Photo ID Needed (#2): Strutter on Its Nose

[Guest Mookmaster]

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n71/Moo...utteronNose.jpg

Greetings: I need help with one more photo ID (see link above). Any idea how this Strutter ended up on its nose, where the crash occurred, what the crew's nationality, military unit, or mission were, when the photo was taken, etc.?

Once again, thank you for your expertise.

[Dolphin]

The aircraft looks to be a French built Sopwith 1½ Strutter in French service; the legend on the rudder reads Sop 1?? (the rest of the black lettering is lost in the red rudder stripe) which makes it uncertain about it being:

(i) the two seat fighter-reconnaissance version (Sop 1A.2);

(ii) a single seat bomber (the Sop 1B.1); or

(iii) the two seat (Sop 1B.2).

I'd be inclined to say that it's a Sop 1A.2 or a 1B.2, as none of the fuselage access panels for the bomb stowage area on the 1B.1 are visible.

The aeroplane doesn't have a unit marking on the fuselage, which suggests that it might be a training machine. It looks like a noseover during a forced landing behind the French lines.

That's about all that I can deduce.

Gareth

[FAAAEd]

The aircraft looks to be a French built Sopwith 1½ Strutter in French service;

Gareth

My thoughts exactly (before I scrolled and saw your reply).

It could have hit a patch of rough on take-off, ground looped damaging wing and then tipped up.

OTOH

[Guest Mookmaster]

Thanks very much, PetrolPigeon! I appreciate the expert opinion.

-Mookmaster

[Guest Mookmaster]

Thanks, Dolphin. Very glad to have the benefit of your deductions.

--Mookmaster