Manonthefence wrote:Mike
As you well know its not a replica its a late production aircraft.
If Tommy Sopwith says so then its good enough for me

Nick,
As you well know, it was built by the Northern Aeroplane Workshops in the 1980s, with a c/n of NAW-1, and is registered under that manufacturer (rather than Sopwith) as a 'Replica Sopwith Triplane' built in 1980. Have a look in G-INFO under G-BOCK. If it's not built by the original manufacturer, was built over 60 years after the last original one, and claims no provenance or identity from one of the original production airframes, and is registered as a replica, it's a replica.
RER, this one was built using original plans and with a Clerget rotary engine, and is about as faithful to the original as you can get. As Nick alludes to, whilst under construction, it was visited by Sir Tommy Sopwith towards the end of his life, who said that it was to all intents and purposes the same as an original, and so was effectively the 153rd one built. It's still registered as a replica, with a c/n of NAW-1, though.
It may have flown together with the late Robin Bowes' Dr1 replica G-BEFR, as they were visitors to Old Warden on several occasions before being lost in an accident in about 1995. I don't have any photographic evedence, though.
Tulio, PM sent.