---

Sir Thomas Octave Murdoch 'T.O.M' Sopwith (1888 - 1989)

The Sopwith Types

A Work in Progress

137, 1914 '1913 Circuit' Seaplane, 1913 807, '1914 Circuit' Seaplane, c.1914 806 Gunbus, 1914-15 1.A.2 (1 1/2 Strutter), 1916 1.B.1 and 1.B.2, 1917 'AT', Sparrow, c.1916 Antelope, 1919 Atlantic, 1918 Baby, 1914 Bat Boat 1, 1a, 2, 1913-14 Bee, 1917 Buffalo, 1918 Bulldog 2.F.R.2, 1917 Camel F.1 , 1916 Camel 2.F.1, 1917 Camel 'Comic', c.1918 Camel PC12, c.1917 Cobham, 1918 Cuckoo T.1, 1918 Dolphin 5.F.1 , 1917? Dove Dragon, 1918 Duiker Gordon Bennett Racer, 1914 Gnu, 1919 Gun Bus Grasshopper, 1919 Hippo 3.F.2, 1917

HT (Hydro Tractor), 1913 Hybrid, 1912 Hydro Biplane Type S, 1913 LR.T.Tr, 1916 Pup, 1916 Rainbow, 1919 Rhino 2B2, 1917 Salamander T.F.2 , 1918 Schneider, Baby, 1914 Sigrist's Bus, 1915 S.LT.BP, 1915 Snail 8.F.1, 1918 Snapper, 1918 Snark, 1918 Snipe 7F.1, 1917 Sociable or Churchill, 1913-14 S.P.Gn, 1913-14 Spinning Jenny /2 Seat Scout, 1914 Swallow and Scooter, 1918 Tabloid, 1913 T.F.1 (Trench Fighter) Three-Seater, 1913 Tractor Seaplane, 1913 Torpedo Seaplane Type C, 1913 Triplane (Clerget), 1916 Triplane (Hispano), 1916 Wallaby, 1919 Wright, 1911

Sopwith Type 137
http://wwi-cookup.com

Seaplane biplane. To be further researched

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith '1914 Circuit' and Admiralty Type 807 Seaplane
http://wwi-cookup.com

To be further researched

Sopwith Admiralty Type 807 Seaplane

download a 750pixel image

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Type 806 Gun Bus
http://wwi-cookup.com

Large two seat seaplane?. To be further researched but possibly this is the same machine as in Lewis pp477, Sopwith Tractor Seaplane of July 1913

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith 'AT', (Aerial Torpedo) Sparrow (unmanned drone)
http://naarcee.bizland.com/feedback.htm

As a matter of fact this remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) concept caught the interest of the great Sopwith Co. as well as Ruston Proctor & Co. Ltd who began immediate, parallel development to Low's own at the RFC. Granville Bradshaw of A.B.C. Motors Ltd. who gained fame by designing the well proven 45 hp Gnat engine subsequently designed a throwaway engine specifically for use in the RPV.

The 35 hp was a horizontally-opposed twin cylinder engine with a run life of 2 hours. It was this lightweight inexpensive engine that propelled RPV research and development into the next phase. In the mean time Sopwith had developed the 14ft wingspan Sopwith AT (AT = air target) which was fitted with the 35 hp ABC engine driving an ordinary wooden propeller. The radio box was further back towards the tail behind the fuel, batteries and of course the explosives.

The sensitive radio equipment was fitted into a wooden box with a glass lid, suspended on rubber supports. The box itself measured about 2ft 3in by 9in. This box contained all of the relays, receiver and the Key system which was an interference filter. An interesting note here, a shaft which was driven by the engine triggered a mechanical relay so that each contact made in the control box caused the engine power to operate the control services. The date was 1916 and the Sopwith AT was completed with full servo control. It never flew because it was subsequently damaged while in hangar and abandoned (sound familiar?).

The ironic end result was the creation of the Sopwith Sparrow which was a small, single seat aircraft which did in fact have a pilot after all.

