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Sound Venture Productions Ottawa Ltd. (Sound Venture) and The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) have announced a unique partnership with The Canadian Museum of Flight to build two replica Sopwith Pup biplanes as part of a First World War commemorative project entitled Wings of Courage.
Wings of Courage is the second installment of A Nation Soars – Commemorating Canada’s Great War Flyers, a trilogy of documentaries, activities and educational initiatives that focuses on how aviation changed the course of the First World War and Canada’s heroic involvement.
Wings of Courage is funded in part by the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Federal Secretariat, World Wars Commemorations. One of the unique elements of this project is that it examines Canada’s early aviator heroism through a modern perspective.
A key pillar of this perspective is the museum’s biplane construction. This activity begins next week at Airdrome Aeroplanes in Holden, Missouri. In late October, the two biplanes will come home to the museum for principal construction. This activity will be ongoing into the summer of 2016.
This build activity at the Canadian Museum of Flight involves volunteers, technical personnel and a select group of passionate pilots who will eventually fly them.
It also integrates local Air Cadets in a series of unique learning sessions, allowing them an up close opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the excitement, fear and passion felt by Great War flyers of their same age 100 years earlier.
Once completed, the two biplanes are to be formally gifted to the museum and become part of a
permanent exhibit.
“When we were approached to build the biplanes and the opportunity to be part of Wings of Courage, we were immediately excited,” said Dave Arnold, vice president of the Canadian Museum of Flight.
Wings of Courage looks to draw attention to the FWW with an emphasis on Canada’s aviation contribution and our aviation heroes of national significance. This project distinguishes itself by highlighting lesser-known aspects of the war that are distinctly Canadian, innovative, have far-reaching consequences and lasting impact.
Apart from the construction of two replica Sopwith Pup biplanes, Wings of Courage will also include:
- The production of a one-hour broadcast documentary and a feature story in Canadian Geographic and Géographica magazines;
- A bilingual poster map featuring a timeline of events and biographies of FWW pilots;
- A WOC website that incorporates elements such as the poster map and the online educator resources;
- Five giant travelling floor maps featuring a Vimy Barrage for borrowing by schools with accompanying teacher resources;
- A series of six short educational videos in English and French for students and teachers inspired by WOC’s themes and highlighting the aircraft, the experts and the events of the initiative.
Within the historical account of decorated Canadian Great War fliers, and the parallel story of the Sopwith Pup builds, the technological and tactical progression of FWW aviation are featured.
Wings of Courage, under the overriding banner of A Nation Soars, presents a unique approach to honour our early Canadian aviators. As a result, strong legacy tools will be created that will educate youth and generate future impact for many years to come.
