Roden RAF S.E.5a w/Wolseley Viper

Model kit with decals for marking the S.E.5a, No. 74 Sqn RAF, Major Edward "Mick" Mannock, France July 1918. One of the fastest single-seat biplane fighters of its time! Although the S.E. 5 did not become as famous as the Sopwith Camel, it was one of the most important fighter aircraft in World War I. The Scout Experimental 5 flew as a prototype in November 1916. The improved S.E. 5a was an exceptionally stable aircraft, making it the ideal fighter plane. With 200 hp and a top speed of 209 km/h, it was among the fastest fighters when it arrived at the front in mid-1917. The fighter continued to be used in the RAF, USAAF, and other air forces well into the 1920s. As a civil aircraft, it was also used for aerial advertising. It was the first aircraft type to act as a skywriter, using a smoke generator to write large letters in the sky, thus forming advertising texts.