S.E.5a (Replica)

General Description

In the 1960s, Gogi Goguillot, Dan McGowan, and some of their friends at the Delta Heritage Airpark decided they wanted to build a First World War-era replica. After much discussion, they decided on the famous S.E.5a, a Royal Flying Corps scout aircraft and arguably one of the greatest fighter planes of the Great War.

Because building a full-size S.E.5a would have proven impractical, the team decided that developing a 7/8^th (87.5%) scale version would be easier to build and more economical to operate while still being large enough to carry an adult pilot. Due to its reliability and availability, Dan and Gogi fitted the replica with a Continental C-85 engine which produces 85 hp. With an ingeniously crafted engine cowling the team was able to disguise the modern powerplant while maintaining the authentic look of the original airplane.

As the project moved along, the team dwindled leaving only Gogi and Dan McGowan as the primary builders. Dan had previously constructed two homebuilt airplanes, one of them being a Bowers Fly Baby. What Dan learned about construction and design from his experience building the Fly Baby, he put to good use in the development of their S.E.5a replica.

Eventually, two S.E.5a’s replicas were built at Delta Heritage Air Park, and they both flew and handled very well. In 1971, Dan and Gogi flew both S.E.5a replicas to Oshkosh, which created quite a sensation. As a result, there was a demand for plans from fellow amateur aircraft builders who wanted to build their own scaled down World War One fighter!

Unfortunately, Dan and Gogi never considered selling plans, so up until that point no detailed plans had been created. This remained the case until one of their S.E.5a’s had an incident that necessitated a rebuild. During the rebuild it gave them the opportunity to draw up a proper set of plans as well as make some improvements to the structure and design. Tony Swain, a local draftsman, ex-RAF pilot, and aeronautical enthusiast himself, joined the team and draw up the plans for them. The rest is history.

Dan and Gogi ended up forming a company called Replica Plans, and they sold many copies of the plans. It is estimated that 120 examples have been built world-wide. If you see a scaled down replica S.E.5a, it’s almost certainly built from their plans. The build time for their S.E.5a replica was estimated to be around 2500 hours, using mostly wood and fabric covering for the materials.

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The Original S.E.5a

The original S.E.5, short for “Scout Experimental 5”, was designed by Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Major Frank Goodden of the Royal Aircraft Factory in Farnborough, England. It was built around the new 150 hp (112 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8, a V8 engine that provided excellent performance, though it was initially quite unrefined and unreliable. The first S.E.5 prototype flew on 22 November 1916, and after numerous accidents during flight testing weakness were found and a third S.E.5 prototype was built with numerous modifications to correct the issues. With these changes made the type finally went into full-scale production, and the result was the S.E.5a. The S.E.5a emerged with a more powerful 200-hp Hispano-Suiza engine, and later a Wolseley Viper engine of the same horse power. It also received important structural strengthening and minor aerodynamic refinements to improve its performance. Many of these improvements were also driven by early operational feedback from the front line, which highlighted the need for greater reliability, speed, and climb capability.

The S.E.5a was an excellent gunnery platform and was noted as being very maneuverable. It was also one of the fastest aircraft of the war with a top speed of 138 mph (222 km/h), equal to that of the SPAD S.XIII and faster than any German type of the period. While the S.E.5a was not as agile and effective in a tight dogfights as the Sopwith Camel, it was much easier and safer to fly, particularly for novice pilots. According to “Dodge” Bailey, the former Chief Test Pilot of the Shuttleworth Collection, it had “somewhat similar handling characteristics to a de Havilland Tiger Moth, but with better excess power.” Together with the Camel, the S.E.5a proved to be instrumental in regaining allied air superiority in mid-1917 and maintaining it for the remainder of the war. The S.E.5a remained in RAF service for some time following the armistice that ended the war. some S.E.5s were transferred to various overseas military operators, while a number were also adapted for civilian operators. In 1924, twelve S.E.5a aircraft, along with twelve de Havilland DH-9s, and sixty-two Avro 504K trainers were gifted to Canada by Great Britain. These airplanes became the initial fleet of the newly formed Royal Canadian Air Force.

Our S.E.5a Replica

Our S.E.5a replica was the second prototype completed by the revered duo of Gogi Goguillot and Dan McGowan. This specific airframe was built by Dan McGowan of Richmond, B.C. and has been flown regularly since its construction in 1970. Its paint scheme is not historically accurate to a specific S.E.5a but it does represent the colours of a standard Royal Flying Corps machine. One unique aspect of its scheme is that it includes the regionally synonyms “Delta triangle.” This iconic symbol adorned many Delta Heritage Airpark resident aircraft. Other aircraft that wore the triangle was Tony Swain’s North American Harvard Mk IV, a Fairchild Cornell that now belongs to the CMF, and a few others. Together they were the Delta Air Force, a hallmark of the local EAA chapter at the airfield in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

In 1983, after 13 years of being enjoyed and flown around the Fraser Valley by numerous owners and pilots, the S.E.5a replica was donated to the Canadian Museum of Flight by Dr. Fred Hemming of Vancouver, and it has been operated and cared for by the Canadian Museum of Flight ever since.

Since it’s acquisition by the CMF, this S.E.5a replica has been a regular participant in homebuilt flypasts at airshows and as part of countless Remembrance Day ceremony flypasts. In 2016 the S.E.5a underwent a lengthy refit and modification program. The engine was equipped with an electric starter system which now gives the aircraft independence from the need for a ‘prop swinger’ which in its previous configuration was a requirement. Our S.E.5a replica was also taken to France in 2017 and participated in the 100^th Anniversary the Battle of Vimy Ridge commemorations which included a flypast of the hallowed Canadian National Vimy Memorial. The airplane carries the name “GOGI” under the cockpit to pay tribute to Gogi Goguillot, who was the Canadian Museum of Flight’s general manager for many years.

The S.E.5a replica serves as a superb example of local aviation ingenuity and aircraft design success. It also tells the story of how a couple of local aviation enthusiasts who longed to fly the relics of the past found a way to feel that same exhilaration, but by building their own scaled down version that proved to be more attainable, economical, and easier on their bank accounts to own.

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