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Sopwith 1½ Strutter

2025-10-31T00:37:12Z

2A00:23C8:C9C:E701:6924:6687:7140:A918: /* Bibliography */

{{Short description|British WW1 biplane fighter, bomber and reconnaissance aircraft}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2018}}

{{Infobox aircraft
|image=RAF_Sopwith_1_1-2_Strutter.jpg
|name=Sopwith {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter
|type=[[Biplane]] general purpose aircraft
|manufacturer=[[Sopwith Aviation Company]]
|national_origin=United Kingdom
|number_built=4,500 France<br />1,439 Great Britain
|first_flight = December 1915
|introduction = April 1916
|primary_user = [[Royal Naval Air Service]]
|more_users = [[Royal Flying Corps]]<br />{{lang|fr|[[History of the Armée de l'Air (1909-1942)|Aéronautique Militaire]]}}
}}
The '''Sopwith {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter''' is a British single- or two-seat [[Multirole combat aircraft|multi-role]] [[biplane]] [[aircraft]] of the [[First World War]].<ref name="bomber-40">Lake 2002, p. 40.</ref> It was the first British two-seat [[tractor configuration|tractor]] fighter and the first British aircraft to enter service with a [[Synchronization gear|synchronised]] [[machine gun]]. It was given the name {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter because of the long and short [[cabane struts]] that supported the top wing. The type was operated by both British air services and was in widespread but lacklustre service with the French {{lang|fr|[[History of the Armée de l'Air (1909-1942)|Aéronautique Militaire]]}}.

==Design and development==
[[File:An aeroplane leaving the deck of the Australia on a reconnaissance trip (13960807682).jpg|thumb|Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter biplane aircraft taking off from a platform built on top of HMAS ''Australia'''s midships 'Q' turret. 1918]]
In December 1914, the [[Sopwith Aviation Company]] designed a small, two-seat biplane powered by an {{cvt|80|hp}} [[Gnome Engine Company|Gnome]] [[rotary engine]], which became known as the "Sigrist Bus" after [[Fred Sigrist]], the Sopwith works manager. The Sigrist Bus first flew on 5 June 1915 and although it set a new British altitude record on the day of its first flight, only one was built, serving as a company runabout.<ref name="Bruce RFC p499">Bruce 1982, p. 499.</ref><ref name="Jarrett database p56">Jarrett 2009, p. 56.</ref>

The Sigrist Bus formed the basis for a new, larger, fighter aircraft, the Sopwith LCT (Land Clerget Tractor), designed by [[Herbert Smith (aircraft designer)|Herbert Smith]] and powered by a {{cvt|110|hp}} [[Clerget]] engine. Like the Sigrist Bus, each of the upper wings (there was no true centre section) was connected to the [[fuselage]] by a pair of short (half) struts and a pair of longer struts, forming a "W" when viewed from the front; this giving rise to the aircraft's popular [[nickname]] of the {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter.<ref name="bomber-40"/> The first prototype was ready in mid-December 1915, undergoing official testing in January 1916.<ref name="Jarrett database p56"/><ref name="Bruce I p544">Bruce 28 September 1956, p. 544.</ref>

The {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter was of conventional wire-braced, wood and fabric construction. The pilot and gunner sat in widely separated tandem cockpits, with the pilot in front, giving the gunner a good field of fire for his [[Lewis gun]]. The aircraft had a variable-incidence [[tailplane]] that could be adjusted by the pilot in flight and [[air brake (aircraft)|airbrakes]] under the lower wings to reduce landing distance.<ref name="Bruce RFC p499"/><ref name="Jarrett database p56,8">Jarrett 2009, pp. 56, 8.</ref>

[[File:Sopwith Strutter RAFM.jpg|thumb|A preserved Sopwith {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter at the RAF Museum, London, showing the W-form pairs of "{{frac|1|1|2}}" struts that gave the aeroplane its name, and the centrally-mounted Vickers machine gun]]
The Vickers-Challenger [[Synchronization gear#The Vickers-Challenger gear|synchronisation gear]] was put into production for the [[Royal Flying Corps]] (RFC) in December 1915 and in a few weeks, a similar order for the [[Synchronization gear#The Scarff-Dibovski gear|Scarff-Dibovski]] gear was placed for the RNAS.<ref name="Bruce I 543">Bruce 28 September 1956, p. 543.</ref><ref name="BruceII p586">Bruce 5 October 1956, p. 586.</ref> Early production {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters were fitted with one or the other of these gears for the fixed [[.303 British|.303]]-in [[Vickers machine gun]]; due to a shortage of the new gears some early aircraft were built with only the observer's gun. Later aircraft were either fitted with the [[Synchronization gear#The Ross and other "miscellaneous" gears|Ross]] or the [[Synchronization gear#The Sopwith-Kauper gear|Sopwith-Kauper]] gears.<ref name="Bruce British p542">Bruce 1957, p. 542.</ref> No early mechanical synchronisation gear was reliable and it was not uncommon for propellers to be damaged or shot away.

