Issue No 22 THE AVIATION HISTORIAN 123

PHILIP JARRETT explores the lesser-known corners of aviation history, discovering

unknown images and rediscovering long-lost details of aircraft, people and events.

This time he’s keen to identify a rare Sopwith Dragon used as a photographer’s prop

Lost Found

&

TAH

that it was built. It is very unlikely that this

machine was one such, as the rear “cockpit” is too

far aft. The aircraft’s dilapidated state strongly

suggests that it was acquired by a photographer

to use as a stage prop, and that the rear aperture

was created by simply cutting an opening in the

plywood top-decking. It is too angular to be a

proper cockpit opening, and lacks any leather-

covered padding round its rim. The number

“D191” roughly chalked on the ply decking was

almost certainly the photographer ’s reference

number for the negative. It was common practice

to number the machines thus, to enable more

prints to be run off if customers so desired.

There is no photographer ’s studio stamp, and

nothing on the back of the postcard to indicate

where or when the picture was taken; the lack of

a serial number makes it impossible to determine

which Dragon this was — unless someone can

produce a picture of the complete aircraft. If

you can, please contact the Editor!

F

ROM THE PIONEER years into the

inter-war era, it was not unusual for

professional photographers to acquire

disused airframes or build mock-up

aeroplanes in which their clients could

pose to have their pictures taken. I have amassed

a collection of these, but this recent addition is

unusual. The aeroplane is a Sopwith Dragon, an

intended successor to the Snipe single-seat fighter

of the late First World War period, which was

powered by the 360 h.p. ABC Dragonfly radial

engine. Despite official adoption of the Dragon

in September 1921, the ending of the war three

years previously, coupled with problems with

the engine, meant that the type never entered

squadron service with the RAF, and only a few

of the some 130 that were built were actually

flown, most going into long-term storage until

the aircraft was declared obsolete in April 1923.

Although an unarmed two-seat trainer version

was designed in April 1920, there is no evidence

ABOVE Probably unaware that they are seated in a rather unusual aeroplane, a happy couple play pilot and

passenger in an anonymous Sopwith Dragon. Can any readers shed light on which Dragon it is, when the

photograph was taken, where it was located or its ultimate fate? If so, please contact the Editor — see page 3.