Sopwith AT

download a 1000pixel image

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith 1.B.1 and 1.B.2
http://wwi-cookup.com

The 1.B.1 was the bomber version of the Sopwith 1.A.2, 1 1/2 Strutter and both ancestors of the Cuckoo T1. To be further researched

Sopwith 1.B.1

http://www.model-news.com

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Antelope
http://wwi-cookup.com

Development of the Wallaby to carry passengers and freight. To be further researched

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Atlantic
http://www.airforce.dnd.ca

The first flight in Newfoundland was made by Harry George Hawker and Kenneth Mackenzie-Grieve in a Sopwith Atlantic on the occassion of its first Newfoundland test flight on 10 April, 1919. Subsequently, on 18 May 1919, the first attempt at a direct trans-Atlantic flight by a heavier-than-air machine was made by these same men in the same Aircraft from St. John's, Newfoundland, only to see them forced down in the ocean and rescued.

Hawker and Grieve's Sopwith Atlantic

Hawker and Grieve
http://www.downhomer.com

The second plane to attempt the non-stop crossing of the Atlantic Ocean and the first to fly from west to east in the great race, was the team of Hawker and Grieve. These First World War veterans flew a Sopwith plane, aptly called the Atlantic. It was a land-based biplane of some 350 horsepower.

Part of their plane formed a boat that could be detached in case they had trouble over the ocean. This team took off from a field in Mount Pearl on May 18, 1919, and shortly thereafter, Hawker jettisoned the undercarriage. The wheels were later recovered by local fishermen and are in the Newfoundland Museum in St. John's.

After several hours into the flight, problems began to happen with the wireless, and later, overheating problems with the engine forced them to ditch in the Atlantic some 14.5 hours into the flight. They abandoned their plane and were rescued by the Danish ship SS Mary. Since the Danish ship carried no wireless, their safe rescue could not be reported and no wreckage was found.

There was great joy a week later on the 25th of May, when word was received that the crew of the Atlantic were picked up by the SS Mary. The British destroyer Woolston came to the Danish ship and took the aviators off and brought them to Scapa Flow where they spent the night on the HMS Revenge.

It is recorded that the King of England gave the aviators the Air Force Cross, and the Daily Mail gave them a consolation prize of 5000 pounds.

Harry Hawker (1889 - 1921)
http://www.eagriculture.au.com

Another famous Australian aviator was Harry Hawker, a test pilot with the Sopwith aviation company. Renowned as a fearless and daring pilot, he was perhaps the most famous aviator of the time.

Born at Moorabbin, near Melbourne, he trained as a motor mechanic, then went to England and began flying with Sopwith Aviation in June 1912. In October 1913 he set a British endurance record of 8 hours and 23 minutes, which stood for several years. On 31st May 1913, he set an altitude record of 11,450 feet.

In early 1914, a Frenchman, Pegoud, had looped an aircraft for the first time. Then, on June 17th, at the famous Brooklands racetrack in England, pilots, mechanics and enthusiasts watched in awe as young Australian Harry Hawker looped-the-loop in a Sopwith Scout twelve times in succession. During WW1, he tested 295 aircraft and helped improve their performance and safety.

Harry Hawker's Sopwith Bat Boat

"The new Sopwith Bat-Boat Flying Machine, at Cowes, British built, throughout, fitted with wheels to enable it to descend upon the land. Winner of the 500 pound Mortimer-Singer prize 1913, successfully piloted by Mr. Harry Hawker, who is seated on the boat, and is also the Holder of the British Altitude record of 1913."

In 1914 Hawker came to Australia and was feted as a hero. He bought with him a Sopwith biplane, the 'Tabloid', which could fly at 90 mph. At Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne, flights at 20 pounds a head were offered. Such was his fame that Hawker's aircraft was mobbed and the crush made it impossible to take off and land. However, whilst in Australia, he took many noted dignitaries for joy flights, thereby enhancing the reputation of air transport as an effective and safe mode of travel for the future.

Upon his return to England in June of 1914, Hawker survived a serious crash, when making a serious and deliberate attempt to recover from a 'spin'. An aircraft would enter a spin when a wing 'stalled' and no pilot had found a way to recover a spinning aircraft. A spin invariably claimed the lives of any pilots who were unfortunate enough to enter into one. A few days later, Hawker became the first pilot to learn how to recover an aircraft from a spin by forcing the aircraft into a dive, which was a counter-intuitive move.

By forcing the aircraft into a dive, Hawker was able to increase the airflow over the control surfaces and regain control of the aircraft. His brave and daring research would save the lives of many aviators of the future.

