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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #177053 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Review
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

About the Author
NORMAN FRANKS is a full-time author and air historian, with more than 40 published book titles to his name. He is a recognised authority on the air wars of both World Wars 1 and 2, and in recent years has co-authored three massive studies of World War 1 fighter aces (Above the Trenches, Over the Front and Above the Lines) which have become essential works of reference on the subject. Norman is an active member of the Cross and Cockade World War 1 Aviation Historical Society, and he also belongs to the League of World War 1 Aviation Historians. SE 5/5a Aces of World War 1 is his tenth book for Osprey.