View Full Version : Owning and running an SE5a Replica
Tiger_ Moth
12th May 2002, 20:54
I've always liked Se5s.
I wonder: how much would it cost, approximately to have an SE5a, full scale replica built ( that flies) and then how much might it cost to operate per hour (ish?)
How much might it cost to run it for a year taking into account maintenance, hangarage, oil, fuel etc if it was flown for about 200 hours or so?
Im not really thinking of getting one (im only 18) but if I won the lottery or found a pile of money I would definetely get one.
Lowtimer
13th May 2002, 07:42
Tiger Moth,
A full scale, rib for rib, wire for wire,replica would be prohibitively expensive - it's a big aeroplane, with an awful lot of parts. At a wild guess I'd say £100,000 for the airframe. and you would you find it at all easy to locate an appropriate engine. Yours is not an uncommon desire: what people usually do is build the eminently practical Replica Plans 7/8 scale version and bung in a C-90 or similar.
see
http://www.historicair.com/replicaplans/
Build and running costs should be roughly equivalent to any other single-seat small engine wooden homebuilt biplane e.g. Isaacs Fury (though the Isaacs Fury is what I'd prefer myself). People seem to put these things together for around £20K plus a lot of work. Suggest you enquire at the PFA website.
You often see Isaacs Furies for sale at around £12K to £15K, but as far as I know there is only one Replica Plans SE5a in the UK (wasn't it Mike Beach's)
There's apparently one for sale elsewhere, though: see -
http://www.kcdawnpatrol.org/Forsale.htm.
You also see Currie Wots converted to resemble SE5as, which look good enough. There are a couple at White Waltham: pop over and have a look.
Tiger_ Moth
14th May 2002, 13:45
Lowtimer: I was really talking about a proper replica but that 7/8ths one actually looks very good and the price is good too. I dont know about the issacs fury because your second webpage doesnt work.
FNG: Ive seen currie wots and dont really like them, they only resemble SE5s they dont really look that much like them. And they're too small.
Thanks for the replies
That link will probably work OK if you knock off the full stop at the end. There's a partially built Fury on the for sale board at Waltham.