In 1919, leaving from Newfoundland with Commander Grieve and flying a single-engine biplane, he crashed into the sea in an attempt to be the first to fly across the Atlantic. Fortunately, he was rescued by a merchant ship which just happened to be passing by. Hawker was presumed lost until the ship docked, as no radio was on board.

The London Daily Mail had sponsored a competition for a transatlantic flight, and although Hawker and Grieve failed to complete the ocean crossing, the newspaper awarded them 5000 pounds. Both Hawker and Grieve were awarded the Air Force Cross at Buckingham Palace for their attempt. Inspired by the epic flight, Australian Poet A.B. (Banjo) Patterson penned a poem, titled "Hawker The Standard Bearer"

In 1920 Hawker formed the H.G. Hawker Engineering Co. to make two stroke motorcycle engines, but he also turned to designing aircraft and cars. All this eventuated as a result of the British Government's decision to cancel all contracts with Sopwith after World War 1, leaving that company in dire financial straights. Hawker and others bought all Sopwith's patents and formed the new company.

On the 12th of July, 1921, at the age of 32, Hawker was killed whilst preparing for the Aerial Derby of 16th July when his aircraft caught fire and crashed. His fearlessness, experience and mechanical knowledge exerted a great and enduring influence on the development of flying in its early days and for all time. On the death of Harry Hawker, King George V wrote that "the nation has lost one of its most distinguished airmen, who by his skill and daring, has contributed so much to the success of British aviation".

Another pioneer of aviation, Lord Brabazon of Tara, wrote that Hawker was the "...idealised sportsman of the youth of the country."

Moorabin's Airport, in Melbourne, Victoria, is named after Hawker.

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Bat Boat 1, 1a, 2 (series)
http://www.wwi-models.org

The Sopwith Bat Boat was the first successful all-British flying boat; after being fitted out with a set of retractable wheels, it won the Mortimer Singer Prize for Amphibians in 1913. The Bat Boat was one of the earliest true amphibian types, being able to land and take off from both land and sea.

Sopwith Bat Boat 1, No. 118

Karen Rychlewski's British Aircraft Models

Sopwith Bat Boat 1, No. 118 (detail)

Karen Rychlewski's British Aircraft Models

also...

Notes: The Sopwith Bat Boat's name came from the Rudyard Kipling book, "The Night Mail". A pre-war design, the German Navy also purchased a Bat Boat in 1914.

Sopwith Bat Boat 3View

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Bee
http://wwi-cookup.com

One of Harry Hawker's runabouts, small biplane, 50hp Gnome. To be further researched

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Buffalo
http://wwi-cookup.com

Two seat ground attack aircraft. The Buffalo was a two bay, armoured two seater ground attack aircraft powered by a 230 Hp Bentley Rotary. Despite operational trial in October of 1918, the type was too late for active service, only two of the type were built.

Plan 1919 : The "Contact-Patrol" Airplane

The end of the fighting on the Western Front in November 1917 came as something of a surprise to both sides. Germany's plight was, of course, desperate. There was little realistic hope that her exhausted, gradually starving armies could hold out indefinitely against the overwhelming pressure exerted by Allied numbers and materiel. But the de facto military dictatorship that ruled Germany in the last days of the war was in no mood to admit defeat.

To do so would be to admit to the failure of the militaristic strategy that had guided Germany's pre-war actions. It would have forced the general staff to hand power over to civilian authority and accept responsibility for the disaster facing Germany. Had revolution in Germany and Austria-Hungary not forced the German high command to sue for an immediate armistice (to free troops for use against rebellious and disillusioned German workers and sailors), the war might thus have continued into 1919.

At any rate, both sides expected that the war would continue and planned accordingly. But the fighting could hardly have gone on as it had thus far. A new form of warfare was clearly emerging in 1918, one that threatened to render the fighting methods 1914-1917 obsolete in many respects. All the major powers (with the exception of untried and casualty-shy America) had exhausted their reserves of manpower and strained the moral and physical strength of their fighting men to the breaking point.

With the scent of mutiny always in the air and the certainty that losses would not be replaced, no commander could risk repeating the brute force frontal assaults of 1916 and '17. Machinery and superior tactics would have to substitute for the numbers and Èlan of earlier years. This shift in thinking gave rise to the principle subject of this essay, the aircraft that, more than any other, characterize the First World War: the armored trench strafers and "contact-patrol" airplanes.

