the outside of the circle you can hear the wires whistling as the model passes.

FUSELAGE: After scaling up the plans to full size, cut out the 118 hard sheet balsa sides. Allow an extra 1/8 more onthe rear end for bending. Cement the 3/8 by 1/2 maple motor beams on the sides. Then set the sides of the fuselage upright and cement in plywood bulkheads 2 and 3 in their respective posi-tions. Cement the 1/2 in sheet balsa nose block on the front. When the cement is dry, pull and cement the rear ends together and attach the remaining balsa bulkheads in place. We used Testor's B cement on the entire ship.

Bend up the landing gear from one piece of 3/32 steel wire as shown. Solder the 1/8 steel wire axle in place. Wrap four 3/8 by 1-1/8 tin straps on the top and drill 3/32 holes in each strap. Solder them in place to match the holes in bulkheads 2 and 3. Attach the gear to the bulkheads with 2-56 machine screws.

Make a 1/16 thick aluminum alloy 24 ST bellcrank and attach to the 1/8 plywood plate, 2-1/4 wide by 3-1/2 long, using 4-40 machine screws and stop nuts. Cement the plate on top of the motor beams and against bulkhead 2.

TAIL: Cut the horizontal tail outline from hard 3/16 sheet balsa and sand to a streamlined section. Now remove the 3/16 strip across the tail and cement a 1/8 dowel spar to the rear elevators only. Tin hinges are made of strips 1/4 by 1 in, bent around a 1/16 steel wire pin. Make a tin tailhorn of the wrap-around-spar type with a 7/8 leverage. Cement it on the right side as shown. Do not use a smaller leverage as it will be too sen-sitive on a 1/2 horn.

Force the hinges into the dowel and balsa, making sure the elevators move freely. Put a little cement on the hinges when pushing them in place. Cement the tail to the top of the fuselage at zero incidence. Bend a 1/16 steel wire push-rod to fit, and hook up the bellcrank to the tailhorn. Now carve out the tip fuselage cowl..."

This plan was printed in Flying Models Decade of Designs (1), published 1960.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 26/01/2019: Added article, thanks to RFJ.

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