Sopwith aircraft

[Jemiba]

Got the book "Sopwith - The Man And His Aircraft" by Bruce Robertson and although very few projects are
mentioned, I thought a thread about those aircraft, often built in very few examples only, may be interesting:

- Sopwith-Modified Burgess Wright Biplane: 1911, purchased from Burgess and modified with 35 hp Green

engine, later a 40 hp A.B.C. engine
- Sopwith-Wright Biplane: 1912, using wings of Wright camber and planform, powered by a 70 hp Gnome, two built
- Sopwith Tractor Biplane: 1913, the first complete Sopwith design, 8 built and delivererd as two- and three-seater aircraft.
- Sopwith Tractor Floatplane: 1913, first Sopwith floatplpane, adaption of the Tractor Biplane, 3 built
- Sopwith Batboat 1/1A : 1913, flying boat, hull built by Saunders, powered by a 90 hp Austro-Daimler engine, 3 built
- Sopwith Batboat 200 hp: 1914, sometimes designated Batboat N°2. Completet redesign of the Batboat as an amphibian, 1 built
- Sopwith Tabloid: 1914, design and construction by Harry Hawker and Fred Sigrist, in wartime used as armed scout.

Actual production number unknown, traced are around 25 aircraft.
- Sopwith Sociable: 1914, called “Tweenie” or “Churchill”, too, twin-seat version of the Tabloid with side-by-side seating.

 

[Jemiba]

- Sopwith Gordon Bennett Racer: 1914, two aircraft prepared for the Gordon Bennett Race, one having a slim fuselage, the other
more closely based on the Tabloid. Both drafted by the Admiralty for military use.
- Sopwith Circuit Seaplane 1913: 1913, built for the “Circuit of Britain” race and wrecked during the contest, few details known only
- Floatplanes 120 hp/135 hp/200 hp : 1914, ordered by Admiralty under C.P.30775/14 and 37885/14, with different engines.
- Sopwith Circuit Seaplane 1914/D3: 1914, known as “Daily Mail”, too, tested as a landplane, but cancelled due to the outbreak of war. Led to the Two-Seat Scout and Type 807 floatplane.
- Sopwith Pusher Seaplane/Type S: 1913, ordered under C.P.01717/13, powered by 120 hp Austro-Daimler , known as “Gunbus”, 1 built, not successful, but lead to orders for modified versions.
- Sopwith Pusher Seaplane 1914/Type 880: 1914, ordered by Greek Gov., but taken over by the Admiralty, 8 built.
- Sopwith Pusher Landplane /Type 806: 1915, known as “Gunbus”, land version of the Type S, only 6 built by Sopwith itself, 30 sub-contracted to Robey & Co.
- Sopwith Two-Seat Scout: 1914, “Spinning Jenny” development of the D3
- Sopwith Folder Seaplane/Type 807: 1914, development of the D3, 12 built
- Sopwith Tractor Seaplane/Type 860: 1914, two-seat floatplanes with 225 hp Sunbeam engine, 18 built

 

[Jemiba]

- Sopwith Schneider Cup Seaplane: 1915, floatplane version of the Tabloid, simply known as the
“Schneiders”, more than 100 built.
- Sopwith Baby Seaplane: 1915, development of the “Schneider”, single seat floatplane scout and
fighter, built in 286 examplpes, mainly sub-contracted
- Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter/Type 9400/9700 : 1915, sinle- and two-seat fighter and bomber, more than
1500 built, variants designated as Sopwith 1A2, 1B1, 1B2 and “Ship Strutter” for naval use.
- Sopwith Pup/Type 9901: 1916, single-seat fighter biplpane, powered by a 80 or 100 hp Le Rhone
engine, 1770 aircraft built. The Beardmore W.B.III actually was a version of the Pup for shipboard
use.
- Sopwith Bee: 1916, personal aircraft of Harry Hawker, built from Pup components, powered by a 50
hp Gnome engine and used for aerobatics mainly.
- Sopwith Triplane: 1916, triplane fighter, powered by a 110 or 130 hp Clerget engine, 152 built
- Sopwith Triplane (Hispano): 1917, two triplanes were experimentally fitted with 150 hp and 200 hp
Hispano-Suiza inline engines
- Sopwith L.R.T. Tr: 1916, 3-seat fighter triplane with a gun position in a nacelle on the upper wing,
powered by a 250 hp RR Eagle I engine.

