Sopwith 1 1/2 strutter photo help

[Bentley]

Hey all! I've stumbled across this photo of a bunch of French and USAS strutters, but there isn't any info posted with the photo. Can one of you guys help me with location/squadron/date etc...?


Cheers!
Max

[Volker_Nemsch]

.
... but this huge number of aircraft looks much more like a flying school than a frontline airfield.

In addition you mentioned "American Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutters". As far as I know, the Americans did not us this type in their frontline squadrons in 1918.

So a flying school in Fance in 1918/19 is my best guess.

Sorry, that I have not more to add...

.

[Gregvan]

This is a famous US Signal Corps Photo. It is not a photo of a single operational squadron. Rather, it is a photo of French-built Sopwiths of the 2nd AIC at Tours, and these are all training machines, purchased from the French by the USAS. Some are in the earlier overall silver color scheme, while most are in the French five-color camouflage. You can see that many still displayed French national markings, while others had the USAS cockades and rudder stripes.

[Bentley]

Thanks for the info, guys!

[Felda]

Thanks for informations, I am interesting in camouflated Strutters. Does exist the colour scheme of the five-color version of french Strutter? It is necessary for my estimated flying scale model, but I didn´t found it anywhere.

[Gregvan]

Hello,

I am interested in camouflaged Strutters also! Unfortunately, no one has ever completed a study of the 5-color camouflage patterns on French-built Strutters; I know a few people who have started , but the lack of photos is frustrating. There were different manufacturers of the Strutters in France, and each would have had its own version of the camouflage pattern - which makes the study difficult. Also, sometimes earlier Strutters were camouflaged at the front line units, in a wide variety of hand-painted patterns, and this complicates the problem. Here are some photos which may be of interest.

[Gregvan]

A few more photos.













I think was an "unofficial" camouflage scheme, applied at the front line unit.

[Bentley]

This guy made a rough guide for his French strutter here, although he admits this is only one possible scheme.
Looking at Greng's photos, one scheme may have been similar to marking schemes B and C of the Salmson 2-A2 on the Wingnut Wings website

Also, I wonder if some of the struts were the French blue primer color as they seem to be a lighter shade and I don't see wood grain in some.

[Brom]

Interesting photos - these French Strutters seem to carry twin Lewis guns as standard, and some appear not to have the synchronised Vickers for the pilot - while one even has an overwing Lewis in addition to the the twin guns for the obsrever, AND the Vickers. I wonder what the performance was like, carrying four guns and two crew members?