Royal Aircraft Factory SE2
| SE2 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Reconnaissance plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
July 1911 |
| Commissioning: |
1911-14 |
| Production time: |
1911-14 |
| Number of pieces: |
several hundred (with license builds) |
The Royal Aircraft Factory SE2 was a British biplane and was used in the First World War from 1914 .
development
The first SE2 (SE = Santos Experimental) with the serial number 609 was delivered to the Royal Flying Corps on February 17, 1914 and successfully tested by the 5th and 3rd Squadron.
The type appeared at the outbreak of war in the revised version SE2a and was transferred to the 3rd Squadron via the canal on October 27, 1914. The machine was made by Lt. Sherkleton flown and later armed with rifles attached to the side of the fuselage. The machine remained in use until March 1915, when it was transported back to England, badly damaged after a bomb explosion.
Since the flight performance of the competitor Bristol Scout was superior, a further production of the SE2a was refrained from. A further development was the SE4 , which had an impressive top speed of 217 km / h with a 100 hp monosoupape engine. However, the only prototype did not go into production, the machine was scrapped after a crash landing.
SE2 in a performance comparison (around the end of 1914)
| Surname | country | Motor power | Max. speed | Takeoff mass | MG | Summit height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SE2 |
 United Kingdom
|
80 hp | 155 km / h | 544 kg | 0 | 4600 m |
| Sopwith tabloid |
United Kingdom
|
100 hp | 148 km / h | 481 kg | 0-1 | 2000 m |
| Bristol Scout D |
United Kingdom
|
80 hp | 161 km / h | 567 kg | 1 | 4900 m |
| Morane-Saulnier L |
 France
|
80 hp | 123 km / h | 480 kg | 0-1 | 4700 m |
| Palatinate AI |
.svg){kind=small} German Empire
|
80 hp | 135 km / h | 615 kg | 0 | ... m |
Technical data (SE2a)
| Parameter | Data SE2a |
|---|---|
| crew | a pilot |
| length | 6.25 m |
| span | 8.38 m |
| height | 2.39 m |
| Takeoff mass | 544 kg |
| drive | 1 × Gnôme rotary engine with 80 PS (approx. 60 kW) |
| Top speed | 155 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 4600 m |
| Flight duration | 2:30 h |
See also
literature
- Kenneth Munson: Fighter planes 1914–19 , Orell-Füssli, Zurich 1968