It's a complete disgrace! The only really good weather at OW this year has been when I've been away with work!
To add to Doug's response, the WWI types are a unique collection. The Pup actually started life as civilian Dove, but was converted sometime between the wars (edit - 1936) to a single seat Pup by Richard Shuttleworth, in who's memory the collection really took off post WWII.
The Brisfit is just a WWI example, but as a 1918 build didn't really see active service until the mid 20s. Been flying with the collection since 1952!
The SE5 is also genuine WWI vintage (1917), having claimed a "kill" in Nov 1918, and was rescued from the A-W factory at Coventry post WWII.
The Avro 504K is a 1918 example.
The only two aircraft in the WWI collection that aren't "original" are the Triplane as Doug mentioned (which is a late production example - it would be improper to call it a replica), and the Bristol M1C, completed for the collection in the late 90s by the builders of the Tripe, Northern Aeroplane Workshops. Hopefully in the near future they will be joined by a Sopwith Camel from the same workshop.
Sadly the collection really misses having the LVG C.VI, which until its grounding a few years back, to be stuffed in a corner of the increasingly poor RAF museum, was on loan to the collection and was the only genuine airworthy WWI German aircraft.
Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 1:47 am
