Supermarine S.5

The Supermarine S.5 was a 1920s British single-engined single-seat racing seaplane built by Supermarine. Designed specifically for the Schneider Trophy competition, the S.5 was the progenitor of a line of racing aircraft that ultimately led to the Supermarine Spitfire fighter.

S.5
The first S.5 (N219) at Calshot during preparations for the 1929 Schneider Trophy Contest
Role Racing seaplane
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer Supermarine
Designer Reginald Mitchell
First flight 7 June 1927
Introduction 1927
Primary user Royal Air Force High Speed Flight
Number built 3
Developed from Supermarine S.4

Design and development

The Supermarine S.5 was designed by Reginald Mitchell for the 1927 Schneider Trophy. Following the earlier loss of the S.4 before the 1925 Schneider Trophy event Mitchell designed a new monoplane racer. Unlike the S.4's all-wood structure, the S.5 was of mixed construction with the semi-monocoque fuselage, including the engine cowlings, mainly duralumin; the wire-braced wings had spruce spars and spruce-ply ribs and a plywood skin. The horizontal tail surfaces were made of wood. Wing surface radiators made up of corrugated copper sheets replaced the Lamblin type radiators of the S.4.: oil was cooled by corrugated steel radiators on either side of the fuselage. The entire fuel load was carried in the starboard float, which was 8 inches (20 cm) closer to the aircraft's centreline than the port float.[1] Three aircraft were built, one with a direct drive 900 hp (670 kW) Napier Lion VIIA engine, and the other two with a geared 875 hp (652 kW) Napier Lion VIIB engine.[2]

Operational history

The first aircraft flew for the first time on 7 June 1927. The S.5s came 1st and 2nd in the 1927 race held at Venice; the winning aircraft (Serial number N220) was flown by Flight Lieutenant Sidney Webster at an average speed of 281.66 mph (453.29 km/h).[3]

One S.5, N221, crashed on 12 March 1928 during an attempt on the world air speed record, killing the pilot Flight Lieutenant Samuel Kinkead, who had flown the Gloster IV in the 1927 Schneider Trophy Race.[3]

Concern over the unreliability of the supercharged Lion powering the Gloster VI led to the High Speed Flight entering one S.5 (N219, fitted with a geared Lion engine for the event) along with the two S.6s for the 1931 Schneider contest. The S.5, flown by Flight Lieutenant D'Arcy Greig finished third in 46 minutes 15 seconds at a speed of 282.11 mph (454.01 km/h), behind the winning S.6 flown by Flying Officer H. Richard Waghorn and a Macchi M.52.[4]

Replica

Ray Hilborne of Leisure Sports designed and built a full-scale S.5 replica which flew for the first time on 28 August 1975. The replica, powered by a Continental IO-360, used an all-wood construction and incorporated modifications to the wing to lower the stalling speed, water rudders, a slightly wider cockpit and overall weight reduction to an all-up weight of just 1,500 lb (680 kg), less than half that of the S.5.[5]

In the song "Bill Hosie" by Archie Fisher, the protagonist rebuilds an S.5 Supermarine that survived the 1927 Schneider Trophy Race. The aircraft, race, and trophy are referred to throughout the song.

Operators
 United Kingdom

Specifications (N220)

Data from Supermarine Aircraft since 1914 [6]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 24 ft 3.5 in (7.404 m)
  • Wingspan: 26 ft 9 in (8.15 m)
  • Height: 11 ft 1 in (3.38 m)
  • Wing area: 115 sq ft (10.7 m2)
  • Airfoil: RAF 30[7]
  • Empty weight: 2,680 lb (1,216 kg)
  • Gross weight: 3,242 lb (1,471 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Napier Lion VIIA W-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 900 hp (670 kW)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 319.57 mph (514.30 km/h, 277.70 kn)

See also

Related development

Related lists

References
Notes
  1. Lewis, P: British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft. London 1970, Putnam ISBN 0 37000067 6, P.175
  2. Lumsden and Heffernan 1989, p. 290.
  3. Andrews and Morgan 1987, p.186.
  4. Andrews and Morgan 1987, pp. 192–193.
  5. Hall 1976, p. 576.
  6. Andrews and Morgan 1987, p. 203.
  7. Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
Bibliography
  • Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Supermarine Aircraft since 1914, 2nd edition. London: Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-800-3.
  • Green, William, ed. "Supermarine's Schneider Seaplanes." Flying Review International, Volume 10, No. 11, July 1967.
  • Hall, John. "Supreme Supermarine." Aeroplane Monthly, Volume 4, No. 11, November 1976.
  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985). London: Orbis Publishing, 1985.
  • Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft since 1919. London: Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-818-6.
  • Lewis, Julian. Racing Ace - The Fights and Flights of 'Kink' Kinkead DSO DSC* DFC*. Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword, 2011. ISBN 978-1-84884-216-8.
  • Lumsden, Alec and Terry Heffernan. "Per Mare Probare, Part 15," Aeroplane Monthly, Volume 17, No. 5, May 1989.
  • Shelton, John. Schneider Trophy to Spitfire - The Design Career of R.J. Mitchell. Archived 3 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine Yeovil, UK: Haynes Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978-1-84425-530-6.
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