Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a
This SE5a, Serial Number C8996, is one of 35 examples sent out to Australia after WWI. Two of the 35 survive, one in Canberra and the other as a wreck, rescued from the bush in 1992, at Point Cook. The remainder were written off in accidents, ‘destroyed by burning’ or scrapped. Only one was recorded as ‘Components retained by Munitions Supply Board’ – this was C8996. The Munitions Supply Board was located in Victoria, which is where this aeroplane came from. The engine now fitted was originally in an SE5a, and had only run for 23 hours before being returned to England to be converted back to direct drive – it has remained unused ever since! The wings were found in Germany, having previously spent 50 years as partitions in a Norfolk chicken farm. There is evidence (repairs etc) to show that they have been flown and significant amounts of original fabric remain on two of them. The unused but original 1918 propeller was found in Edinburgh.
Gallery
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