WASHINGTON, D.C. — A rare Sopwith Camel World War I fighter is on view at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, the same type of biplane that became Snoopy Flying Ace ride in the Peanuts comics.
Allied Camels were credited with downing 1,294 enemy aircraft in World War I, more than any other Allied fighter of that war, according to the museum feature aired Friday.
Here and Now co-host Scott Tong visited the Mall museum to see the surviving Camel and its place in both military aviation history and popular culture.
The National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall continues to list public programs and exhibitions for visitors in Washington, including on-site and online offerings from the downtown building and the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
For families who know the Peanuts strips, the Camel on the museum floor ties a familiar cartoon fantasy to a real combat aircraft from the 1914-1918 war, giving weekend visitors a concrete object to stand beside.
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