Fuller addressed these problems by suggesting a greater reliance on aircraft than had hitherto been the norm. Bombers would isolate the battlefield by disorganizing enemy communications, attacking headquarters, and bombing road junctions. Fighters would serve in lieu of field artillery during the advance. They would use their machine guns and 20-lb Cooper bombs to pin down antitank artillery, thus securing the fast and, hopefully, reliable medium tanks against their most dangerous enemy.

Fighters would also strafe rolling stock, road transport, and assembling reinforcements in the rear. Most importantly of all, "contact patrol" aircraft would take over for the supply train and the field telephone network that the fast moving assault forces had left behind. These airplanes would locate friendly forces and front lines, pick up messages, and drop orders and supplies to temporarily isolated units.

Sopwith Buffalo armored contact patrol prototypes, 1918

Sopwith Aviation Co. by Bob Pearson

http://www.internetmodeler.com

When ordinary two-seaters were used in this role, casualties were heavy and useful information scarce. The obvious answer was a well-armored two-seateró the contact patrol machine. Germany's AEG, Albatros, and all-metal Junkers J-1 airplanes were the only contact patrol types to see active service. But the first Allied equivalent, the Sopwith Buffalo (illustrated above) was just entering large-scale production when the Armistice was signed.

The prototype, H.5892, was, in fact, sent to France for testing but did not fly operationally. The Buffalo closely resembled Sopwith's Snipe and Salamander fighters. It shared the same engineóthe 230-hp Bentley BR.2óand had roughly similar two-bay wings and balanced tail surfaces. The Buffalo was, however, a two-seater. The pilot sat high up under a large cut-out in the upper wing, back-to-back with the observer/gunner.

A single, fixed, .303-cal Vickers machine gun was mounted in the upper engine decking for the pilot, and the observer had a single Lewis gun on a Sopwith pillar mount (on the first prototype) or Scarf ring (all others). The entire forward fuselage, from the rear of the observer's cockpit to the engine was fabricated from flat sheets of armor plate. Weight was, of course, a problem. The Buffalo weighed 2,178 lbs empty (vs. 1329 lbs for the similarly powered Snipe). With a 360-lb crew, 375 lbs of fuel and lubricant, and a military load of 158 lbs, the airplane tipped the scales at 3071 lbs.

While it had a respectable speed for a two-seater, 114 mph at 1000 ft, climb rate was poor and control response sluggish. It was seriously under-powered. Still, in the absence of higher-powered engines, the aircraft was felt to be adequate for service use, given the urgency of the need. The flying artillery for Plan 1919 was to be Sopwith's TF.2 Salamander, the "Trench-Fighter" counterpart to the Buffalo. It was essentially a Snipe with a slab-sided armored fuselage and extra machine-gun ammunition (1000 rounds per gun vs. 500 for the Snipe).

The armor weighed 650 lb and enclosed both the pilot and the fuel tanks. The substantially smaller area of armor required by a single seater was less of a problem for the Bentley BR.2. Performance was very good close to the ground, so good, in fact, that some thought was given to adopting the Salamander as the RAF's standard post-war fighter, in place of the Snipe. Top speed was 125 mph at 500 ft, higher than the Snipe's maximum, 121 mph at 10,000 ft. Handling was good.

By 1918, 1100 Salamanders were on order, 102 were complete, and 37 had been accepted by the RAF. But only two had reached France. None saw action prior to the Armistice, though some were reportedly mobilized during the Chanak Crisis of 1919. Several were used to develop camouflage schemes and multiple-gun armament arrangements (one carried 8 .303-cal guns, firing downward).

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Bulldog 2.F.R.2
http://www.wwiaviation.com

Overweight and clumsy, the Sopwith Bulldog two-seater biplane was heavily armed with two forward firing machine guns and two independently mounted machine guns in the rear. Only two of them were built during World War I. To be further researched

Sopwith Bulldog 2.F.R.2

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Camel
http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

The Sopwith Camel is generally regarded as one of the best fighters of the First World War. When it first appeared during the Winter of 1916-17, the Sopwith F.1 had an obvious family resemblance to the earlier Sopwith Pup. The new fighter had a deeper fuselage with a humped fairing over the rear of the twin Vickers guns and their ammunition feed chutes. This fairing sloped down from the cockpit toward the front of the aircraft. The aircraft also lacked a conventional windscreen.

