Britain - 1917 R.A.F. FE.9

Boldly Moving Forward Into the Past.

Life has been demanding of my free time. I hope my routine will settle down to normal chaos by the new year. It is good to be back. I need to post some of the work which has slipped through the cracks during the Fokker Dr.I renovation project. Today's post is one of the rare birds I have been working on.

Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9

Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9 S/n A 4818 - 1917

Brief Overview of the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9

The Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9 was a prototype British two seat fighter-reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War. A single-engined pusher biplane of 1917, the F.E.9 had poor performance and handling, and only three were built.

In summer 1916, the Royal Aircraft Factory set out to design a replacement for its F.E.2b two-seat pusher fighter. The F.E.9 was of similar pusher configuration and therefore already obsolescent by the time it appeared in 1917. Although effective gun synchronizing gear was now available, which would allow a tractor design with superior performance to be designed, the factory chose to continue the pusher layout of the F.E.2 in its new two seat fighter, the F.E.9. Emphasis was placed in the design upon providing the gunner with a good field of fire and the pilot a good all-round view. Its nacelle extended well forward of the wings and was located high up in the wing gap to give a good field of fire for the observer, who was seated in the nose, ahead of the pilot, with dual controls fitted. It had unequal span, single-bay wings, with ailerons on the upper wing only with large horn balances (the amount of control surface forward of the hinge). It was powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8 V8 engine, with the Royal Aircraft Factory having priority for this important and widely used engine.

Three prototypes and 24 production aircraft were ordered, with the first of three prototypes flying in April 1917. It was found to have a poor climb performance and handling, with the ailerons being overbalanced, which tended to force the aircraft onto its back in steep turns. In order to try and solve its handling problems it was fitted with various designs of aileron and rudders.

After service trials of the first prototype in France, Major General Hugh Trenchard recommended that development be stopped, despite this the second prototype flew in October 1917, with two-bay wings, which was passed to No. 78 Squadron based at Biggin Hill in the Home Defense role. The third prototype appeared in November 1917, and was used for trials at Farnborough until early 1918.

Although the 24 production aircraft were not completed, the F.E.9 did form the basis for the later N.E.1 night fighter and A.E.3 Ram ground attack aircraft.

References

• Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9 the Virtual Aircraft Museum Retrieved 07:24, November 17, 2010, from http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/raf_fe-9.php
• Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.9. (2010, April 26). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:24, November 17, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Royal_Aircraft_Factory_F.E.9&oldid=358338309
• Bruce, J.M. British Aeroplanes 1914-18. London:Putnam, 1957.
• Bruce, J.M. War Planes of the First World War: Volume Two Fighters. London:Macdonald, 1968. ISBN 0 356 01473 8.
• Mason, Francis K. The British Fighter since 1912. Annapolis, Maryland, USA:Naval Institute Press, 1992. ISBN 1-55750-082-7.

America - 1918 RAF (Austin) SE.5a

The SE.5a In American Service

I am taking a break from the inter-war period, and getting back to work on my yet unpublished USAS section and started fleshing out the pages for the 4^th Pursuit Group.

When many think of American squadrons serving in WWI the first thing that comes to mind is units flying French aircraft. This was not always the case. Several units flew both the British Sopwith Camel and the RAF SE.5a. Since I have been working on new master files for the SE.5a I thought it was high time to tackle examples which served in the American sector of the front.

The 25^th Pursuit Squadron, U.S.A.S

RAF (Austin) SE.5a Lt. Raymond C. Watts s/n 11 (F8040) Toul, France, Nov. 1918

The white markings are used by B flight. This aircraft does not carry a diamond insignia. The squadron insignia is a cartoon of a masked executioner on a on a white oval. The white bordered American fuselage roundels are the same size and location as was used in British service. The aircraft used by the 25^th are painted in the standard British scheme of PC-10 and lower surfaces varnished linen. From what I have seen of photos the upper wing carried white identification numbers and the lower wing has the number in black..

RAF (Austin) SE.5a Captain Reed Landis, s/n 13 (F8005) Toul, France Nov. 1918

This B flight SE.5a was the personal plane of the squadron leader, Captain Reed Landis. The red diamond on the vertical tail fin indicates a command plane. The white bordered roundels outside edge begins at the second wing spar.The wing markings are a command diagonal stripe on the left side and the number number on the right The finish is PC-10 as is the fuselage. The bottom wing is painted in a mirror of the top wing except the stripe and number are black on varnished fabric. The top of the fuselage has two white diamonds just aft of the head rest.