The [[Scarff ring]] mounting was also new and production was at first slower than that of the aircraft requiring them. Various makeshift Lewis mountings as well as the older Nieuport ring mounting, were fitted to some early {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters as a stopgap.<ref name="Bruce British p542-3">Bruce 1957, pp. 542–543.</ref> The two-seaters could carry four {{cvt|25|lb}} bombs underwing, which could be replaced by two {{cvt|65|lb}} bombs for anti-submarine patrols.<ref name="Jarrett database p59">Jarrett 2009, p. 59.</ref> From the beginning, a light bomber version was planned, with the observer's cockpit eliminated to allow more fuel and bombs to be carried in the manner of the [[Martinsyde Elephant]] and the [[Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12|B.E.12]], with an internal bomb bay capable of carrying four {{cvt|65|lb}} bombs.<ref name="Jarrett database p59"/><ref name="bruce wind2 p6">Bruce 2000, p. 6.</ref>

==Operational history==

===In British service===
The prototype two seater flew in December 1915 and production deliveries started to reach the RNAS in February 1916.<ref name="Bruce I p544"/> By the end of April, No. 5 Wing RNAS had a flight equipped with the new aircraft. The Sopwiths were used to escort the wing's [[Caudron G.4]] and [[Breguet Bre.4]] bombers and for bombing.<ref name="Bruce I p545">Bruce 28 September 1956, p. 545.</ref><ref name="Thetford Navyp292">Thetford 1978, p. 292.</ref> The [[War Office]] had ordered the type for the RFC in March but because Sopwith's production capacity was contracted to the navy, the RFC orders had to be placed with Ruston Proctor and [[Vickers]].<ref name="Bruce RFC p500">Bruce 1982, p. 500.</ref> Sub-contract production from these manufacturers did not get into its stride until August. Since the [[Battle of the Somme]] was planned for the end of June and with the RFC having a shortage of modern aircraft, it was agreed that a number of Sopwiths would be transferred from one service to the other, allowing [[No. 70 Squadron RAF|70 Squadron]] to reach the front by early July 1916 with Sopwith-built {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters, originally intended for the Navy.<ref name="bruce RFC, p501,503">Bruce 1982, pp. 501, 503.</ref>

[[File:Sopwith 1 2-1 Strutter-2006.jpg|thumb|A replica Sopwith {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter in 1916 RNAS livery, flying at a 2006 air show]]
At first, 70 Squadron did very well with their new aircraft. The period of German [[Air superiority|ascendency]] known as the [[Fokker scourge]] was over and the {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter's long range and excellent armament enabled offensive patrolling deep into German-held territory.<ref name="Bruce II p587">Bruce 5 October 1956, p. 587.</ref> By the time [[No. 45 Squadron RAF|45 Squadron]] reached the front in October, the new [[Albatros D.I|Albatros]] fighters were arriving at the {{lang|de|[[Jagdstaffel]]n}}. By January 1917, when [[No. 43 Squadron RAF|43 Squadron]] arrived in France, the {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter was outclassed as a fighter; a more powerful {{cvt|130|hp|kW}} Clerget 9B improved performance slightly but too late to reverse the situation.<ref name="Bruce RFC p504">Bruce 1982, p. 504.</ref> It was still a useful long-range reconnaissance aircraft when it could be provided with adequate fighter escort but was one of the types to suffer severely during "[[Bloody April]]", 43 squadron alone suffering 35 casualties, from an officer establishment of 32.<ref name="BruceII p588"/><ref>Herris and Pearson 2010, p. 51.</ref>

Like other early Sopwith types, the {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter was very lightly built and its structure did not stand up very well to arduous war service. It was far too stable to make a good [[dogfighting|dogfighter]] and the distance between the pilot and the observer's cockpits impeded their communication. The last operational {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters in the RFC were replaced by [[Sopwith Camel]]s in late October 1917.<ref name="BruceII p588">Bruce 5 October 1956, p. 588.</ref>

The type's long range and stability were good qualities for a home defence fighter and it served with [[No. 37 Squadron RAF|37]], [[No. 44 Squadron RAF|44]] and [[No. 78 Squadron RAF|78]] squadrons. Most of the {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters supplied to home defence units had been built as two-seaters but many were converted locally to single-seaters to improve performance. Some of these single-seaters were similar to the bomber variant but others were of a different type, known (like similarly adapted Sopwith Camels) as the '''Sopwith Comic'''. The cockpit was moved back behind the wings and one or two Lewis guns, either mounted on [[Foster mounting]]s or fixed to fire upwards, outside the arc of the propeller, replaced the synchronised Vickers.

