The Robert Lusk Collection Part IV.

A Sopwith Snipe twin-bladed wooden propeller, British, late a 1918,

The Summer Automobilia Auction including The Robert Lusk Collection Part IV|16 July 2026, 13:34 BST|Guildford

A Sopwith Snipe twin-bladed wooden propeller, British, late a 1918,

278cm diameter, laminated construction, the hub stamped LP 5300 RH, D2780, P2920, SOPWITH SNIPE, BR2 with other stampings, 8 mounting holes, (the reverse of the hub hollowed-out), complete with custom made metal mounting bracket, (used condition with old marks and wear, some separation and splitting to laminate).

Footnotes

The Sopwith Snipe was the ultimate allied fighter of the Great War with its 230hp Bentley BR.2 engine giving it a max speed of 125 mph and ceiling of 25,000ft. Full scale production was ordered from numerous manufacturers in late March 1918 but it was not until October that sufficient aircraft were available to fully equip 43 Sqn RAF and 4 Sqn AFC (Australian Flying Corps) in France.

The Sopwith Snipe is firmly lodged in the minds of many WWI aeroplane devotees due to the epic one-sided battle fought by Major William Barker in October 1918 in which he brought down four Fokker D.VIIs, an action that resulted in the Victoria Cross for the Canadian pilot. The Snipe, designed to supplant the Camel, had few further opportunities for glory.

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