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Dick Day's Sopwith Snipe
The Sopwith Snipe pictured at the Champlin Fighter Museum flew at the Rhinebeck Aerodrome for a season or two before it became part of the Champlin Fighter collection. The attached photo was taken on the ORA flight line in 1982. Dick Day built and flew both the Snipe and the Sopwith Camel, which appears behind it in the attached picture. The Camel had an 80 LeRhone for power and the Snipe used a 220 Continental. Both were spectacular performers.
Dick Day also built the Spad XIII that was on exhibit at the Champlin Museum. Both the Spad and the Snipe have recently been moved to the Seattle Museum of Flight. I'm not sure where the Camel wound up...maybe Javier Arango's collection? I believe Mr. Day built a second Camel too.
One thing that all of these aircraft shared in common was that they were beautifully built.
SL DIII
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