The RNAS used most of their {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters as bombers (in the Aegean and Macedonia as well as in France) and as shipboard aircraft, where it was known as the '''Ship's Strutter''' and flew from [[aircraft carrier]]s, other warships of the [[Royal Navy]], and the battlecruiser {{HMAS|Australia|1911|6}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sopwith 1½ Strutter |url=https://seapower.navy.gov.au/history/units/sopwith-1-12-strutter |website=Sea Power Centre, Australia |access-date=15 March 2025}}</ref> It had been planned to use them on the [[Tondern raid]], but Sopwith Camels were used instead. The RNAS and the RFC (and after April 1918 the [[Royal Air Force]] [RAF]) used the type as a trainer after it had been withdrawn from operational service and like the [[Sopwith Pup]], it proved a popular personal aircraft for senior officers.

===In French service===
[[File:Sopwith 1B2 Strutter Right Rear.jpg|thumb|left|French Sopwith 1B.2 Strutter in late war camouflage]]
The largest user of the Sopwith was actually the French {{lang|fr|Aéronautique Militaire}}. By May 1916 it was obvious that the [[Pusher configuration|pusher]] [[Farman Aviation Works|Farman]] and [[Société Anonyme des Ateliers d'Aviation Louis Breguet|Breguet]] bombers and reconnaissance aircraft were obsolete and with the failure of their [[Tractor configuration|tractor]] aircraft replacements, particularly the [[Nieuport 14]], the Sopwith was ordered in large numbers from French manufacturers in three versions, the SOP. 1A.2 (two-seat reconnaissance), SOP. 1B.2 (two-seat bomber) and SOP. 1B.1 (single-seat bomber).<ref name="Bruce wind2 p10-1">Bruce 2000, pp. 10–11.</ref><ref name="Bruce II p590"/> While in French service, they equipped a large portion of the French bomber and artillery-observation squadrons and carried out many bombing attacks against industrial and military targets, including the German front lines. It was not as successful against fighters, suffering substantial casualties and downing fewer enemy aircraft than either the aircraft used before it or after. With the belated introduction of the [[Breguet 14|Breguet 14 A.2 and B.2]], the last of the Sopwiths were withdrawn from operational service in early 1918 although they would continue in service with training units until after the end of the war.

===In other foreign service===
[[File:Sopwith 1 1.2 Strutter S.85 BRU Msm 14.04.00R edited-2.jpg|thumb|Belgian Air Force Sopwith on display in the Brussels Military Museum]]
Three Belgian squadrons also flew French-built Sopwiths, and surplus French Sopwiths were used by several countries postwar. During the war, several {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters that were interned after landing in the Netherlands were purchased for the Dutch {{lang|nl|Luchvaart Afdeeling}}. Over 100 {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters were also built in Russia by [[Dux Factory|Duks]] and [[Lebed aircraft|Lebedev]],<ref name="Jarrett database p60">Jarrett 2009, p. 60.</ref> supplemented by large numbers delivered directly from Britain and France. The {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter remained in large scale use by both the Soviet forces and [[White movement|White Russians]] during the [[Russian Civil War]] and [[Polish-Soviet war]].<ref name="Jarrett database p66">Jarrett 2009, p. 66.</ref> Three were captured during this war and used by the Poles in 1919–1920.<ref name=kopanski>Kopański 2001, pp. 73–78.</ref> Other captured ones were used by Baltic states.

The American Expeditionary Force purchased 384 two-seat Strutter observation aircraft and 130 single-seat bombers from France in 1917–18.<ref name="Swan military p560">Swanborough and Bowers 1963, p. 560.</ref> While mainly used for training, they were used operationally by the [[90th Fighter Squadron|90th Aero Squadron]] as an interim measure, due to a shortage of later types.<ref name="Bruce II p590">Bruce 5 October 1956, p. 590.</ref> The [[U.S. Navy]] used a number of the two-seat Sopwiths, along with [[Nieuport 28]]s and [[Hanriot HD.1]]s and [[Hanriot HD.2|2s]] as ships' aircraft in the early postwar years, testing the use of aircraft from platforms mounted on the turrets of battleships. The {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter also served with the [[Imperial Japanese Army Air Force]] – some examples serving in the Japanese expeditionary force in Siberia during 1918. Around 1,500 {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters were built for the Royal Flying Corps and the [[Royal Naval Air Service]] and between 4,200 and 4,500 were built in [[France]].

