The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.2 (Scout Experimental) was an early
British
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single-seat
scout aircraft. Designed and built at the
Royal Aircraft Factory
Royal may refer to:
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in 1912–13 as the B.S.1, the prototype was rebuilt several times before serving with the
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
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over the
Western Front in the early months of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
Development and design
In 1912, a team at the
Royal Aircraft Factory
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* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
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, led by
Geoffrey de Havilland
Captain Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, (27 July 1882 – 21 May 1965) was an English aviation pioneer and aerospace engineer. The aircraft company he founded produced the Mosquito, which has been considered the most versatile warplane ever built,D ...
, started design of a single seat
scout, or fast reconnaissance aircraft, the first aircraft in the world specifically designed for this role.
[Jackson 1987, p. 42.] The design was a small
tractor
A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most commo ...
biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
, and was named the B.S.1 (standing for Blériot Scout) after
Louis Blériot, a pioneer of tractor configuration aircraft. It had a wooden
monocoque
Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell".
First used for boats, ...
circular section fuselage, and
single-bay
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a ...
wings. Lateral control was by
wing warping
Wing warping was an early system for lateral (roll) control of a fixed-wing aircraft. The technique, used and patented by the Wright brothers, consisted of a system of pulleys and cables to twist the trailing edges of the wings in opposite direc ...
, while the aircraft was initially fitted with a small
rudder
A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally aircraft, air or watercraft, water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to ...
without a fixed fin (a scaled down version of that fitted to the
B.E.3), and a one-piece
elevator
An elevator or lift is a wire rope, cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or deck (building), decks of a building, watercraft, ...
. It was powered by a two-row, 14-cylinder
Gnome rotary engine
The rotary engine is an early type of internal combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration. The engine's crankshaft remained stationary in operation, while the entire crankcase and i ...
rated at 100 hp (75 kW).
[Mason 1992, p. 14.]
![Royal Aircraft Factory BS1 003](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Royal_Aircraft_Factory_BS1_003.jpg)
The B.S.1 was first flown by Geoffrey de Havilland early in 1913, demonstrating excellent performance, with a maximum speed of 91.7 mph (147.6 km/h), a stalling speed of 51 mph (82 km/h) and a rate of climb of 900 ft/min (4.6 m/s), despite the engine only delivering about 82 hp (61 kW) instead of the promised 100 hp. De Havilland was not satisfied with the control afforded by the small rudder and designed a larger replacement, but on 27 March 1913, before the new rudder could be installed, he crashed the B.S.1, breaking his jaw and badly damaging the aircraft.
[
Following this accident, it was rebuilt, with an 80 hp single-row Gnome and new tail surfaces, with triangular fins above and below the fuselage, a larger rudder and conventional divided elevators.][Bruce 1982, p. 466.] While the rebuilt aircraft was initially designated B.S.2, it was soon redesignated S.E.2 (for Scout Experimental).[ It was flown in this form by de Havilland in October 1913.][
In April 1914, the S.E.2 was again rebuilt, this time under the supervision of ]Henry Folland
Henry Philip Folland OBE (22 January 1889 – 5 September 1954) was an English aviation engineer and aircraft designer.
Early years
Folland was born on 22 January 1889 to Frederick and Mary Folland at 2 King Street, Holy Trinity, Cambridge.1 ...
, as de Havilland had left the Royal Aircraft Factory to become chief designer of Airco
The Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited (Airco) was an early United Kingdom, British aircraft manufacturer. Established during 1912, it grew rapidly during the First World War, referring to itself as the largest aircraft company in the wor ...
[ (the B.S.1/S.E.2 was the last design de Havilland produced for the Factory).][ The tail surfaces were again revised, with a larger fin and rudder, with new tailplane and elevators. The monocoque rear fuselage, which had been criticised as too expensive for mass production, was replaced by a conventional wood and fabric structure. Better streamlined struts were fitted, as well as streamline sectioned bracing wires (''Raf-wires'').][ It was first flown in this form on 3 October 1914.][ This modified version is often referred to as the "S.E.2a" - this designation was not used at the time, and was probably not official.
]
Operational history
The S.E.2 was handed over the Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
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on 17 February 1914, with the serial number
A serial number is a unique identifier assigned incrementally or sequentially to an item, to ''uniquely'' identify it.
Serial numbers need not be strictly numerical. They may contain letters and other typographical symbols, or may consist enti ...
609 being issued to No. 5 Squadron, where it made a good impression, and then to No. 3 Squadron before being returned to the Royal Aircraft Factory in April.[
By the time the rebuilt "S.E.2a" version was completed, the ]First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
had broken out, and the modified S.E.2 was sent across the English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
to join No. 3 Squadron on 27 October.[Bruce 1982, p. 467.] It was fitted with an improvised armament of a pair of rifles mounted on the side of the fuselage, angled outwards to avoid the propeller, together with the pilot's revolver. It was one of the fastest aircraft available in the early months of the war, with it being said that: "Its speed enabled it to circle around the enemy machines and gave it a decided ascendancy."[Bruce 1957, p. 441.] It remained in use with 3 Squadron until March 1915, when it was damaged by an exploding bomb and was sent back to England.[
]
Operators
;
*Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
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, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, decorations ...
** No. 3 Squadron RFC
** No. 5 Squadron RFC
Specifications (S.E.2 - after first rebuild)
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
*Bruce, J. M. ''British Aeroplanes 1914-18''. London: Putnam, 1957.
*Bruce, J. M. ''The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing)''. London: Putnam, 1982. .
*Hare, Paul R. ''The Royal Aircraft Factory''. London:Putnam, 1990. .
*Jackson, A. J. ''De Havilland Aircraft since 1909''. London: Putnam, Third edition, 1987. .
*Mason, Francis K. ''The British Fighter since 1912''. Annapolis, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1992. .
* O'Gorman, Mervyn
"The Design and Construction of Different Types of Aeroplanes: High Speed Scout"
pp. 265–266 of ''Technical Report of the Advisory Committee for Aeronautics for the Year 1912–13'', London: HMSO
The Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) is the body responsible for the operation of His Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) and of other public information services of the United Kingdom. The OPSI is part of the National Archives of the U ...
, 1919. Discusses both the B.S.1 and its first rebuilding as the S.E.2.
{{Royal Aircraft Factory aircraft
1910s British fighter aircraft
Military aircraft of World War I
SE02
Rotary-engined aircraft
Biplanes
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1913