Sopwith Pup is a photograph by David Patterson which was uploaded on April 3rd, 2011.
Sopwith Pup
Some pilots called it, the perfect plane. The Pup was light, basic, and simply simple. They were tiny little things, says a British pilot, just big... more
Title
Sopwith Pup
Artist
David Patterson
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Some pilots called it, "the perfect plane." The Pup was light, basic, and simply simple. "They were tiny little things," says a British pilot, "just big enough for one man and a machine gun." The machine gun was key -- a trusty Vickers gun equipped with a hydraulic synchronizing gear which allowed it to fire through the propeller. With a good weapon and not much else, it was said that, "a Pup could turn twice to an Albatros' once" -- an invaluable trait in a chaotic dogfight. At a time when other Allied aircraft were suffering terrible losses, German flyers would try to avoid getting into a scrap with a Pup.
The Museum's aircraft was built by Carl Swanson of Darien, Wisconsin and is considered to be a masterpiece of replication. It is virtually indistinguishable from the original aircraft -- right down to the Le Rhône 9D, 80-horsepower rotary engine and .303-inch Vickers machine gun.
Uploaded
April 3rd, 2011