==Variants and designations==
;Sopwith Land Clerget Tractor (or Sopwith LCT): Sopwith company designation.
;Sopwith Type 9400: [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] designation for two seater, number from serial of last aircraft in first batch ordered.
;Sopwith Type 9700: [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] designation for single- seater bomber, number likewise assigned.
;Sopwith Two seater: [[Royal Flying Corps|RFC]] designation.
;Sopwith {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter: Unofficial name due to configuration of struts, also used by US Navy.
;Sopwith Comic: Single seat home defence fighter
;Ship(s) Strutter: Shipboard version
;SOP. 1: French built version.
::SOP. 1A.2 two-seat reconnaissance aircraft<ref name="Bruce wind2 p10-1"/><ref name="Bruce II p590"/>
::SOP. 1B.1 single-seat bomber<ref name="Bruce wind2 p10-1"/><ref name="Bruce II p590"/>
::SOP. 1B.2 two-seat bomber<ref name="Bruce wind2 p10-1"/><ref name="Bruce II p590"/>
::SOP. 1E.2 two-seat trainer
;LeO 1: Lioré et Olivier licence-built version.
;So-shiki Model 1: Japanese licence-built bomber version.<ref name="Jarrett database p65">Jarrett 2009, p. 65.</ref>
;So-Shiki Model 2: Japanese licence-built LeO 1 reconnaissance version.<ref name="Jarrett database p65"/>

