Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a

Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a

• Registration: C-GRJC
• Paint Scheme: Royal Flying Corps markings, Canadian Ace Billy Bishop
• Year Completed: 1991
• First Flight: 1 August 1991
• Plan set used: Original RAF plans for wings and external dimensions of fuselage, adapted Starduster Too steel structure for fuselage.
• Engine Type: Ford V6 with Blanton PSRU. Engine replaced with Ranger 6-440-C5
• Engine replaced in: Winter 1996
• Major rebuilds in: 1996, 2006

• The full scale SE5 is the second aircraft built completely in house at the GWFM. Externally it was built to correspond to original Royal Aircraft Factory drawings, yet the fuselage is actually of welded steel construction. Originally powered by a Ford truck engine running a propeller speed reduction unit, this was abandoned in favour of a Ranger aircraft engine. Only one paint scheme has been worn on this aircraft, namely C1904 as flown by William Avery Bishop, VC. It wore these colours and can be distinguished clearly in The Aviator from the large 'Z' on the fuselage.