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Description
The Shuttleworth Collection 2017.

It was great to see Sopwith Triplane "Dixie II" back on display duties and looking resplendent once more, after her unfortunate landing accident back in 2014. During the Military Pageant Air Display of that year, pilot Roger "Dodge" Bailey misjudged a landing and clipped a fence post with her undercarriage. This sent the aircraft into a nose down attitude forcing her onto her nose and significantly damaging the aircraft. Thankfully Dodge was not injured in the incident and as can be seen here the aircraft has been brought back to flying condition over the last couple of seasons, and once more Dodge was in his rightful place at her controls.

Also, the offending fence posts which were the boundary of a paddock area for the adjacent property has since been removed and turned over to the Shuttleworth Collection, so Old Warden airfield has grown a little over the winter. This was not a precaution that came as a result from the incident, but it will never the less help with the operation of these early aircraft as there are now more options for landings with regards to wind direction, and no fence boundaries to cross.

Some may also wonder why I have labelled the aircraft as "Late Production", the answer to that is simply that, although this aircraft is a reproduction and not original. Sir Tommy Sopwith himself shorthly before he passed on, inspected the aircraft as she was being constructed. He was so impressed by the quality and authenticity of the workmanship that he deemed that this should not be labelled as a replica or reproduction, but instead, a one off extension of the original production. She even received the construction number 148, one more than the original 147 built.

Description
The Shuttleworth Collection 2017.

It was great to see Sopwith Triplane "Dixie II" back on display duties and looking resplendent once more, after her unfortunate landing accident back in 2014. During the Military Pageant Air Display of that year, pilot Roger "Dodge" Bailey misjudged a landing and clipped a fence post with her undercarriage. This sent the aircraft into a nose down attitude forcing her onto her nose and significantly damaging the aircraft. Thankfully Dodge was not injured in the incident and as can be seen here the aircraft has been brought back to flying condition over the last couple of seasons, and once more Dodge was in his rightful place at her controls.

Also, the offending fence posts which were the boundary of a paddock area for the adjacent property has since been removed and turned over to the Shuttleworth Collection, so Old Warden airfield has grown a little over the winter. This was not a precaution that came as a result from the incident, but it will never the less help with the operation of these early aircraft as there are now more options for landings with regards to wind direction, and no fence boundaries to cross.

Some may also wonder why I have labelled the aircraft as "Late Production", the answer to that is simply that, although this aircraft is a reproduction and not original. Sir Tommy Sopwith himself shorthly before he passed on, inspected the aircraft as she was being constructed. He was so impressed by the quality and authenticity of the workmanship that he deemed that this should not be labelled as a replica or reproduction, but instead, a one off extension of the original production. She even received the construction number 148, one more than the original 147 built.