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The Royal Aircraft Factory's S.E.5 made a poor first impression on the first ace to fly it, Albert Ball. He called it 'a dud' and 'a rotten machine'. But Ball and his unit, No. 56 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps, modified the new fighter to such an extent that, equipped with a more powerful engine, it became the S.E.5a, one of the most effective fighters of World War I. Although not quite as famous as the Sopwith Camel, the S.E.5a was renowned for its speed, its outstandingly robust airframe and its warmth and comfort (compared to the draftier Camel, with its pervasive whiff of castor oil). The S.E.5a was flown by some 100 aces, and anyone reading Norman Franks' latest addition to Osprey's series will recognize a lot of familiar names, such as Ball, Billy Bishop, Mick Mannock and Jimmy McCudden. The most successful S.E.5a pilot, South African Anthony W. Beauchamp-Proctor, was also the leading British balloon-buster, with 16 gasbags among his 54 victories and the Victoria Cross among his medals. Irish ace of aces George E.H. McElroy scored most of his 47 victories in S.E.5as, as did India's only ace, Indra Lal Roy, who got 10. Among the numerous American aces who flew S.E.5as was Elliott White Springs, co-author of the classic Warbirds. McCudden, whose 51 S.E.5a victories included 21 German planes brought down inside Allied lines, also wrote a classic memoir, as did eight-victory ace Cecil Lewis, whose Sagittarius Rising impressed playwright George Bernard Shaw, among others. Organizes by squadron in the order they were equipped with the fighter, Franks' litany of heroes is frequently interrupted for some firsthand accounts from aces he has known. An example from Sir Gwylim H. Lewis of No. 40 Squadron, who downed 12 enemy planes over the Western Front, describes an occasion where the S.E.'s diving speed came in handy: 'Suddenly - 'clackity-clackity-clack', and I looked round and there were three dirty fat white, black and green Albatri diving on my tail. I have never been so frightened in my life. Down I went as fast as I could, and no man has gone faster, engine going like nothing on earth. Luckily, we can dive as fast as they can, so they gave up, fearing something on top of them I expect.' SE 5/5a Aces of World War 1 offers a profusion of photographs and color profiles for 32 representative aircraft, a boon for modellers and painters alike. But it is the book's preservation of the pilots' memories that makes it invaluable for the general enthusiast or more recent discoverer of World War I. --Aviation History
Product Description
The Royal Aircraft Factory SE 5/5a was, along with the Sopwith Camel, the major British fighting scout of the last 18 months of the war in France. It equipped several major squadrons, the first being No 56 Sqn in April 1917. This unit became famous for the number of aces it had among its pilots, including Albert Ball, James McCudden, Geoffrey Bowman, Richard Maybery, Leonard Barlow, Hank Burden and Cyril Crowe. In all, 26 aces flew the aircraft with No 56 Sqn alone. Other well-known units were Nos 1, 24, 29, 32, 40, 41, 60, 64, 2 AFC, 74, 84, 85 and 92 Sqns. A number of Victoria Cross winners also flew SE 5/5as, namely Ball, Mannock, McCudden, Beauchamp Proctor and Bishop. Among the aces, no fewer than 20 scored more than 20 victories. In all, there were almost 100 SE 5/5a aces, and a large number of them are profiled in this volume. Supporting the text are more than 110 photographs, 37 brand new colour artworks and detailed appendices listing every pilot who 'made ace' on the SE 5/5a.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Well written and a treasure trove of info on SE5 Pilots and whats more a picture to nearly each name mentioned. Brilliant research work on behalve of author and compatriots.
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3 reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
SE 5/5a Aces & Units!
13 Sep 2007
Format:Paperback
The Royal Aircraft Factory SE 5a was one of Britain's two best fighters, the other being the Sopwith Camel. While the Camel reigned supreme at lower and medium altitudes, the SE 5a handled affairs at higher altitudes. Almost 100 British, Commonwealth and American pilots made ace in the SE 5/5a, many of their exploits being chronicled in this Osprey 'Aircraft of the Aces' volume by Norman Franks.
The SE 5a aces list reads like a 'Who's Who' of famous WWI pilots - Ball, McCudden, Mannock, Beauchamp Proctor, Rhys Davids, 'Taffy' Jones, George McElroy, Bill Lambert, 'Grid' Caldwell, etc. Relating the exploits of all those men would obviously require a book double or triple the length of this Osprey volume.
Within the book's 80-odd pages of text however Franks does a good job of touching upon each SE 5/5a squadron as they were formed and highlighting the backgrounds and successes of each's top-scoring pilots. Inclusion of several first-person accounts of dogfights is a definite plus.
Eleven pages of color profiles by Harry Dempsey and over 110 black & white photographs help illustrate the combat career of this sturdy warhorse and its brave pilots.
Nicely done, an excellent introduction.
The SE 5a aces list reads like a 'Who's Who' of famous WWI pilots - Ball, McCudden, Mannock, Beauchamp Proctor, Rhys Davids, 'Taffy' Jones, George McElroy, Bill Lambert, 'Grid' Caldwell, etc. Relating the exploits of all those men would obviously require a book double or triple the length of this Osprey volume.
Within the book's 80-odd pages of text however Franks does a good job of touching upon each SE 5/5a squadron as they were formed and highlighting the backgrounds and successes of each's top-scoring pilots. Inclusion of several first-person accounts of dogfights is a definite plus.
Eleven pages of color profiles by Harry Dempsey and over 110 black & white photographs help illustrate the combat career of this sturdy warhorse and its brave pilots.
Nicely done, an excellent introduction.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Over a hundred photos, nearly forty new color art works, and detailed biographies of all pilots.
2 Sep 2007
Format:Paperback
Norman Franks' SE 5/5A ACES OF WORLD WAR 1 joins others in Osprey's 'Aircraft of the Aces' series to chart the Royal Aircraft Factory and its famous unit No. 56 during World War 1. Collections strong in either military history of the era or aviation history will find it packed with over a hundred photos, nearly forty new color art works, and detailed biographies of all pilots.
SE 5/5a ACES OF WORLD WAR I
26 Jan 2011
Format:Paperback
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
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
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