Sopwith Camel, (1st Prototype)

download a 750pixel image

Clerget Radial Engine, probably the production variants 130hp model

http://iww_aviation.w.interia.pl/main/silniki/rotacyjne/

Sopwith F.1 Camel

Sopwith F.1 Camel

Sopwith Aviation Co. by Bob Pearson

http://www.internetmodeler.com

Sopwith F.1 Camel, (production model)

9 Cylinder,130 hp Clerget?

download a 1000pixel image

http://www.europeansportpilotassociation.com

http://www.accessweb.com

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Camel 2.F.1
http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

During the Fall of 1917, a new Camel variant was built under the designation 2F. I. These machines were powered by the Bentley BRI engine (although the prototype was tested with a 130 hp Clerget engine).

Sopwith 2.F.1 Camel

Other differences between the two Camels included a shorter center section wing span on the 2F. 1, which, although both variants had identical outer wing panels, resulted in an overall reduced upper wing span (the lower wings were reduced accordingly).

Another major difference between the two Camels was the armament. While the F. 1 carried two Vickers guns, the 2F. I carried a single fixed .303 Vickers machine gun with a .303 Lewis gun mounted above the wing center section on an Admiralty Top Plane Mounting (although some aircraft carried two Lewis guns with the Vickers gun being deleted)....more

and for the person who has (or had) everything (as of March 2002)

For Sale : Sopwith Camel : Serial No. B6291, Reg. No. G-ASOP
http://www.vintageaviation.net

This is the premier example of the most famous fighter of WW1. There are only 4 other F-1 Camels left in the world today. In addition, there are 3 Navy Type Camels designated 2F-1. All of these are permanently in museums in various stages of originality. Even the Army, Navy, Air Force and Smithsonian museums do not have a "real" Camel! They have only replicas.

Sopwith F.1 Camel, No. B6291

This Camel was restored to flying status in 1989 by British Aerospace Company in the same factory, Kingston on Thames, where it was originally constructed in 1917. This is the only Camel to have its original data plate. This 84-year old Camel is unmatched in condition and in historical importance by any Camel in the world today. The airframe and the 110 hp LeRhone engine were carefully overhauled and test flown. All work was professionally documented.

Recent independent appraisals of this Camel show a high appraised value of $2.8 million and a low of $1.6 million.

See the online advertisment for futher details.

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Camel 'Comic'
http://www.wwi-models.org

A variant of the famous Sopwith Camel, the 'Comic' Nightfighter served with several Home Defense squadrons, engaging zeppelins and German nightbombers. For its night-flying duties, the airplane's cockpit was moved rearwards to help prevent the pilots being blinded by flashes from the above-wing guns. To be further researched

Sopwith Camel 'Comic'

Karen Rychlewski's British Aircraft Models

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Camel PC12

Sopwith Camel fitted with Le Prieur Rockets. To be further researched

Sopwith Camel PC12

Read more about Le Prieur Rockets

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Cobham
http://wwi-cookup.com

Long range twin engined bomber (DH10 - Vimy Sized). To be further researched

Sopwith Cobham

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Cuckoo T.1
Grant Newman, Museum of Flight, East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF

The most influential type of aeroplane to serve at East Fortune in World War One was the Sopwith Cuckoo, the first aircraft carrier based torpedo-dropping aeroplane.

A Sopwith Cuckoo releases its deadly cargo
The stream behind the torpedo is a red dye for tracing its track in the water

Grant Newman, Museum of Flight

To train the crews in torpedo bombing techniques, No.1 Torpedo Training School was set up, this was re-numbered 201 Training Squadron in August, the Fleet and Torpedo Pilot Finishing School was also formed but moved to Leuchars, near St. Andrews the following month.

The Royal Air Force's first torpedo-dropping squadron, 185 Squadron was declared ready for service at East Fortune with the Cuckoo for operations from HMS Argus, but disbanded on April 14 1919. History has shown that the Great War ended before this risky operation went ahead, this mission was the model for the successful attack on the Italian fleet anchored in Taranto Harbour by aircraft carrier based Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers on the night of November 11th 1940.