RAF (Austin) SE.5a Lt. Joseph E. Boudwin, s/n 19 (F8010) Toul, France Nov. 1918

This aircraft has many details on the fuselage including a white bordered diamond which may mean it is a command plane. The blue markings indicate this plane flew with C flight. I am not sure about the scheme on the wings. There is still some debate if there were diamonds on the top of the fuselage as in number 13.

Creation of the 4^th Pursuit Group

In the last days of the First World War American command created the 4^th Pursuit Group. Several of the squadrons assigned to the 4th were formed around pilots who had served in the RAF before the American entry into the war.

The process of creating the 4th Pursuit Group began on October 25, 1918 at Toul, France. The unit was allocated to the new 2nd Army Air Service which had been formed on October 12. The first squadron assigned to the 4^th PG was the 141^st Aero Squadron which had begun operations two days earlier on October 23rd. Three other squadrons - the 17^th, 25^th, 148^th joined the 141^st at Toul in preparation for an offensive which was to begin on November 10^th.

The Americans had requested the 17^th and 25^th squadrons be transferred back to American command for upcoming offensives. The the British agreed, but refused to allow them to take their planes with them, so the Americans arrived in Toul without airplanes.

A Short History of the 25^th Aero Squadron

The unit was established as the 20^th Aero Squadron in June 1917. It was later re-designated the 25^th Aero Squadron after the United States entered into the war. The 25^th was deployed to Europe, first to England, then to the Western Front in France in late October 1918. Assigned to the 4^th Pursuit Group, 2^nd Army Air Service, Toul Sector, however at that time the unit had not been issued any airplanes. The Squadron was made up of American pilots who flew with RAF S.E.5a Fighter Squadrons. Command of the squadron was given to Capt. Reed Landis who had 10 victories flying the SE5a with Royal Air Force 40^th Squadron. The squadron finally received some British Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5s and went operational flying one combat mission on 10 November 1918 the day before the war ended. It was demobilized after the 1918 armistice.

The 25^th Pursuit Squadron, U.S.A.S was equipped with the British S.E.5a with the Wright-Martin built 180 hp Hispano-Suiza. The S.E.5a were built by Austin. The U.S.Army had a large order with Austin Motor Car Co. The 141^st Pursuit was equipped with S.E.5a after the war.

The 25^thused color to identify the different flights. Red was used for A flight, white for B flight, and blue for C flight.

Britain - 1911 S.E.1

Another One from the Odd Duck File

The early days of aviation design was fertile ground for strange planes. The S.E.1 was another example of the "Dancing Bear Syndrome", It did not matter how poorly the bear danced. The fact that it did dance was the miracle. Unfortunately, like a bear it can turn on the hapless handler and kill him.

RAF SE.1 - 1911

At first glance trying to establish which end was the nose of the S.E.1 may seem confusing. Since it was a pusher aircraft, the pointed end is the nose sporting a canard stabilizer. The pilot sat in the fuselage section which had radiators mounted on either side for cooling the engine.

The S.E.1 (Santos Experimental) was an experimental aircraft built at the Army Balloon Factory at Farnborough (later the Royal Aircraft Factory) in 1911. Its place in aviation history is mainly that it was the first in the series of Royal Aircraft Factory designs - several of which played an important role in World War I.

In 1911 the Army Balloon Factory was not actually authorized to construct aircraft, but only to repair them. When the remains of a crashed Blériot XI monoplane belonging to the army were sent from Larkhill to Farnborough for repair, authorization for a complete reconstruction was sought, and granted.

The result was a completely new design. A tractor monoplane became a pusher biplane with large balanced fore-elevators, similar in basic layout to the Wright Flyer, but with a fully covered fuselage. Ailerons were fitted to the top wing, and twin balanced rudders were mounted behind the propeller, but out of its immediate slipstream. The only obvious component of the Blériot that found its way into the new design was its 60 hp (45 kW) E.N.V. "F" engine.