==Operators==

===Military===
{{acopmap|1 1-2 Strutter|{{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter operators.}}
;{{flagcountry|Afghanistan|1919}}
* [[Afghanistan Air Force]] received a single aircraft from the Soviet Union in September 1921, which remained in existence until at least December 1924.<ref>Andersson ''Air Enthusiast'' May/June 2003, p. 26.</ref>
;{{AUS}}
* [[Australian Flying Corps]]
** [[No. 2 Squadron RAAF|No. 2 Squadron AFC]] operated one aircraft for training only.
** [[No. 4 Squadron RAAF|No. 4 Squadron AFC]] used Strutters for training.
** [[No. 6 Squadron RAAF|No. 6 (Training) Squadron AFC]] in the [[United Kingdom]]
;{{BEL}}
* [[Belgian Air Force|''Aviation Militaire Belge'']]<ref name="Jarrett database p65"/>
** ''2ème Escadrille''
** ''3ème Escadrille''
** ''4ème Escadrille''
** ''6ème Escadrille''
;{{BRA}}
* ''Escola de Aviação Militar'' used three aircraft for liaison and army co-operation duties.<ref name="Jarrett database p65"/>
;{{Flagcountry|Czechoslovakia|1918}}
:[[Czechoslovak Legion]] used four SOP 1 A.2 delivered by the French Aviation Mission in Russia, and at least one Strutter captured from bolsheviks.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Čejka|first1=Zdeněk|title=Českoslovenští letci a Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter|journal=Historie a plastikové modelářství|date=November 1999|volume=IX|issue=11|pages=18–20|issn=1210-1427}}</ref>
;{{EST}}
* [[Estonian Air Force]] operated a single ex-Soviet aircraft.<ref>Gerdessen 1982, pp. 64, 76.</ref>
;{{FRA}}
* [[History of the Armée de l'Air (1909-1942)|''Aéronautique Militaire'']] – A total of 72 [[Squadron (aviation)|''Escadrilles'']] equipped either wholly or partly.<ref name="Jarrett database p64">Jarrett 2009, p. 64.</ref>
* [[Aéronavale|''Aéronautique Navale'']]<ref>Morareau 1990, p. 16</ref>
;{{GRE}}
* [[Hellenic Navy]] – Six aircraft used in the [[Asia Minor Campaign]] against Turkey, 1918–21.<ref name="Jarrett database p65"/>
;{{JPN}}<ref name="Bruce II p590"/>
* [[Imperial Japanese Army Air Service]]
;{{LAT}}
* [[Latvian Air Force]] operated four ex-Soviet aircraft.<ref name="Jarrett database p65-6">Jarrett 2009, pp. 65–66.</ref><ref>Humberstone, Richard. ''Latvian Air Force 1918–1940''. London: Blue Rider Publishing, 2000, {{ISBN|1-902851-04-8}}.</ref>
* [[Aizsargi]]
[[File:Sopwith Strutter Lithuanian AF.jpg|thumb|Strutter of Lithuanian Air Force. Before 1923]]
;{{flag|Lithuania|1918}}
* [[Lithuanian Air Force]] operated a single ex-Soviet aircraft that landed behind Lithuanian lines during the [[Lithuanian–Soviet War]].<ref>Vistakas 1985, p. 61.</ref> Two others may also have been operated.<ref name="Jarrett database p66"/>
{{MEX}}
* [[Mexican Air Force|Arma de Aviación Militar]] operated one example ([[TNCA]] registration 1-S-68) from c1920–1924.<ref name="Flores Aeroplane letter">Flores ''Aeroplane'', May 2010, p. 94.</ref>
;{{NLD}}
* [[Netherlands Air Force|Luchtvaart Afdeling]] used five {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters that forced landed in neutral the Netherlands and were interned and subsequently purchased.<ref name="Jarrett database p66"/>
;{{POL}}
* [[Polish Air Force]] operated three aircraft captured from the Soviets in 1919–1920.<ref name=kopanski/>
;{{flag|Romania}}<ref name="Bruce II p590"/>
* [[Romanian Air Corps]]
** ''[[Grupul 1 Aeronautic|Grupul 1 Aviație]]''<ref name="Antoniu">{{cite book|title=Illustrated History of Romanian Aeronautics|first=Dan|last=Antoniu|date=2014|isbn=978-973-0-17209-6|page=54}}</ref>
** ''[[Grupul 2 Aeronautic|Grupul 2 Aviație]]''<ref name="Antoniu"/>
** ''Grupul 3 Aviație''<ref name="Antoniu"/>
** ''[[5th Aviation Group|Grupul 5 Aviație]]''<ref>{{cite book|title=Aeronautica română în Războiul de Întregire națională 1916-1919|first1=Valeriu |last1=Avram |first2=Alexandru |last2=Armă|language=ro|publisher=Editura Vremea|date=2018 |isbn=978-973-645-853-8|pages=42–43}}</ref>
;{{RUS}}
* [[Imperial Russian Air Force]] and [[White movement|White Russian]] forces
;{{USSR}}
* [[Soviet Air Force]]
;{{UKR}}
A single aircraft acquired from Russia in 1918.<ref name="Jarrett database p66"/>
;{{UK}}
* [[Royal Flying Corps]]<ref name="Bruce RFC p508">Bruce 1982, p. 508.</ref>
** [[No. 37 Squadron RAF|No. 37 Squadron RFC]]
** [[No. 39 Squadron RAF|No. 39 Squadron RFC]]
** [[No. 43 Squadron RAF|No. 43 Squadron RFC]]
** [[No. 44 Squadron RAF|No. 44 Squadron RFC]]
** [[No. 45 Squadron RAF|No. 45 Squadron RFC]]
** [[No. 46 Squadron RAF|No. 46 Squadron RFC]]
** [[No. 70 Squadron RAF|No. 70 Squadron RFC]]
** [[No. 78 Squadron RAF|No. 78 Squadron RFC]]
** [[No. 143 Squadron RAF|No. 143 Squadron RFC]]
* [[Royal Naval Air Service]]
** [[No. 202 Squadron RAF|No. 2 (Naval) Squadron]]
** [[No. 205 Squadron RAF|No. 5 (Naval) Squadron]]
** [[No. 208 Squadron RAF|No. 8 (Naval) Squadron]]
;{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
* [[Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps]]
* [[United States Army Air Service]]
** [[88th Aero Squadron]]
** [[90th Aero Squadron]]
** [[99th Aero Squadron]]
* [[United States Navy]]<ref name="Swan Navy p495">Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p. 495.</ref>

===Civil===
;{{ARG}}
Two aircraft registered in 1928. R-105 (later LV-BAA) and R-106 (later LV-CAA). One of these two preserved in Florida.<ref name="Jarrett database p60"/>
;{{FRA}}
55 aircraft on French civil register in 1922.<ref name="Jarrett database p60"/>
;{{JPN}}
At least seven aircraft registered.<ref name="Jarrett database p60"/>
;{{SWE}}
Possibly one aircraft from Switzerland in 1926.<ref name="Jarrett database p60"/>
;{{SUI}}
Two aircraft, CH-53 registered 9 April 1921, cancelled 9 October 1923. CH-67 registered 5 December 1923, cancelled December 1926 as sold to [[Sweden]].<ref name="Jarrett database p60"/>
;{{UK}}
One civil registered aircraft, G-EAVB.<ref name="Jarrett database p60"/>

==Survivors==
[[File:Sopwith 1 1.5 LeB 05.07R.jpg|thumb|Sopwith No. 556 on display in the [[Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace]] at Paris le Bourget]]
Original Sopwith {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter aircraft are preserved at the following locations.<ref name="Jarrett database p70">Jarrett 2009, p.70.</ref>
;Belgium
* S-88 – On static display at the [[Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and of Military History]] in [[Brussels]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Brackx|first1=Daniel|title=Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter|url=http://www.belgian-wings.be/Webpages/Navigator/Photos/MilltaryPics/ww1_precurseurs/Sopwith%20Strutter/Sopwith%20Strutter%20Frontpage.html|website=Belgian Wings|access-date=18 May 2017|date=16 October 2014}}</ref>