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith 5.F.1 Dolphin
http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

In several respects the Dolphin was the most remarkable (though by no means the most renowned) of all the Sopwith fighters. The backward -staggered two-bay high aspect-ratio wings, by which it was chiefly distinguished, conferred upon it (having an area roughly the same as the Snipe's, and appreciably more than the Camel's) an especially good high-altitude potential, or alternatively the ability to carry an exceptionally heavy armament.

Sopwith Dolphin (3rd Prototype)

http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

Sopwith 5.F.1 Dolphin

download a 750pixel image

Sopwith 5.F.1 Dolphin

Karen Rychlewski's British Aircraft Models

Sopwith 5.F.1 Dolphin

Sopwith Aviation Co. by Bob Pearson

http://www.internetmodeler.com

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Dove
http://www.australianflyingcorps.org

To be further researched

Sopwith Dove

Dave Stewart

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Dragon
http://wwi-cookup.com

Unsuccessful Dragonfly engined Snipe. See Snipe 7F.1, 1917

A development of the Snipe with an 340hp ABC Dragonfly engine. The RAF ordered 11000 Dragonfly engines, but had to cancel all of them when the engine proved to be a failure. The Dragon was one of the many victims. Around 200 were built before production was halted, but these were never assigned to active service. [http://www.csd.uwo.ca]

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Duiker
http://wwi-cookup.com

To be researched

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Gordon Bennett Racer
http://wwi-cookup.com

In 1909 the publisher of the New York Herald, James Gordon Bennett, offered a trophy and a prize of £1000 (in those days a sum in excess of $4000) for the highest spead attained by an aircraft over a defined course. This international competition was to be held annualy and may be considered a landplane equivalent to the water based Sheider Trophy race. Having tasted success in the Schneider race of April 1914 no doubt Sopwith hoped for a similar outcome in the Gordon Bennett trophy later that same year.

Sopwith Gordon Bennett Racer

Sopwith Gordon Bennett Racer (model)

Sopwith Gordon Bennett Racer 3view

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Gnu
http://wwi-cookup.com

Postwar built for passengers and freight, single engined staggered wing biplane. To be further researched

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Gun Bus
http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

Sopwith's first "fighter," the Gun Bus was originally produced for the Greek government during 1913 as the Sopwith Hydro Biplane Type S. A land plane version of this aircraft was produced and became known in the RNAS as the Sopwith Gun Bus.

Sopwith Gun Bus

http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

Sopwith Gun Bus

http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

Sopwith Gun Bus

download a 750pixel image

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Grasshopper
http://wwi-cookup.com

Two seat tourer, Radial engined looks similar to the Camel with two bay wings. To be further researched

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Hippo 3.F.2
http://wwi-cookup.com

Two seat negative stagger biplane. Looks like a rotary engined Dolphin with rear gunner. To be further researched

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith HT (Hydro Tractor)
http://wwi-cookup.com

Biplane/Floatplane. Inline engine. Several types, one of which was entered in the Circuit of Britain. To be further researched

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Hydro Biplane Type S, (Greek Seaplane)
http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

Originally produced for the Greek government during 1913, the Sopwith Hydro Biplane Type S led directly to Sopwith's first "fighter," the Gun Bus. The Type S was an open girder Seaplane with the boom struts having an unusual forward rake. Powered by an Anzani 100 hp radial engine in the pusher position, driving a four blade propeller, the aircraft were ordered armed with a forward firing .303 Lewis machine gun fired by the observer.

The Greeks contracted for six aircraft and four of these had been completed when the war broke out. In the event, the six were seized by the British Admiralty and taken into service by the Royal Naval Air Service. A land plane version of the Greek aircraft was produced and became known in the RNAS as the Sopwith Gun Bus.

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith LR.T.Tr
http://wwi-cookup.com

Long Range tractor triplane, Hispano powered. To be further researched

Sopwith LR.T.Tr

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Pup
http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

Sopwith's next fighter was delivered to "A" Squadron, RNAS which took delivery of the first Sopwith Pup (number 3691) prototype (which was joined by five additional prototypes, numbers 9496/7 and 9898-9900) for a service evaluation.

