A core goal for the Supermarine Seaplane project is to recreate the experience of seeing the iconic S5 racing seaplane in the air. The construction of a flying version brings particular challenges with it, and these require some deviation from the original design, especially given that aircraft pushed the limits of the knowledge and technology of its day. During the late 1920's no manned vehicle travelled faster than the Schneider Trophy aircraft and they needed the top pilots and engineers in the world to master them. Even with access to the best people, equipment and facilities operation of the aircraft was difficult and fraught with danger so an S5 built to be flown today needs to address these issues. Although a static aircraft could be built as an exact facsimile of those built by Supermarine, without taking to the air it would only ever tell part of the story and would lose a crucial aspect of what makes it so exciting.

The S5 currently in build by Supermarine Seaplane will, externally, be virtually indistinguishable from the aircraft that won the Schneider Trophy in 1927. The only visible concession is a slight re-profiling of the engine cowlings to accommodate the Continental engine. An engine chosen to allow ease of operation, have a minimum overall visual impact and to create an approximation of the original exhaust sound. Further modifications, hidden under the skin relate to structural materials and the use of a constant speed propeller improving serviceability, reducing cost and enhancing the handling for display.

With no S5s (or even parts of S5s) known to exist today and very few Schneider Trophy aircraft of any type surviving, it is felt that this flying example is the best way to evoke a golden age of aviation when Britain triumphed in competition against the best in the world. This aircraft will allow spectators to step back in time and share in the most authentic experience of what it was like to watch these racers in action a hundred years ago, bringing this important period of history to life again.