The S.E.1 made its first flight, a straight mile in the hands of its designer Geoffrey de Havilland on 11 June 1911. Further fight testing revealed control problems and the area of the front wing/elevator was adjusted to try to bring together the center of pressure and the hinge line and make the S.E.1 stable in pitch. By the beginning of August the front surface was fixed and carried a conventional trailing edge elevator. An attempt to improve the turning characteristics was made by stripping the side covering of the nacelle to reduce side area. de Havilland continued to fly the S.E.1 until 16 August. On the 18 August the aircraft was flown by someone else for the first time; the rather inexperienced pilot Lt. Theodore J. Ridge, Assistant Superintendent at the factory (who had only been awarded his Pilot's certificate the day before, and was described as "an absolutely indifferent flyer". The combination of the inexperienced pilot and the marginally controllable aircraft proved fatal - the S.E.1 stalled in a turn and spun in, killing Ridge.

No attempt to rebuild the S.E.1 was made, and the design was apparently abandoned, with no attempt to develop it. The S.E.2 of 1913 was a completely different kind of airplane - a development of the B.S.1.

References

1. Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.1. (2010, May 22). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:35, January 12, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Royal_Aircraft_Factory_S.E.1&oldid=363588932
2. Jackson, A.J. (1978). de Havilland Aircraft since 1909 1978, pp. 38-9. London: Putnam Publishing. ISBN 0 370 30022 X.
3. Jarrett, Philip (2002). "Making Flying Safer". In Jarrett, Philip. Pioneer Aircraft:Early Aviation before 1914 2002. London: Putnam. pp. 202-215. ISBN 0 85177 869 0.

Britain - 1914 RAF S.E.2- S.E.2a

Guns Arrive on the Scene

Early prewar aircraft mainly started out as civilian planes and were used as unarmed scouts. Even before the war heated up, it became obvious that weapons were needed on-board to make them more useful over the battle field. In the beginning everything from hand guns to bricks were used in an attempt to give the scout some teeth. The next step was to mount rifles on the side of the fuselage to provide a small measure of firepower.

RAF SE.2 - 1913

The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.2 (Scout Experimental) was an early British single-seat scout aircraft. Designed and built at the Royal Aircraft Factory in 1913 as the B.S.1, the prototype was rebuilt several times before serving with the Royal Flying Corps, being operated over the Western Front in the early months of the First World War.

In 1912, a team at the Royal Aircraft Factory, lead by Geoffrey de Havilland, started design of a single seat scout, or fast reconnaissance aircraft, the first aircraft in the world specifically designed for this role. The design was a small tractor biplane, and was named the B.S.1 (standing for Blériot Scout) after Louis Blériot, a pioneer of tractor configuration aircraft. It had a wooden monocoque circular section fuselage, and single-bay wings. Lateral control was by wing warping,while the aircraft was initially fitted with a small rudder without a fixed fin, and an all moving elevator. It was powered by a two-row, 14-cylinder Gnome rotary engine rated at 100 hp (75 kW).

RAF SE.2a - 1914

The Royal Aircraft B.S.1 in its original form

The B.S.1 was first flown by Geoffrey de Havilland early in 1913, demonstrating excellent performance, with a maximum speed of 91.7 mph (147.6 km/h), a stalling speed of 51 mph (82 km/h) and a rate of climb of 900 ft/min (4.6 m/s), despite the engine only delivering about 82 hp (61 kW) instead of the promised 100 hp. However, on 27 March 1913, the aircraft crashed while being flown by de Havilland, breaking his jaw and damaging the aircraft.

Following this accident, it was repaired, with an 80 hp single-row Gnome and new tail surfaces, with triangular fins above and below the fuselage and a larger rudder. While the repaired aircraft was initially designated B.S.2, it was soon redesignated S.E.2 (for Scout Experimental). It was flown in this form by de Havilland in October 1913.

In April 1914, the S.E.2 was again rebuilt, this time under the supervision of Henry Folland, as de Havilland had left the Royal Aircraft Factory to become chief designer of Airco (the B.S.1/S.E.2 was the last design de Havilland produced for the Factory). The tail surfaces were again revised, with a larger fin and rudder, with new tailplane and elevators. The monocoque rear fuselage was replaced by conventional wood and fabric, and more streamlined struts and streamlined sectioned bracing wires (Raf-wires) were fitted. It was flown in this form on 3 October 1914. This modified version is often referred to as the "S.E.2a" - this designation was not used at the time, and was probably not official.

