SE 5/5a Aces of World War I (Aircraft of the Aces)
by Norman Franks
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Book Summary Information
Author: Norman FranksIllustrator: Harry Dempsey
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-06-19
ISBN: 184603180X
Number of pages: 96
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Book Reviews of SE 5/5a Aces of World War I (Aircraft of the Aces)
Book Review: SE 5/5a ACES OF WORLD WAR I
Summary: 5 Stars
SE 5/5A ACES OF WORLD WAR I
NORMAN FRANKS
OSPREY PUBLISHING, 2007
QUALITY SOFTCOVER, $22.95, 96 PAGES, ILLUSTRATIONS, APPENDICES
Flown by some of the greatest Allies aces during the First World War-such as Billy Bishop, James McCudden, and Edward Mannock, the Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 (Scout Experimental #5) was without a doubt the most successful plane produced by the firm. A single-seat biplane with dihedral wings, H.P. Folland's design team focused on making it easy to fly. This characteristic enabled the Royal Flying Corps to entrust the plane to relatively inexperienced pilots. Thanks to the efforts of the engineers, this aircraft was as almost as maneuverable as its contemporary, the Sopwith Camel, but was noticeably faster and quieter.
Powered by a 150 horsepower (112 kw) Hispano-Suiza V; the SE-5 entered service on the Western Front in April, 1917. The adoption of a more powerful engine, a 200 horsepower (149 kw) Hispano-Suiza, led to the SE.5a version, which otherwise offered only a few differences from the SE.5. The first examples of the new model appeared in mid-1917 and replaced the SE.5 graduallly. Undoubtedly the SE-5a was handicapped at this time by the unreliability of its engine and by the limited effectiveness of the Constantinescu synchronizing gear. It was the first Allied scout plane with two machine guns: a Lewis gun on a Foster-mount on the top wing and a side-mounted Vickers gun in front of the cockpit. As soon as the problems had been resolved, the British bi-plane became a fighter with formidable capabilities. Toward the end of the war, some SE.5a's were employed in close support missions, armed with light bombs. The combined production of the SE.5 and the SE.5a reached 5,205, including some modified as two-seaters.
The SE.5 arrived at the Western Front with No. 56 Squadron in April, 1917, "Bloody April." In June, 1917, the improved SE.5a was delivered to the squadron, which was withdrawn briefly to the Home Front to cope with the Gotha bomber menace. By early summer, No. 15 Squadron was also equipped. By the winter of 1917-1918, Nos. 24, 32, and 64 Squadrons also received SE.5a's. The plane was also used in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Palestine, and also on the Salonica Front. Many were assigned to the air defense of British territory, with unimpressive results.
SE.5/5a ACES OF WORLD WAR I is the only detailed account of the SE.5/5a currently in print. In all, there were almost 100 SE.5/5a aces, and a large number of them are profiled in this well-researched book. Supporting this book are more than 110 photographs, 37 brand new color artworks and detailed appendices listing every pilot who 'made ace' on the SE.5/5a.
Lt. Colonel Robert A. Lynn, Florida Guard
Orlando, Florida
Summary of SE 5/5a Aces of World War I (Aircraft of the Aces)
The SE 5/5a British single-seat aircraft was one of the major fighting scouts of the last 18 months of the war in France during World War I and was a true workhorse of the Royal Flying Corps, handling fighter-versus-fighter actions, combating the high-flying German photo-reconnaissance planes as well as balloons. A total of five SE 5/5a pilots, including the legendary Albert Ball, received the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for gallantry.A detailed account of the SE 5/5a, this title covers the development of the machine and its first tentative initiation into combat on the Western Front until it grew in stature to become a machine feared by the German Air Service. Packed with first-hand accounts and combat reports, this is a thrilling insight into the dangerous dogfights and fearless actions of the pilots who flew the SE 5/5a, bringing to life the deadly exploits of these "knights of the air" as they dueled for dominance over the Western Front.
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