Out of the 55,000 planes manufactured by the Royal Army Corps (RAC) during the First World War, only around 20 remain in airworthy condition. Six of these belong to The Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden, Bedfordshire, making it the most complete collection of original airworthy World War One aircraft in the world.
The Shuttleworth Collection is home to over 50 mostly original airworthy aeroplanes, many of them the only surviving airworthy examples in the world.
IBTimes UK presents a look at five of the WWI biplanes in the collection. See the Shuttleworth website or visit the aerodrome near Biggleswade to get a closer look.
Shuttleworth Collection Pilot Rob Millinship, poses next to a Sopwith Pup, a British biplane fighter aircraft introduced in 1916GettyThis Sopwith Pup, number N9917 G-EBKY, had a number of owners prior to its acquisition in 1936 by Richard Shuttleworth, and served for a time on HMS ManxmanGettyAn RAF SE5a is prepared for a demonstration flight. More than 5,000 of these were produced, and they were instrumental in regaining Allied air superiority in the First World WarGettyThe SE5a takes part in a demonstration flight. The National Archive in Kew has recently verified that the plane saw action in France with 84 Squadron the day before Armistice on November 10, 1918GettyPatrick Wilson 8, from Wetherby looks at an Avro 504K. The Avro 504 was the most-produced aircraft that served in World War I – more than 10,000 were built from 1913 to 1932GettyThe Avro 504 was used largely for training purposes. After the war many of them were sold privately and used for leisure flights, banner towing and barnstorming exhibitionsGettyThe wooden propeller of a BE2, a biplane used during the First World War for night flights, reconnaissance and light bombing missionsGettyA detailed look at a gun on the BE2GettyShuttleworth Collection engineers position a Bristol F2.B fighter, which entered service in March 1917GettyThis example of the Bristol F2.B, serial number D8096, was built in 1918, but was too late to see service during the First World War. It was acquired by the Shuttleworth Collection and restored by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, flying again in February 1952. It starred at many air displays across the country and after 28 years of flying, it was refurbished between 1980-82. D8096 still flies regularly and is one of only two Bristol Fighters that are airworthy in the worldGetty