The S.E.2 was handed over the Royal Flying Corps on 17 February 1914, with the serial number 609 being issued to No. 5 Squadron, where it made a good impression, and then to No. 3 Squadron before being returned to the Royal Aircraft Factory in April.

By the time the rebuilt "S.E.2a" version was completed, the First World War had broken out, and the modified S.E.2 was sent across the English Channel to join No. 3 Squadron on 27 October. It was fitted with an improvised armament of a pair of rifles mounted on the side of the fuselage, angled outwards to avoid the propeller, together with the pilot's revolver. It was one of the fastest aircraft available in the early months of the war, with it being said that:"Its speed enabled it to circle around the enemy machines and gave it a decided ascendancy." It remained in use with 3 Squadron until March 1915, when it was damaged by an exploding bomb and was sent back to England.

References

1. "Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.2". (2010, August 3). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:39, November 15, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Royal_Aircraft_Factory_S.E.2&oldid=376984114
2. Bruce, J.M. "British Aeroplanes 1914-18". London: Putnam, 1957.
3. Bruce, J.M. "The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps" (Military Wing). London: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30084-X.
4. Hare, Paul R. "The Royal Aircraft Factory". London:Putnam, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-843-7.
5. Jackson, A.J. "De Havilland Aircraft since 1909". London: Putnam, Third edition, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-802-X.
6. Mason, Francis K. "The British Fighter since 1912". Annapolis, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1992. ISBN 1-55750-082-7.

Britain - 1915 RAF S.E.4a

An Early British Experimental Scout Aircraft

The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.4a was an early aircraft which bore a close resemblance to planes used later in the war. It was one of the stepping stones from early unarmed aircraft to the fighters of the next few years.

RAF SE.4a - 1915

The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.4a was an experimental British single-engined scout aircraft of the First World War. Four S.E.4a aircraft were built, being used for research purposes and as home-defence fighters by the Royal Flying Corps. In spite of its type number it had little or no relationship to the earlier S.E.4

In 1915, Henry Folland of the Royal Aircraft Factory designed a new single-engined scout aircraft, the S.E.4a. While it had a similar designation to Folland's earlier Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.4 of 1914, which had been designed to be the fastest aircraft in the world, the S.E.4a was fundamentally a new aircraft, intended to investigate the relationship between stability and manoeuvrability, and for possible operational use.

The resulting design was a single-engined, single bay biplane. The fuselage structure was of mixed construction, with a steel tube forward section and a wooden box-girder rear section. The first prototype's fuselage was smoothly faired out to a circular section using formers and stringers, with the forward fuselage back to the cockpit covered in metal skinning and the rear fuselage fabric covered. The wood and fabric single-bay wings, unlike the S.E.4, had noticeable stagger between the upper and lower wings, but were fitted with similar, full span control surfaces which could be moved differentially as ailerons or together as camber changing flaps, to those used on the S.E.4.

The first prototype's engine, an 80 hp (60 kW) Gnome rotary engine, was mounted within a smooth cowling driving a two-bladed propeller fitted with a large, blunt spinner. This was found to lead to engine overheating and was replaced by a more conventional arrangement.

The remaining three prototypes had simpler structures, with flat-sided fuselages, and many of the drag reducing features of the first prototype omitted. They were powered by a range of engines of similar power to that used in the first prototype, including Clerget and Le Rhône rotaries.

The first prototype flew on 25 June 1915, with the remaining three aircraft all having flown by mid August. The S.E.4a proved easy to fly, demonstrating excellent aerobatic capabilities, but were overweight and underpowered, and was not developed further.

Two of the aircraft, armed with a Lewis gun mounted above the upper wing were issued to Home Defence squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps in the winter of 1915-16, based at Hounslow and Joyce Green. One of these was lost in a fatal crash on 24 September 1915. The third prototype remained in use for trials purposes until September 1917.

