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Sopwith Snipe 7F1 1919


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Some call the Snipe the RAF's first fighter (It arrived too late for the RFC). Its extended gestation and the frankly incredible (at this distance) delay in providing it with a usable tail (!) meant it only saw a few weeks service at the end of WW1 on the western front, but, by dint of being the last man standing, went on to serve the post war nascent RAF until 1926.

I've never had much interest in WW1 aircraft, I read Biggles as kid, so i know what a Camel is, but the string and sealing wax early planes never really caught my imagination. That is, never caught my imagination until I saw Darren Harbar's incredible images of the Sopwith Snipe in a recent issue of Aeroplane.

I mean, what's not to love...

https://www.facebook.com/FocalPlaneImagesAviation/posts/1296269710387457:0

Instantly I fell for this tubby trooper, with that amazing Bentley engine pulling it through the air. Further research followed, and I discovered that the incomparable Wingnut Wings do a late Sopwith Snipe. Imagine my delight when discovering the boxing even includes the scheme from Darren’s photo!

20266335775_5caef6914b_c.jpg248:ZK-SNI / F2367 by David Whitworth, on Flickr

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Many superlatives have been expended on Wingnut Wings kits but for me, a committed 1/72 modeller, this was a voyage into the unknown. I have started gently, with some tentative steps towards reproducing a varnished wood effect:

28367118415_c98b4b52d4_c.jpgSnipe beginnings by jongwinnett, on Flickr

28367117995_d35808ae62_c.jpgSnipe beginnings by jongwinnett, on Flickr

28263450982_451da22c33_c.jpgSnipe beginnings by jongwinnett, on Flickr

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