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The Sopwith "1˝
Strutter" will be remembered as one of the great unsung
heroes of World War One. It performed countless tasks as a
trainer, fighter, bomber and reconnaissance aircraft and, whether
operated on wheels, floats, skids or skies, performed admirably in
numerous Allied air forces. But nowhere did it see more
action than with the French. It is also a little-known fact
that, of the more than 5,000 "Strutters" built, 4,000
were built not in Britain, but in France. They were greatly
prized for their excellent flying qualities and versatile battle
platform. While not as glamorous as the single-seat fighters
in the squadrons, the "1˝", nicknamed for its unusual
1˝ strut configuration, served a role equally as important to the
air war.
Perhaps the
"Strutter's" single most interesting use was as a
carrier-type seaplane. Launching ramps were constructed on
top of a ship's massive gun turrets. The ramps could then be
rotated into the wind and the aircraft subsequently
launched. Flotation devices were installed inside the
fuselage and in deployment canisters under the lower wings.
These could then be discharged when needed, deploying two
inflatable bags 8˝ feet long and two feet in diameter.
Every water landing alongside the ship was a grand adventure!
The decision to
produce the "Strutter" in 1/6 scale was an easy
one. It started with a call from Lucas Films™ to produce a
number of R/C models for the filming of Young Indiana Jones and
the Attack of the Hawkmen. The one model that we did not
already produce in kit form was the 1˝ Strutter. As it
would be the featured airplane in the film, it was given very
special attention. And, because of budget constraints, we
would not have the luxury of a backup model if it were damaged
during filming. In short, the model performed beautifully in
hundreds of flights and earned a place of honor hanging in George
Lucas's archives at Skywalker Ranch!
Click
here to see
more Sopwith "1˝ Strutter" photos
in the Photo Gallery
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Click
here to see
more Sopwith "1˝ Strutter" photos
in the Photo Gallery
|
