Weinberg S.E.5a Replica explained

The Weinberg S.E.5a Replica is an American homebuilt biplane that was designed by William Weinberg of Kansas City, Missouri. The aircraft was supplied in the form of plans for amateur construction, but the plans seem to no longer be available.^[1]

The Weinberg S.E.5a Replica is an 80% replica of the First World War Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a fighter aircraft.

Design and development

Like the original S.E.5a fighter, the S.E.5a Replica features a biplane layout, a single-seat open cockpit, fixed conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.

The aircraft is predominantly made from wood with the aft fuselage and tail made from welded steel tubing. The 221NaN1 span wings are built with wooden spars, wooden ribs and center-section. The wings, tail and aft fuselage are covered in doped aircraft fabric, with the forward fuselage covered in plywood. There is a small baggage compartment behind the pilot's seat.

The aircraft has an empty weight of 900lb and a gross weight of 1100lb, giving a useful load of 200lb. With full fuel of the payload is only 66lb.

Operational history

At least one example was constructed in 1970 and registered with the US Federal Aviation Administration as an Experimental - Amateur-built. The aircraft was removed from the registry on 30 April 2016.^[2]

Notes and References

1. Plane and Pilot: 1978 Aircraft Directory, page 152. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977.
2. Web site: Make / Model Inquiry Results. 2 March 2017. Federal Aviation Administration. 2 March 2017.