Replica First World War plane flies for the first time

A group of about 30 enthusiasts have constructed the Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter aircraft, working tirelessly for the past 24 years in the hope that they would one day see it fly.

The plane, nicknamed Sophie, successfully completed its first test flight in September, and the members of the Aviation Preservation Society of Scotland (APSS) were “absolutely delighted” to see their hard work pay off.

Made up predominantly of pensioners, the group were based at the National Museum of Flight at East Fortune from 1973 and were involved in the restoration and maintenance of the artefacts in the museum.

READ MORE: Plea to keep rebuilt World War One plane in East Lothian

In 2000, they were asked by the curator of the museum to build a flying First World War aircraft.

Led by Evan Pole, the group of about 30 APSS members who worked on building the plane from scratch are from across East Lothian, and many have backgrounds in engineering.

The team got together with Tim Rayner, Light Aviation Association (LAA) inspector, who checked the build as it progressed, and is also the pilot of the biplane.

Tim Rayner flew the biplane in September (Image: Mike Harper).In 2017, the museum said it no longer had room, so the project moved to nearby Congalton Gardens, where the group finished the build.

The aircraft was then moved to RAF Kirknewton, to the west of Edinburgh, due to its grass runway, as the plane cannot fly off tarmac.

The finished plane was taken on its first test flight on September 17, and Mike Harper, chairman of APPS, said that they were both “delighted and relieved” that it flew perfectly.

He said: “We know she works and that’s the main thing, we’re absolutely delighted.”

Test flights will resume next year (Image: Mike Harper).A number of members who worked on the project have since passed away before the first flight, and in Sophie’s cockpit a brass plaque bears their names.

Mr Harper, 66, said: “These guys were all with her when she took off for the first time.”

The final few months before flying were taken up with some final small adjustments to the aircraft that were advised by the LAA and, once completed, they just had to wait for favourable weather.

APSS members were there to witness the plane fly for the first time and see their decades of hard work pay off.

Sophie ahead of her first flight (Image: Mike Harper).They are now looking forward to further flights and testing, but will need to wait until spring for suitable flying conditions, as the grass is currently waterlogged.

Not satisfied with building a plane, the group have also recently completed a spitfire cockpit simulator.

Mr Harper said: “So you’re looking at the instrument panel from a World War Two aircraft all being recreated in 3D printed and all working as well; it’s an amazing achievement by some of the guys that are members of the APSS.

“There’s a number of talented chaps in our midst!

“They’re all aviation enthusiasts but also they have the skills to create some amazing stuff.

“It really is a testament to the quality of the work that we have turned out.

“We’re not stopping there, the next project has already been started.

"The next one is called a Sopwith Pup and we’ve already started building it.

“So Sophie the Strutter will have a stablemate at some point.”

Much of the building process has been filmed and documented (Image: Mike Harper).Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, has followed the journey of building the biplane and the first flight. He said: “The APSS volunteers are an amazing group of men who, after spending 24 years working on this unique project, have now seen all their hard work come to fruition with Sophie’s first flight.

“Their story is a truly remarkable one and I was keen to congratulate them on their wonderful success and pay tribute to their dedication to completing the project.”

He marked the achievement with a motion in the Scottish Parliament which read: That the Parliament welcomes the recent announcement by the Aviation Preservation Society of Scotland (APSS), which is based at Congalton Gardens in East Lothian, that its First World War Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter biplane, Sophie, which it has taken 24 years to build from scratch, has now been completed and taken its first flight; understands that the society’s unique Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter construction project is of significant interest to aviation enthusiasts around the world and congratulates all of the APSS volunteers, a group of retired men who include engineers, teachers, a surgeon and many more, who have been involved in the project over the years on their painstaking work to build the plane and reach the stage where it is able to fly, and wishes the group, which, it understands is also regarded as one of the pioneers of the Men’s Shed movement supporting members with their physical and mental health and wellbeing, every success with their future projects and their efforts to engage more young people in an interest in aviation and STEM.