;Canada
* Replica (C-FSOP) – Airworthy at The Great War Flying Museum in [[Caledon, Ontario]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Sopwith 1-1/2 Strutter|url=http://greatwarflyingmuseum.org/the-aircraft/sopwith-1-12-strutter|website=The Great War Flying Museum|date=25 November 2012 |access-date=20 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Aircraft Details [C-FSOP]|url=http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/saf-sec-sur/2/ccarcs-riacc/ADet.aspx?id=502916&rfr=RchSimp.aspx|website=Transport Canada|access-date=20 May 2018}}</ref>

;France
* 556 – Sop.1A.2 on static display at the [[Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace]] in [[Paris, Île-de-France]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Airframe Dossier – Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter, c/n 556|url=http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=3962|website=Aerial Visuals|publisher=AerialVisuals.ca|access-date=18 May 2017}}</ref>
* 2897 – Sop.1B.2 airworthy at the Memorial Flight Association in [[La Ferté-Alais|La Ferté-Alais, Île-de-France]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter 1 B 2|url=http://memorial.flight.free.fr/Strutteruk.html|website=Memorial Flight|publisher=Memorial Flight Association|access-date=18 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Immatriculation des aéronefs [F-AZNM]|url=http://www.immat.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/immat/servlet/aeronef_detail.html?CTRL_ID=10287977_33a71ed9&CTX=1orYV5Gv-PNjGlKauuBR2iQpj00LpSW0HQc5sOIvrT6biBaXXSsXDON051zh1mnPWqGC00aO02cnlOMH6OMDqRt9900bqQ79bSsXlR6HuS3z00000000CTmW0000G00000NG01aHFKrz9H7Do015gONPXBcnXRcSkIMvqPMTbSXBYeAJtWOSu0W01IG05Tc5iTMLuSW0GQc5sOIviOMvdBavrRM9bSeQibHqBbE2B0W00U70008bhU000|access-date=18 May 2017|language=fr}}</ref>

;New Zealand
* Unknown – Under restoration at The Vintage Aviator Limited in [[Masterton|Masterton, Wellington]]. It was previously owned by Fantasy of Flight in [[Polk City, Florida]], and was operated by Argentina before that.<ref name="Aeroplane Monthly April 2011">"Rare Sopwith for New Zealand." ''Aeroplance Monthly'', April 2011, p. 6.</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Weeks|first1=Kermit|title=Oh my God! . . . What a Great Trip Down Under!|url=http://www.fantasyofflight.com/collection/kermit-weeks/oh-my-god-what-a-great-trip-down-under|website=Fantasy of Flight|publisher=Fantasy of Flight|access-date=18 May 2017|date=24 January 2012}}</ref>

;United Kingdom
* Airworthy replica (G-CMDN) – built using original plans by the Aviation Preservation Society of Scotland at Congalton Gardens, [[North Berwick]], East Lothian, EH39 5JP.<ref>{{cite web|title=APSS SOPWITH 1½ STRUTTER|url=http://www.strutteraviation.com|website=Aviation Preservation Society of Scotland|access-date=18 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Aviation Preservation Society of Scotland Building a Flying Sopwith 1½ Strutter Replica|url=http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-restorations/aviation-preservation-society-scotland-building-flying-sopwith-1%C2%BD-strutter-replica.html|website=Warbirds News|publisher=Warbirds News|date=25 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313042912/http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-restorations/aviation-preservation-society-scotland-building-flying-sopwith-1%C2%BD-strutter-replica.html|archive-date=13 March 2016}}</ref> First flew in September 2024.<ref>{{cite AV media|title=Sophie's first hop 4th September and first flight 17th September|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OgnmLoY0R4|via=[[YouTube]]|publisher=Mike Harper|format=video|date=24 November 2024}}</ref>

