Roden 607 RAF S.E.5a w/Wolseley Viper 1:32

In very quick time the RAF S.E.5a gained a reputation it keeps to the present day. German pilots always took extra care before entering into a duel with it. Famous British Empire aces - Mick Mannock, James McCudden, Billy Bishop, Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor and many others - achieved plenty of victories piloting the S.E.5a.

Apart from the Royal Flying Corps, the RAF S.E.5a was delivered to the American forces which were at war on the Western Front. Some more machines were transferred to the British Dominions - Australia, Canada and the South African Union. During the Civil War in Russia in 1919-20, at least two S.E.5a came into the hands of the Bolsheviks and went to war with black stars on their fuselage and wings. After the termination of the Great War many S.E.5a found their way to the USA where they were operated right up to the mid 1920s. After being disarmed most English machines quickly went to the breaker's yard, but many American S.E.5a went into private hands and were used for a long time in postal service and for acrobatics. A lot of them had cinema careers, taking part in many Hollywood films (for example, Howard Hughes's epic film 'Hells Angels'). During the war and afterwards, a small quantity of S.E.5a were converted to two seaters for the training of future pilots. Overall, 5,205 planes - from the first S.E.5 up to the most successful S.E.5a with Wolseley Viper engine - were produced. Without any doubt, the RAF S.E.5a was, and is, deservedly prominent in the pages of the history of Twentieth Century aviation.