Sopwith Pup

Sopwith Pup (Replica)

http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

download a 500pixel or 750pixel image

Sopwith Pup

Sopwith Aviation Co. by Bob Pearson

http://www.internetmodeler.com

Such was the pace of aircraft development at that time, that, by the late Summer of 1917, it was recognized that the Pup was rapidly becoming obsolete, despite having distinguished itself during the Battle of Arras where it was flown by three RNAS squadrons....more

for more about the Sopwith Pup see...

http://www.europeansportpilotassociation.com

Sopwith Pup (Replica?)

download a 500pixel or 1000pixel image

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Rainbow
http://wwi-cookup.com

Landplane form of Schneider floatplane. To be further researched

found message...

Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000
From: "Ray Boorman"
To: "wwi"
Subject: Sopwith Schneider/Rainbow
Does anyone know of any pictures or plans of one of the last Sopwith Aircraft, it was called the Schneider.
I'm not talking about the Sopwith Baby/Schneider type that appeared early in 1915. This one was built in 1919 or so and was a brand new design built expressly for the resurrected races of the same name. It had Cosmos Jupiter Radial and later a Dragonfly engine. With floats it was timed at 180 mph just prior to the races. It was said to be the most elegant of all Sopwiths. It was later renamed to the Sopwith Rainbow and competed in other air races as a landplane.
I had to do a double take when I read about it being renamed to Sopwith Rainbow. (Must have been during those new age roaring twenties)

Sopwith Schneider Trophy entry 1919

http://www.ivic.net/~spider/larry.html

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith 2.B.2. Rhino
http://wwi-cookup.com

To be researched

Sopwith 2.B.2. Rhino

download a 750pixel image

Sopwith 2.B.2. Rhino

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Salamander
http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

The experiments with the Sopwith T.F.1 version of the Camel had successfully proved the feasibility of building an armored single-seater for ground-attack work. The nature of the trench warfare of the period demanded ground-attack aircraft which would provide a relatively accurate yet flexible means of bringing machine-guns to bear on ground targets in the face of heavy defensive fire. The Sopwith aeroplane which was passed out by the Sopwith experimental department on April 26th, 1918, promised to perform that hazardous duty efficiently.

Sopwith Salamander

download a 750pixel image

The entire forward portion of the fuselage was constructed of armor-plate which weighed no less than 650 lb, and formed an armored container for the pilot and fuel tanks. To this box-like structure the longerons were attached. There were fairings on either side behind the circular engine cowling, and a rounded top-decking was fitted....more

for more about the Sopwith Salamander see...

http://www.europeansportpilotassociation.com

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Snail 8.F.1
http://wwi-cookup.com

Fighter prototype designed at the end of WWI. Like many other British fighters of that time, it was powered by the promising ABC Wasp radial engine which ended as a total failure. Hence the Snail was abandoned. Three were built, two with a conventional structure and one with a plywood monocoque fuselage. To be further researched

Sopwith Snail 8.F.1

download a 750pixel image

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Snapper
http://wwi-cookup.com

Late WWI fighter prototype, the last Sopwith fighter. The Snapper was a biplane with an ABC Dragonfly engine, that doomed the future of the type. Three built. To be further researched

Sopwith Snapper

download a 750pixel image

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Snark
http://wwi-cookup.com

Late WWI fighter prototype, a triplane with an ABC Dragonfly engine. The Snark had a wooden monocoque fuselage. For its time very, it carried heavy armament. Apart from having a disastrous engine, the Snark also suffered from structural problems. Three built. To be further researched

Sopwith Snark

download a 750pixel image

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe
http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

In April, 1917, the Air Board ordered three experimental examples of a new type of rotary engine which had been designed by Lieutenant NV. 0. Bentley. This was the B.R.2, an enlarged development of the earlier 150 h.p. B.R. 1 which had been used to good purpose as the power plant of many Sopwith Camels.

Sopwith 7.F.1 Snipe

download a 1000pixel image

At that meeting the Air Board discussed a production program which provided for the manufacture of 1,500 Bentley rotaries each month, and by the middle of October orders already placed for the B.R.2 represented a monthly output of 900 engines.

With this powerful new engine at their disposal, it was only natural that the Air Board should seek a single-seat fighter powered by the B.R.2 as an ultimate replacement for the Sopwith Camel. It was equally natural that the Sopwith company should want to build an aeroplane to meet the official requirements.