==Specifications ({{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter – two seater, 130 hp Clerget)==
[[File:Sopwith 1½ Strutter drawing.jpg|thumb|Sopwith {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter drawing]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=British Aeroplanes 1914–18<ref name="Bruce British p549-50">Bruce 1957, pp. 549–550.</ref>
|prime units?=imp

|crew=2
|length ft=25
|length in=3
|length note=
|span ft=33
|span in=6
|span note=
|height ft=10
|height in=3
|height note=
|wing area sqft=346
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight lb=1305
|empty weight note=
|gross weight lb=2149
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight lb=2154
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=

|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name= [[Clerget 9B]]
|eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled rotary piston engine
|eng1 hp=130
|eng1 note=

|prop blade number=2
|prop name=fixed-pitch propeller
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop dia note=


|max speed mph=100
|max speed note=at {{cvt|6500|ft|0}}
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed note=
|range miles=
|range note=
|combat range miles=
|combat range note=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=3 hours 45 minutes
|ceiling ft=15500
|ceiling note=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude={{cvt|6500|ft|0}} in 9 minutes 10 seconds
|lift to drag=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass=
|more performance=

|guns=
** 1 × [[.303 British|.303]] in (7.7 mm) forward-firing [[Synchronization gear|synchronised]] [[Vickers machine gun]]
** 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) [[Lewis gun]] in observer's cockpit
|bombs= Up to 130 lb (60 kg) bombs
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent|
|related=
* [[Sopwith Pup]]
|similar aircraft=
* [[Dorand AR]]
* [[Nieuport 14]]
* [[Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8]]
|sequence=
|lists=
* [[List of aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps]]
* [[List of aircraft of the Royal Naval Air Service]]
|see also=
}}

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
* Andersson, Lennart. "Turbulent Origins: The First 30 Years of Aviation in Afghanistan". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]'', No 105, May/June 2003, pp. 19–27. ISSN 0143-5450.
* Bruce, J.M. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1956/1956%20-%201390.html "The Sopwith 1½ Strutter: Historic Military Aircraft No. 14 Part I."] [[Flight International|''Flight'']], 28 September 1956, pp. 542–546.
* Bruce, J.M. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1956/1956%20-%201434.html "The Sopwith 1½ Strutter: Historic Military Aircraft No. 14 Part II."] [[Flight International|''Flight'']], 5 October 1956, pp. 586–591.
* Bruce J.M. ''British Aeroplanes 1914–18''. London: Putnam, 1957.
* Bruce, J.M. ''The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing)''. London: Putnam, 1982. {{ISBN|0-370-30084-X}}.
* Bruce, J.M. ''Sopwith 1½ Strutter: Windsock Datafile 34''. Berkhampstead, UK: Albatros Productions, Second edition, 1998. {{ISBN|0-948414-42-1}}.
* Bruce, J.M. ''Sopwith 1½ Strutter: Volume 2: Windsock Datafile 80''. Berkhampstead, UK: Albatros Productions, 2000. {{ISBN|1-902207-22-X}}.
* Flores, Santiago A. "Skywriters: Mexican Strutter". ''Aeroplane'', Vol. 38, No. 5, Issue No 445, May 2009, p. 94. London: IPC. ISSN 0143-7240.
* Gerdessen, F. "Estonian Air Power 1918–1945". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]'', No. 18, April – July 1982, pp. 61–76. ISSN 0143-5450.
* Herris, Jack and Pearson, Bob ''Aircraft of World War I''. London: Amber Books, 2010: {{ISBN|978-1-906626-65-5}}.
* [[Philip Jarrett |Jarrett, Philip]]. "Database:The Sopwith 1½ Strutter". ''Aeroplane'', Vol. 37, No, 12, Issue No 440, December 2009, pp. 55–70. London:IPC. ISSN 0143-7240.
* King, H.F. ''Sopwith Aircraft 1912–1920'' London: Putnam, 1981. {{ISBN|0-370-30050-5}}.
* {{cite journal |last1=Klaauw|first1=Bart van der|title=Unexpected Windfalls: Accidentally or Deliberately, More than 100 Aircraft 'arrived' in Dutch Territory During the Great War |journal=Air Enthusiast |date=March–April 1999 |issue=80 |pages=54–59 |issn=0143-5450}}
* Kopański, Tomasz Jan. ''Samoloty brytyjskie w lotnictwie polskim 1918–1930 (British aircraft in the Polish air force 1918–1930)''(in Polish). Warsaw: Bellona, 2001. {{ISBN|83-11-09315-6}}.
* Lake, Jon. ''The Great Book of Bombers: The World's Most Important Bombers from World War I to the Present Day''. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing Company, 2002. {{ISBN|0-7603-1347-4}}.
* {{cite magazine |last=Méchin |first=David |title=Grands raids au cœur de l'Allemande en 1916: Le petit Sopwith attaque Munich |magazine=Le Fana de l'Aviation |date=November 2012 |issue=516 |pages=32–39 |language=fr}}
* {{cite magazine |last=Méchin |first=David |title=Le Sopwith 1½ "Strutter": Une histoire française |magazine=Le Fana de l'Aviation |date=November 2022 |issue=636 |pages=54–65 |language=fr}}
* {{cite magazine |last=Morareau |first=Lucien |title=Histoire de l'Aviation Embarquée en France: La 4<sup>eme</sup> Flotille, de la reconnaissance au bombardement |magazine=Le Fana de l'Aviation |date=February 1990 |issue=243 |pages=14–17, 19–21 |language=fr }}
* Spooner, Nigel (2024). ''A History of Aviation at Brooklands in 100 Objects''. Barnsley, England: Pen & Sword Airworld. {{ISBN|978-1-52679-091-0}}.
* Swanborough, F.G. and Peter Bowers. ''United States Military Aircraft since 1909''. London: Putnam, 1963.
* Swanborough Gordon and Peter Bowers. ''United States Navy Aircraft since 1911''. London: Putnam, Second edition 1976. {{ISBN|0-370-10054-9}}.
* Taylor, John W.R. "Sopwith 1½ Strutter". ''Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the Present''. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. {{ISBN|0-425-03633-2}}.
* Thetford, Owen. ''British Naval Aircraft since 1912''. London: Putnam, Fourth edition 1978. {{ISBN|0-370-30021-1}}.
* Visatkas, C. "The Annals of Lithuanian Aviation". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]'', Number Twenty-nine, November 1985 – February 1986, pp. 61–66. Bromley, UK:Fine Scroll. ISSN 0143-5450.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Sopwith 1½ Strutter}}
* [http://wio.ru/ww1a/sopw112.htm Sopwith Strutter in Russia]

