Royal S.E.5a: A British Classic of the Great War

Fast, stable, and deadly — one of the finest British fighters of the First World War is coming to Aces of Thunder. The Royal S.E.5a will arrive in the game in one of the upcoming updates as standalone DLC!

The Royal S.E.5a in Battle

The Royal S.E.5a was one of the fastest fighters of its era — though a top speed of just over 200 km/h may not sound impressive today. What it lacks in raw numbers, it more than makes up for in handling: the aircraft is forgiving and stable, giving you the time to aim carefully. Climb for altitude, use your speed advantage, then attack in a dive.

The armament is classic for a British fighter: a synchronized Vickers machine gun in the fuselage — with the bolt right there in the cockpit — and a Lewis gun on a Foster mount above the upper wing, giving you two guns firing forward.

One thing to keep in mind: the cockpit sits in the middle of the fuselage, which means forward-and-down visibility is limited. You’ll notice it most on takeoff and landing.

Like all aircraft in Aces of Thunder, the Royal S.E.5a can be flown in VR using your own hands: at the time of release, you’ll be able to interact with the stick, throttle, mixture, radiator, and elevator trim — and feel what it was like to be a pilot in 1918.

Camouflages

Two historical camouflages are available for the Royal S.E.5a, each tied to the name of a celebrated ace.

Royal S.E.5a, No. 74 Squadron RAF — pilot: Edward “Mick” Mannock, March 1918. No. 74 Squadron, nicknamed “The Tigers”, received its S.E.5as in March 1918. The specific aircraft depicted — S.E.5a D276, marked with the letter “A” — was the one Mannock flew to France on the 31st of March. Over the next two months he scored 36 victories on these aircraft, bringing his total to 61, one of the highest tallies among British aces. Mannock was known for generously tutoring younger pilots and often giving them credit for kills. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

Royal S.E.5a, No. 40 Squadron RAF — pilot: Roderic Stanley “Stan” Dallas, April–May 1918. A Queenslander who came to aviation through the Royal Naval Air Service, Dallas had flown the Nieuport, Sopwith Triplane, and Sopwith Camel before taking command of No. 40 Squadron on the 1st of April 1918. It was on the S.E.5a that he scored his final victories. His exact tally remains debated by historians, but he is rightly remembered as one of Australia’s most successful aces. Dallas was killed in action on the 1st of June 1918.

Both camouflages are unlocked immediately upon purchasing the DLC.

This is just one of the new additions coming in the update — we’ll tell you about the others very soon. See you in the skies!