 

[Jemiba]

- Sopwith Camel F.S.1/Camel Floatplane: 1917, development of the Baby and actually precursor to
the later Camel,
- Sopwith Camel F.1: 1916 (prototype), in service 1917 , sinle-seat fighter biplane, powered by a
130 hp Clerget engine (most variants), from 1918 onwards 140 hp Clergets, 356 aircraft were fitted
with a 150 hp Bentley B.R.1 engine, designated as “Bentley Camel” then.
- Sopwith Camel F.1 Two-Seater: 1918, conversion of the F.1 Camel to twin-seat trainer, superseded
by the twin-seat Snipe, probably only two aircraft modified
- Sopwith Camel T.F.1: 1918, “Trenchfighter” or “Armoured Camel”, ground attack version, fitted
with 11 mm armour and two downward firing guns, superseded by the Salamander
- Sopwith Camel 2F.1: 1918, called “Ships Camel”, all fitted with the (preferred) Bentley B.R.1 engine
and with air bags in the fuselage.
- Sopwith Camel 4F.1: 1917, “Taper Wing Camel”, because of the wing planform, other modifications
were streamlined struts, 4 aircraft ordered, but only one built
- Sopwith Scooter/Monoplane N° 1: 1918, Camel fuselage with a parasol wing, it was a personal
aircraft of Harry Hawker
- Sopwith Swallow/Monoplane N°2 : 1918, similar to N° 1, but built to official order as an
experimental aircraft
- Sopwith A.T. (Aerial Target): 1917, contrary to its designation, it was built as radio controlled flying
bomb, powered by 35 hp A.B.C. Gnat engine. Abandoned after damages during tests.

- Sopwith Sparrow : 1917, development of the A.T. project, bigger and powered by either 35 hp
A.B.C. Gnat , as the A.T., or 50 hp Gnome engine, 4 built.

 

[Jemiba]

- Sopwith Cuckoo T.1 : 1917, single-seat torpedo bomber, Mk.I with 200 hp Sunbeam Arab engine,
Mk.II with 200 hp Wolsey Viper engine and Mk.III probably for 275 hp RR Falcon III engine
(not realised)
- Sopwith B.1 : 1917, at first proposed as single-seat bomber for the French air force, later changed
into a twin-seat observation aircraft, 7 experimental aircraft built
- Sopwith B.2 : 1918, modification of the B.1, serial B.1496
- Sopwith Dolphin 5F.1/Mk.I: 1917, single seat biplane fighter, 200 hp Hispano-Suiza inline engine,
intended as day and night fighter with up to four guns, 2072 built
- Sopwith Dolphin Mk.II: Modification of Mk.I, D3615 with a 300 hp Hispano-Suiza engine for the
French and US forces, but only a few Mk.I were re-engined and later Re-designated as Mk.III
- Sopwith Dolphin Mk.III, 1918, basically the Mk.I with ungeared engines,
- Sopwith Dolphin Twin-Seater: At least one Mk.I was converted to a twin-seat trainer and maybe
more aircraft were modified in the field.
- Sopwith Snipe 7F.1: 1917, single-seat fighter biplane, powered by a 230 hp Bentley B.R.2, successor
to the Camel
- Sopwith Snipe Mk.IA: 1918, modification as long range escort fighters with an additional 60-galon
fuel tank and a Dolphin type tail unit, conversion of 5 aircraft was planned, but only n one aircraft
actually done.
- Sopwith Snipe Postal Project: Proposal to fit the Snipe with a 110 hp Le Rhone engine for use as
postal transport after the war. Project not pursued.
- Sopwith Snipe Two-Seat:1918, conversion of at least 40 arcraft as two-seat/dual control trainers

 

[Jemiba]

