Rare First World War plane being restored at RAF Cosford

This is the restoration work taking place at a Shropshire airbase on one of the rarest planes in the world.

The Sopwith Dolphin single seat fighter plane was used by British pilots towards the end of the First World War.

Restoration teams at RAF Museum Cosford have been working tirelessly on the old plane for months and RAF bosses say a piece of aviation history has been rescued from the scrapheap.

Conservation manager Tim Wallis said the museum was holding a behind the scenes open week, which started yesterday and runs until Saturday, giving visitors the chance to see the Dolphin up close.

He said it could be the last chance for enthusiasts to view the plane before it is moved to London in May.

Mr Wallis said: "Craftsmen Ian Osborne and Andy Woods have been taking the lead on restoring the Dolphin and have been doing a great job.

"This Dolphin has been built using the original parts of two old planes which makes it probably the only Dolphin left in the world constructed out of the original components.

"This will be the last chance for people in the area to see the Dolphin before it is moved in May to our sister museum in London. The Dolphin came into service during the First World War.

"I believe there were 2,072 originally built but we are down to the last one now. That is what makes this such a special project."