Yorkshire nostalgia: End of runway for aeroplane club started in 1973
Members of the Northern Aeroplane Workshops, founded by the late John Langham, of Harrogate, set out to build a Sopwith Triplane, the famous single-seater fighter, using original blueprints.
Funding came from the Shuttleworth Collection in Bedfordshire. The volunteers were led by Eric Barraclough, 75, of Dewsbury. They began in 1973 using original materials, which included birch-ply and mild steel.
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Hide AdWorkshops in Dewsbury, Pudsey, Liversedge and Heckmondwike were used during the construction.
Mr Barraclough said: “There were quite a few tears when the Triplane - the only flying one in the world - got off the ground. I took a film of it and my wife said it was worse than watching Gone With the Wind.”
They immediately set out making a Bristol M1C, the only other one of which was in Chile.
The club was finally wound up in 2013 after 40 years. Pictured are Bob Richardson, chairman, and Eric Barraclough, co-ordinator, with a Bristol fighter plane.