Replica SE5A

I have been considering the purchase of a set of 7/8 scale plans of the SE5A from Replica Plans SE5A in BC,Canada from a group simply known as Historic-flying.com. The Price is right, $120.00. Has anybody had any dealings with these folks and their product? Any replys would greatly appreciated
Sincerely
Mike

Mike,

Have you considered a Graham Lee 7/8ths Nieuport? *It's cheaper and faster to build, with excellent designer support and a solid safety record. *There are also quite a few of them flying.

I would estimate that it would be about $8,500 to build one. *A complete example could probably be purchased for that price (or less.)

Something to consider...

Dean

Oh yes, I forgot...

www.kcdawnpatrol.org

Check out the "For Sale" section. *The last time I checked, there was someone wanting to sell a 7/8ths scale SE5a there.

Dean

Mike,

if its an SE5a that you want to build, then build an SE5a! I dont mean any dis-respect to any previous replies or any one else's opinion BUT its simply a case of what YOU want. I'm building a Full scale Fokker D7, simply because it's what I want. No one else has to build it, and fly it but me, so in the end it's important that I am ulimately happy. Same thing goes in your case. Don't build anything that you wouldnt be 100% happy with.. ok? Let me know if I can help in anyway.. thanks..

Mike,

I thought about this a little more and, as i remember correctly, replicraft offers a set of SE5a plans, along with color documentation too!! Here's the link:

http://home.pacbell.net/fraze/replicraft.html

I hope this helps...

*Thanks for the replys Dean and DTenney....I guess no ones has ever heard of these folks before...at least no one here. As for the Neuport...well, i never really liked the look of the thing, as a result i wont expend a great deal of money building one when for just about the same amount i can have close to what i want. As for Replicraft, thanks DTenney, i've heard they produce a very good product, my concern is 1/5 scale????? Does that mean i would have to size up everything x5 on the plan? Doesnt seem worth it except from a documentation viewpoint. The fact that their originals is interesting though, or at least copies of. The fact that the FAA has only 1 entry for problems with the 7/8 scale SE5A which it seems from reading the report was pilot error is very encourageing to. I may end up buying both plans and see whats up. Thanks again fellas for the replys.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Sincerely
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Mike 8)

Mike,

you should be able to "Scale-up" the dimensions on the replicraft plans. I highly reccomend them simply because they are complete. Jim Kiger, of Replicraft, does a very good job illiminating the guesswork and there have been people that have successfully built full scale birds from those plans..Anyhow... good luck with the project..

Mike,

If you don't care for the looks of the Nieuport, then by all means build something you like. *Building a plane is quite a long-term undertaking, and a fellow will most likely never finish unless he's happy with his choice of project.

I merely wished to point out that there was a less expensive and quicker-building alternative.

I guess I'm wierd in that I really like _most_ WW1 planes, and would not mind owning a replica of ANY of them. *(Well, *almost* any of them.) *The Nieuport is the quickest and most economical option, which is a real consideration for this here married man with a kid.

I figure it's better to have a plane I'll enjoy even if it's not my dream plane (they don't make Pfalz DIII kits or plans! *:'(), than to spend the next 37 years dreaming about it. *Maybe I'm just impatient? *

BTW, did you see the 7/8ths SE5a for sale at the Dawn Patrol link? *It's been there for a while now. *If it's still available, I would think that it could be had for less than the asking price.

Best regards,
Dean

[Dave_Watts]

Hi Mike,

The SE5a for sale on Dawn Patrol's site is Fred Jungclaus'.

Fred is a good personal friend of mine. He had by-pass surgery and that is why he is considering selling the airplane :'(, also before his health complications he started a full scale Sopwith Pup.

Fred is a great pilot and has had the plane for a few years. He has flown it to Oshkosh, down to Alabama for a few "First" air shows, over the trenches of the GWA reenactments in Pennsylvania, and to several of the GWAA fly-ins at Dayton. The best thing I can tell you about this airplane is it is a proven comodity, no unanswered questions. The main cost with this airplane would be recovering, so this should be your main question as well as hours on the engine. Fred is 100% straight up, so you can trust his answers.

Again, if you are looking for a really great 7/8ths SE5a, I really believe Fred's would be the way to go. Of course you have to go through the costs and figure it out, and you would need to have an inspector go thru his plane as well.

A couple of things to think about are, if you just go out and "buy" an SE5a it won't mean nearly as much to you as if you built it yourself, but that may not be so important to you. As well, the cost for buying a completed aircraft is much more than going at it bit by bit as you can afford, again if that is a consideration. Lastly, there is the debate of full scale versus 7/8ths and both have their merits as well as their negatives. :-/ You can fly a 7/8ths aircraft with a much smaller motor than 7/8ths of the original powerplant, I forget all of the math, but it makes it possible to use a much smaller powerplant. This makes a big difference in cost of a powerplant as well as do you want to have an "airfield" plane that you can only fly within gliding distance of your airfield or a reliable plane that you can take cross country? If you use an antique engine, reliability becomes a concern. The 7/8ths aircraft is also much lighter so you can classify it as an ultralight or sport aircraft and the FAA is talking about coming out with a "sport class" license, so look into that, much cheaper and easier to get than a full license, plus you won't need a high performance license as you would with a 200+ hp engine.

You can always phone me or other guys to get more input on this. The bottom line is do the project your heart tells you to do, don't do something because it is a "good deal" or "makes good sense", buy it or do it because you love it :-*, you'll never worry about it from that point forward, (you do need to throw a spoonful or two of common sense in there every once in awhile).

Best,
Dave W.

By the way, I am certain there is a large set of SE5a original plans down to every nut and bolt that is available and if a list memeber won't answer your plea to this question, I should be able to put you into contact with someone that does have them. I believe that Dan-San might have a set. This would only be of interest if you wanted to make your 7/8ths "more accurate" or if you were considering going full scale.

[wolfenbill]

Replica Plans out of Canada has been around for 2 or 3 decades now. Their 7/8th scale SE5a has been around a long time too. The construction method is quite different from Graham Lee's designs. Their method uses wood and fabric similar to the original. I believe it uses a small Continental or Lycoming for power. I used to own a set of plans years ago but they've disappeared over the years. Replicraft of California does sell a set of SE5a plans but it is for a full scale and authentic aircraft. It is quite a project and much more complicated that the Replica Plans aircraft. You don't have to "scale up" the Replicraft plans. While the drawings are 1/5th scale, the dimensions listed are full scale. They are probably as good a set of plans as you'll get other than factory drawings. Many of these smaller Replica Plans SE5a's have been built over the years. Graham Lee's plans use an entirely different construction technique which, while not authentic, do allow a fast and relatively inexpensive build, plus they look great when they are finished. Another plus is that there are a lot of Lee's lieutenants around and many flying.