References

1. "Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.4a". (2009, October 14). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:35, November 25, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Royal_Aircraft_Factory_S.E.4a&oldid=319904390
2. Bruce, J.M. "British Aeroplanes 1914-18". London:Putnam, 1957.
3. Bruce J.M. "War Planes of the First World War: Volume Two Fighters". London:Macdonald, 1968. ISBN 0 356 01473 8.
4. Bruce, J.M. "The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps" (Military Wing). London:Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0 370 30084 x.
5. Lewis, Peter. "The British Fighter since 1912". London:Putnam, Fourth edition, 1979. ISBN 0 370 10049 2.
6. Mason, Francis K. "The British Fighter since 1912". Annapolis, USA:Naval Institute Press, 1992. ISBN 1-55750-082-7.

Britain - 1917 RAF SE.5a

Britain's Other Great Fighter of 1917

Time for a change of pace today's topic is one of the best fighters used by Great Britain. It may have been a bit boxy but it was a forgiving aircraft that had a good service record.

RAF SE.5a - 1917

Shortly after the development of the Scout Experimental 5, the improved S.E.5a was introduced. When it entered the war in 1917, it was superior to all its German opponents. Many pilots preferred it to the Sopwith Camel. It was easier to fly, it performed better at high altitude and its in-line engine produced less noise. It was also faster than the Sopwith Camel, allowing a pilot to break off combat at will. Disdained by Albert Ball, in the hands of airmen like William Bishop and Edward Mannock, the S.E.5a developed a reputation as a formidable fighter. With 54 victories, South African Anthony Beauchamp Proctor downed more enemy aircraft with this plane than any other ace.

RAF SE.5a - 1917

The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 was a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. Although the first examples reached the Western Front before the Sopwith Camel and it had a much better overall performance, problems with its Hispano-Suiza engine meant that there was a chronic shortage of S.E.5s until well into 1918 and fewer squadrons were equipped with the type than with the Sopwith fighter. Together with the Camel, the S.E.5 was instrumental in regaining allied air superiority in mid-1917 and maintaining this for the rest of the war, ensuring there was no repetition of "Bloody April" 1917 when losses in the Royal Flying Corps were much heavier than in the Luftstreitkräfte.

RAF SE.5a - 1917

The S.E.5 (Scout Experimental 5) was designed by Henry P. Folland, J. Kenworthy and Major Frank W. Goodden of the Royal Aircraft Factory in Farnborough. It was built around the new 150 hp (112 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8a V8 engine which while it provided excellent performance, was initially under-developed and unreliable. The first of three prototypes flew on 22 November 1916. The first two prototypes were lost in crashes (the first killing one of its designers, Major F. W. Goodden on 28 January 1917) due to a weakness in their wing design. The third prototype underwent modification before production commenced; the S.E.5 was known in service as an exceptionally strong aircraft which could be dived at very high speed so these changes were certainly effective.

Like the other significant Royal Aircraft Factory aircraft of the war (B.E.2, F.E.2 and R.E.8) the S.E.5 was inherently stable, making it an excellent gunnery platform but it was also quite manoeverable. It was one of the fastest aircraft of the war at 138 mph (222 km/h), equal at least in speed to the SPAD S.XIII and faster than any standard German type of the period. The S.E.5 was not as effective in a dog fight as the Camel as it was less agile but it was easier and safer to fly, particularly for novice pilots.

The S.E.5 had one synchronized .303-in Vickers machine gun to the Camel's two. It also had a wing-mounted Lewis gun on a Foster mounting, which enabled the pilot to fire at an enemy aircraft from below as well as forward. This was much appreciated by the pilots of the first S.E.5 squadrons as the new "C.C." synchronizing gear for the Vickers was unreliable at first. The Vickers gun was mounted on the left side of the fuselage with the breech inside the cockpit. The cockpit was set amidships, making it difficult to see over the long front fuselage, but otherwise visibility was good. Perhaps its greatest advantage over the Camel was its superior performance at altitude - so that (unlike most Allied fighters) it was not outclassed by the Fokker D.VII when that fighter arrived at the front.

