Se5 (oz9734)

About this Plan

Se5. Control line scale model British WWI biplane fighter.

Quote: "Fighting Planes of the Famous Aces by Walter A. Musciano

Designed by Britain's Royal Aircraft Factory, the famous SE-5 proved to be one of the easiest Allied scouts to fly during World War One. Unlike the Camel or Fokker Triplane, which were extremely maneuverable, and somewhat difficult to handle, the Scouting Experimental-5 or SE-5 was a stable design which enabled a good marksman to aim carefully and begin firing at the enemy at maximum range. In effect, it was a perfect gun platform due to its steady flight characteristics. It made good fighters out of fair pilots.

The S.E.-5 first appeared at the front in April, 1917 and was flown to victory by many great aces including Mannock, Bishop and McCudden. Over 2,000 S.E.-5 airplanes were built at several plants including the Royal Aircraft Factory, Vickers, Austin, and Standard. Armament consisted of one Vickers machine gun mounted on the cowl and one Lewis machine gun installed above the center section of the wing.

Due to the large number of S.E.-5 Scouts that were built, a variety of engines were installed including the Hispano-Sueza, direct drive or geared, and Wolseley Viper.
This accounts for' the variety of cowl shapes seen in S.E.-5 photos. When powered by the 150 hp Hispano-Sueza a speed of 119 miles per hour was attained and the weight of the airframe was 1,399 lbs. The 200 hp Hispano-Sueza version attained 124 mph.

The principal advantages in performance that the S.E.-5 Scouts possessed over their opponents was the ability to withstand extended high velocity dives. Many airplanes of that period such as the Fokker Triplane and Nieuport Scouts lost wings or peeled fabric during prolonged high speed dives. The S.E.-5 was also famous for its ability to pull out of dives very quickly and zoom onto the tail of the trailing enemy plane.

Our one inch to the foot replica is a duplicate of the SE5 scout flown by the famous Major James B McCudden of the Royal Flying Corps. The markings on the plans are authentic.

Any glow plug or diesel engine from .19 to .29 can be used in this model. A .19 will provide some excellent flying for this 250 sq in wing area model while a .29 will create a speedy flyer. Those model builders who enjoy a slow, realistic takeoff and a natural looking flight should use the .15 engine..."

This is an Uncle Willies plan.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages (incomplete).

Corrections?

Did we get something wrong with these details about this plan (especially the datafile)? That happens sometimes. You can help us fix it.
Add a correction