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SE-5E #
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Photo:
Robert Deering 10/18/2012 National Museum of the USAF Wright-Paterson AFB (FFO) Dayton, Ohio |
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When the United States entered
World War I, plans called for American manufacturers to
mass produce aircraft already in use by the Allies. One
of the fighters chosen was the British S.E.5A, designed
by the Royal Aircraft Factory. The prototype S.E.5 first
flew in December 1916, and deliveries of an improved
version, the S.E.5A, started in March 1917. Noted for
its strength, stability and speed, the S.E.5A rivaled
the
Sopwith Camel as the most
successful British fighter of WWI.
For its pilots already in Europe, the American Expeditionary Force bought 38 S.E.5A aircraft from Great Britain, and in the United States, the government placed orders with the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motors Corp. The Armistice halted production after Curtiss had completed only one S.E.5A, but 56 more were constructed from components shipped from Great Britain. In 1922 the Eberhart Steel Products Co. received a contract to rebuild 50 of the Army Air Service's S.E.5A aircraft using 180-hp Wright-Hispano "E" engines. The Army Air Service used these aircraft, redesignated the SE-5E, for advanced training. |
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