AIR MINISTRY FILM [Allocated Title]

Sopwith Pup aircraft fitted with an arrester hook, landing with the aid of a weighted arrester rope, presumably as part of trials for the use of this type on aircraft carriers at sea.

Pan showing Sopwith Pup fitted with propeller guard and arrester hook, with a rope with a number of sandbags trailing behind. The aircraft stands on a wooden panelled deck with hangars etc in the background. Title: Landing deck. Arranging fitting & etc [sic]. Man checks height of an arrester rope. Arresting rope being strung up. Title: Landing deck. Front view of machine landing'. Short, incomplete shot of the Pup approaching. Stationary Pup. Painting the arrester rope to make it more visible. Title: 'Landing deck. Rope gear, & etc [sic] / Bags trailing behind'. Sand bags on rope on deck. Title: 'Landing deck. Accident to port side wheel after landing'. A Pup, landing right-to-left across frame, catches the rope but port undercarriage leg buckles. Title: 'Machine in flight'. The Pup passes over the landing deck. Title: 'Landing on deck. Bag over hook'; medium close-up shows sand bag attached to arrester rope. Title: 'Leaving deck'. Wide shot swinging the Pup's propeller and the aircraft taking off out of shot. Title: 'Rear view of landing'. Pup landing into shot, with sandbags trailing behind. Another shot Pup taking off. Title: 'Hook falling into position'. Arrester hook dropping from rear fuselage (aircraft serial N9497). Title: 'View of ropes after landing'; two looking at ropes around the arrester hook from behind the aircraft. Title: 'Hook gripping ropes after landing' with close-up. Title: 'Landing deck. Sopwith Pup leaving deck'; looking at wooden rails and a Sopwith 1½ Ship Strutter (not a Pup) with skids rather than wheels. Strutter with engine running; it moves off along the wooden rails (aircraft serial appears to be A6911). Title: 'Sopwith Pup leaving deck by means of runners. Showing machine leaving deck, trials and flight'; the wooden rails with men. Strutter on the rails with propeller spinning. [racking changes] The first Pup, with wheeled undercarriage, landing towards camera. Title: 'Landing deck. Side view of machine landing'; Smooth pan Pup landing and pilot starting to dismount.

35mm