- Sopwith Dragon: 1918, basically a Snipe with a 320 hp Dragonfly engine, due to delays in
development because of engine troubles, tests weren’t finished before 1923, when the aircraft was
declared obsolete
- Sopwith Salamander T.F.2: 1918, armoured ground attack aircraft based on the Snipe
- Sopwith Rhino 2B.2: 1917, two-seat triplane bomber, 230 hp B.H.P. enginecontender to the D.H.9
and D..10.Designed for use of an “armament package”, allowing quick re-arming. Two aircraft built,
late used for general testing.
- Sopwith Hippo 3F.2: 1917, two-seat biplane fighter, intended as replacement for the 1 ½ Strutter
built by the French industry and to be fitted with a 200 hp Clerget engine, later changed to a 260hp
Clerget. Abandoned during 1918.
- Sopwith Bulldog 2FR.2: 1917, two-seat biplane fighter later changed to a ground attack aircraft.But
as the Bristol Fighter was already in production,interest vaned and just 3 aircraft were built
- Sopwith Buffalo 3F.2: 1918, two-seat armoured “contact patrol” (ground attack) aircraft, using
several Bulldog components, only 2 built
- Sopwith Snail 8F.1: 1918, single-seat biplane fighter, A.B.C. Wasp engine, six arcraft ordered, 4 with
conventional and two with monocoque fuselage. Development was stopped, due to problems with
the Wasp engine.
- Sopwith Snark,: 1918: single-seat triplane high-altitude fighter, powered by an A.B.C. Dragonfly e
engine. Due to engine problems, it was decided to complete only one aircraft

 

[Jemiba]

- Sopwith Snapper,: 1918: single-seat biplane high-altitude fighter, powered by an A.B.C. Dragonfly
engine, biplane version of the Snark, using the same fuselage and as for the Snark, only one aircraft
was completed
- Sopwith Cobham,: 1918, twin engine fighter-reconnaissance/bomber biplane, intended to use
Dragonfly engines, changed to Puma engines later. Development ended after the war, with only two
aircraft completed.
- Sopwith Dove: 1919, two-seat sports version of the Pup, powered by a 80 hp Le Rhone engine. 10
built
- Sopwith Gnu: 1919, single engine passenger biplane, pilot + 2 passengers in enclosed cabin,
prototype with B.R.2 engine, most production aircraft with 110 hp Le Rhone engines, 13 built
- Sopwith Grasshopper: 1920, single engine two-seat touring biplane, 100 hp Anzani engine, 1 built
- Sopwith Schneider Cup Racer: 1919, single engined single-seat floatplane racer, powered by a 450
hp Cosmos Jupiter engine, 1 built
- Sopwith Rainbow: 1920, single engine single-seat racer, landplane version of the Schneider Cup
racer, powered by a 320 hp Dragonfly engine, 1 built

 

[Jemiba]

- Sopwith Atlantic: 1919, single engine long range biplane, powered by a 360 hp RR Eagle engine,
intended for a non-stop Atlantic crossing
- Sopwith Wallaby: 1919, single engine long range biplane, powered by a 360 hp RR Eagle engine,
crew of two. In Australia later rebuilt as an 8-seat passenger aircraft.
- Sopwith Antelope: 1920, single engine passenger aircraft with a cabin for two pax, 180 hp Wolsey
engine, development of the Wallaby

 

[Stargazer]

This is beyond awesome! Sopwith is a very complicated subject because there doesn't seem to have been any alphanumerical system to designate projects and types. This is clearly a great attempt at organizing the company's early years, thanks a lot Jens!

 

[hesham]

Great find my dear Jemiba.

 

[hesham]

My dear Jemiba,


do you hear about the Sopwith Type-107 racer aircraft and Type-137 & Type-138,
a naval float biplanes ?.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Admiralty_Type_137

 

[Jemiba]

I will digg in that book for them, I suspect they are those three floatplanes simply designated as "Floatplanes 120 hp/135 hp/200 hp"

by Sopwith itself. The "Type xxx" designations were allocated by the Admiralty, not by the company, to my understanding and I found

a picture with description “… Sopwith Type C, floatplane N° 138 …”.

 

[hesham]

My dear Jemiba,


here is the Type-137 from the book; Sopwith Aircraft 1912-1918.

 

[Jemiba]

Thanks for that, and as I supposed "Type 137" was just the Admiralty designation and not
a true Sopwith designation. Have checked the Sopwith book again, no more mentions of
it , but it seems, that those Admiralty numbers were often derived from the contract number.
So, more or less identicalaircraft could get different Admiralty numbers.

 

[Bill Walker]

Early RN aircraft got an RN Type number based on the Admiralty serial number of the first example built. Robertson's book of UK serial numbers lists RN serials 137 and 138 as "Sopwith Seaplane, 120hp Austro-Daimler/200hp Canton Unne".

The well known Short Type 184 received its Type number in a similar fashion, the first ones built were serial numbers 184 and 185.