References

1. From Wikipedia Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Aircraft_Factory_S.E.5"
2. Bruce, J.M. "The S.E.5: Historic Military Aircraft No. 5". Flight, 17 July 1953. pp. 85–89, 93.
3. Bruce, J.M. "The S.E.5A". Aircraft in Profile", Volume 1/Part1. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1965 (Revised 4th edition 1975). ISBN 0-85383-410-5.
4. Franks, Norman L.R. "SE 5/5a Aces of World War 1". Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publications, 2007. ISBN 1-846031-80-X.
5. Kopan'ski, Tomasz Jan. "Samoloty brytyjskie w lotnictwie polskim 1918-1930" (British Aircraft in the Polish Air Force 1918-1930)(in Polish). Warsaw: Bellona, 2001. ISBN 83-11-09315-6.
6. Sturtivant, Ray ISO and Gordon Page. "The SE5 File". Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1996. ISBN 0-85130-246-7.

Britain - 1916 RAF R.E.8

The Virtues of Simplicity

RAF RE.8 - 1916

Today's post is not flashy. Sometimes it is a good thing it makes you focus on details and form that make a particular aircraft distinctive. The R.E.8. has a swayback look and large air intake that is easy to remember.

During World War I, the R.E.8 was the most widely used British two-seat biplane on the Western Front. A descendant of the R.E.7, it was initially developed for reconnaissance work but also saw service as a bomber and ground attack aircraft. Nicknamed "Harry Tate," it provided a stable platform for photographic missions but suffered from poor maneuverability, leaving it vulnerable to attack by enemy fighters.

The Royal Aircraft Factory Reconnaissance Experimental 8 (R.E.8) was a lumbering British two-seat biplane reconnaissance and bomber aircraft of the First World War. Intended as a replacement for the vulnerable B.E.2, the R.E.8 was much more difficult to fly, and was regarded with great suspicion at first in the Royal Flying Corps.

References

1. From Wikipedia Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Aircraft_Factory_R.E.8"
2. Bruce, J.M. "The R.E.8: Historic Military Aircraft: No. 8". Flight. 15 October 1954, pp. 575-581.
3. Cheesman, E.F. (ed.) "Reconnaissance & Bomber Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War. Letchworth, UK: Harleyford, 1962.
4. Gerdessen, F. "Estonian Air Power 1918-1945". Air Enthusiast No 18, April -July 1982, pp. 61-76. ISSN 0143-5450.
5. Mason, Francis K. "The British Bomber since 1914". London:Putnam, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.
6. Munson, Kenneth. "Bombers, Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft 1914-1919". London: Blandford, 1968. ISBN 0-71370-484-5.
7. Taylor, John W.R. "Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8." Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the present. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0-425-03633-2.

Britian - 1914 RAF R.E.5

Something for the Aerial Backseat Driver

Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.5 - 1914

Early Royal Aircraft Factory aircraft were surprisingly modern looking for the era in which they were built. They were not the flashiest bird in the sky but they got the job done. The project started with a line drawing I had found and a few photographs. The colors are best guess, but it gets the idea across. I promise to post something more colorful soon.

The Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.5 was a British two-seat reconnaissance and artillery observation biplane designed and built by the Royal Aircraft Factory for the Royal Flying Corps.

The R.E.5 was designed as a reconnaissance biplane using the experience of earlier R.E. series aircraft. It was a two-bay equal-span biplane with a fixed tail skid landing gear, with the wheels supported on skids and powered by a nose-mounted 120 hp (89 kW) Austro-Daimler engine driving a four-bladed propeller. The aircraft had two open cockpits with the observer/gunner in the forward cockpit under the upper wing and the pilot aft. The larger more capable Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.7 was a further development of the design. Some modified single-seat high altitude aircraft were built with extended-span (57 ft 2.66 in or 17.43 m) upper wings supported by a pair of outward-leaning struts. Other R.E.5s were used for experimentation with air-brakes and for test flying the Royal Aircraft Factory 4 engine.

References

1. Rickard, J (16 April 2009), Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.5 , "http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_RAF_RE5.html"
2. From Wikipedia Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.5, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Aircraft_Factory_R.E.5"
3. Bruce, J.M. (1957). "British Aeroplanes 1914-18". London: Putnam, pp.417-421.
4. Bruce, J.M. (1992). "The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps" (Second ed.). London: Putnam pp.445-51. ISBN 0 85177 854 2.
5. Lewis, Peter (1974). "The British Bomber since 1914" (Second ed.). London: Putnam, p.35, pp.402-403. ISBN 0 370 10040 9.
6. Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). "Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation". London: Studio Editions.
7. "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft" (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. pp. 2820.