A single example was built and flown at the Royal Naval Air Service's Port Victoria Marine Experimental Aircraft Depot on the Isle of Grain in 1917.
Despite demonstrating good manoeuvrability and handling, no production followed, with the Royal Naval Air Service instead using landplanes for the fighter role.
The specification demanded a speed of 85 kn (157 km/h; 98 mph) at 6,500 ft (2,000 m), an endurance of four hours and an armament of a single machine gun and two 65 lb (30 kg) bombs.
[1] Soon after, in January, overall control for the supply of aircraft was transferred to the Ministry of Munitions, who subjected the operations of Port Victoria to scrutiny, and while work continued on the P.V.5, the P.V.5A was suspended.
[11] No production followed, with the fighter requirements of the Royal Naval Air Service already being met by landplanes such as the Sopwith Pup and Camel[8] Data from British Aeroplanes 1914–18[12]General characteristics Performance Armament