The Royal Armament Factory  SE5 was the first RFC aircraft to use the the superb Hispano-Suiza V-8 water cooled aero engine. Less well-known than its more numerous sibling, the SE5a, the SE5 was also the first RFC aircraft to feature a semi-enclosed cockpit. Universally disliked at the time, this feature was to prove years ahead of its time. Initially intensely disliked by Capt. Albert Ball, he nevertheless recognized its inherent qualities and later championed the development of this aircraft into the superb SE5a, the mount for many of his later victories. The SE5 was not built in large numbers and only equipped four operational squadrons; many of the airframes later being updated to SE5a standards.

 

THE KIT

Pegasus kits have been around for decades, which means that they must be doing something right. That something right is offering subjects that no one else is willing to tackle. They have also been concentrating on WWI, which offers a much richer selection of unusual and different aircraft than any other period of time.

Though the quality of the moldings has improved somewhat, if you bought the latest kit and compared it with one done 10 years ago, you'd see little difference. It is a short run kit. The plastic is a bit softer than usual, a bit thicker than the norm and there are very large sprue attachment points. You'll also find flash and in some rare cases, sink areas on very thick pieces. What sets them apart from others is that they do not use resin for detail parts, preferring to go the pewter route and offer those bits in metal. Generally speaking, the metal parts are very well done, though they will also require clean-up and removal from what can be large attachment points. If you don't have a set of quality jeweler's files, then get some.

This kit is a bit different from the norm in that you have two fuselage options. The Se.5 was initially offered with a large forward windscreen (which is provided in injected plastic), so that fuselage is included. Strut material is also provided for you to make the various wing struts. The instructions provide a cutting guide for this purpose. The gear parts are all pewter so you don't need to make those items.

Instructions are most basic. A small sheet of paper has generic construction hints on one side, and an exploded diagram on the other. Color information is provided using Methuan, FS 595 and Xtracolor paint information. The decals are very well printed and there is a warning that only distilled water must be used and no setting solutions. In my experience, Pegasus provides exemplary decals. There are markings for two planes, yet only marking information for the box art aircraft is given. The color and marking placement guide is on the bottom of the box and is for A4855. I can only assume the rest are for another Se.5 kit.

CONCLUSIONS

Short run it may be, but with a bit of careful building, it can be made into an excellent representation of a most unusual Se.5. Because it is a short run kit, it is not recommended for beginners. The intermediate builder should find it a fun and rewarding challenge.

You can find this kit and many others at