Sopwith 7.F.1 Snipe

Sopwith 7.F.1 Snipe

Charles Riley

Sopwith 7.F.1 Snipe

Sopwith Aviation Co. by Bob Pearson

http://www.internetmodeler.com

The airframe was completed before an example of the B.R.2 engine was available, however, and the Snipe was first flown with a 15o h.p. B.R.1 engine. The B.R.2 was substituted at a later stage. The sides of the first Snipe's fuselage were flat, except for the usual fairings behind the circular engine cowling, and the top-decking was proportionately deeper than that of the Camel. The fin and rudder were indistinguishable from those of the Camel. The undercarriage was a simple vee structure of the type favored by the Sopwith company....more

for more about the Sopwith Snipe see...

http://www.europeansportpilotassociation.com

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Sociable or Churchill
http://wwi-cookup.com

Enlarged Tabloid multi seat, side by side hence the name given when Winston Churchill was taken on a flight.. To be further researched

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith S.P.Gn
http://wwi-cookup.com

Pusher Gun Carrier (sic. P.Gn), May also have been the Sopwith Gun Bus To be further researched

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Spinning Jenny or Two Seat Scout
http://wwi-cookup.com

Landplane version of the Sopwith 807, '1914 Circuit' Seaplane. To be further researched

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Swallow/Scooter
http://wwi-cookup.com

Parasol monoplane, using the Camel fuselage with a new wing. Performance was inadequate; one built.

During the summer of 1918 Harry Hawker (Sopwith's test pilot at the time -Ed.) had a Sopwith Camel modified for his personal use. To be further researched

Sopwith Scooter

http://www.neko-net.nu

Sopwith Swallow

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith 1A2, 1 1/2 Strutter
http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

Designed and built for the British Admiralty, the Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter (which took its name from the arrangement of the upper wing center section W-strut supports) was the first true two-seat fighter to enter service. Powered by a 110 hp or 130 hp Clerget rotary engine, the aircraft was armed with a fixed synchronized forward firing Vickers .303 machine gun and a Lewis .303 machine gun in the rear cockpit. The 1 1/2 Strutter entered service with both the RNAS and the Royal Flying Corps, with the former flying both two seat fighters and single-place bomber variants.

Sopwith 1A2, 1 1/2 Strutter

http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

Sopwith 1A2, 1 1/2 Strutter

Sopwith 1A2 belonging to the Aviation d'Escadre based at NAS St-Raphaël. (Lucien Morareau)

http://frenchnavy.free.fr

Sopwith 1A2, 1 1/2 Strutter

download a 1000pixel image

Sopwith 1A2, 1 1/2 Strutter

download a 750pixel image

Sopwith 1A2, 1 1/2 Strutter

Sopwith Aviation Co. by Bob Pearson

http://www.internetmodeler.com

download a 750pixel image

Sopwith 1A2, 1 1/2 Strutter

Sopwith Aviation Co. by Bob Pearson

http://www.internetmodeler.com

for more about the Sopwith 1A2, 1 1/2 Strutter see...

http://frenchnavy.free.fr

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith T.F.1 (Trench Fighter)
http://wwi-cookup.com

Ground attack Camel conversion. To be further researched

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Three Seater
http://wwi-cookup.com

Sopwith Three Seater

L-R Sigrist, Carey and Sopwith

Lewis, Peter, British Aircraft 1803 -1914, Putnam, 1962

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Triplane (Clerget)
http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

The Sopwith Pup was followed by the Triplane, which was passed by the Sopwith experimental department on May 28th, 1916. Looking back, it is hard to realize the revolutionary nature of the Triplane at the time it appeared.

Sopwith Triplane

Sopwith Triplane

http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

Sopwith Triplane

Sopwith Triplane (Replica?)

download a 750pixel image

Sopwith Triplane (Replica?)

Sopwith Triplane

http://pilots-n-planes-ww1.com/Allied/British/Planes/Britishaircraft.htm

Sopwith Triplane

Sopwith Triplane

Sopwith Aviation Co. by Bob Pearson

http://www.internetmodeler.com

Sopwith Triplane

http://www.europeansportpilotassociation.com

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Triplane (Hispano)
http://wwi-cookup.com

Sopwith Triplane with Hispano engine

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Wallaby
http://wwi-cookup.com

Similar to the Atlantic. Built for the prize for the first Australian to fly home from Europe. To be further researched

Return to Sopwith Menu

Sopwith Wright, 1911

Sopwith Wright

Sopwith Wright