{{Sopwith Aviation Company aircraft}}
{{Admiralty aircraft type numbers}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sopwith 1 Strutter}}
[[Category:1910s British bomber aircraft]]
[[Category:1910s British fighter aircraft]]
[[Category:1910s British military reconnaissance aircraft]]
[[Category:Biplanes]]
[[Category:Sopwith aircraft|1 Strutter]]
[[Category:Lioré et Olivier aircraft]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1915]]
[[Category:Rotary-engined aircraft]]

Vickers F.B.5

2025-10-31T00:35:55Z

2A00:23C8:C9C:E701:6924:6687:7140:A918: /* Bibliography */

{{Short description|Fighter aircraft; first operational purpose-built fighter}}
{{Redirect|Gunbus}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox aircraft
|name = Vickers F.B 5 "Gunbus"
|image = Vickers FB.5 Gunbus 2345 G-ATVP Yvtn 09.07.66 edited-3.jpg
|caption = Airworthy Gunbus replica built in 1966 and painted in RFC colours
|type = [[Fighter aircraft|Fighter]]
|manufacturer = [[Vickers Limited]]
|designer =[[Archibald Reith Low]]
|first_flight = 17 July 1914
|introduction = November 1914
|retired= {{plainlist|
*July 1916 ([[Royal Flying Corps]])
*1924 (Denmark)}}
|status =
|primary_user = Royal Flying Corps
|produced = 
|number_built = {{plainlist|
*207 F.B.5s
*119 F.B.9s}}
|unit cost =
|variants =
}}
[[File:Vickers F.B.6.jpg|thumb|{{center|The sole F.B.6 shows off its overhang.}}]]
[[File:Vickers F.B.6 rear quarter view.jpg|thumb|{{center|The F.B.6}}]]
[[File:Vickers F.B.9.jpg|thumb|{{center|F.B.9}}]]
[[File:Vickers F.B.9 front quarter view.jpg|thumb|{{center|F.B.9}}]]

The '''Vickers F.B.5''' ('''F'''ighting '''B'''iplane '''5''') (known as the "'''Gunbus'''") was a British two-seat [[pusher configuration|pusher]] military [[biplane]] of the [[First World War]]. Armed with a single .303 in (7.7 mm) [[Lewis Gun|Lewis gun]] operated by the observer in the front of the [[nacelle]], it was the first aircraft purpose-built for air-to-air combat to see service, making it the world's first operational [[fighter aircraft]].

==Design and development==
[[Vickers]] began experimenting with the concept of an armed warplane designed to destroy other aircraft in 1912. The first resulting aircraft was the "Destroyer" (later designated '''[[Vickers E.F.B.1]]''') which was shown at the [[Olympia, London|Olympia]] Aero Show in February 1913, but crashed on its maiden flight.<ref name="Vickers 1098 p43-4">Andrews and Morgan 1988, pp. 43–44.</ref> This aircraft was of the "[[Farman]]" pusher layout, to avoid the problem of firing through a [[tractor configuration|tractor]] propeller, and was armed with a single belt-fed [[Vickers gun]].<ref>''Flight'' 22 February 1913, pp. 224–225.</ref>

Vickers continued to pursue the development of armed pusher biplanes, and their Chief Designer [[Archibald Reith Low|Archie Low]] drew up a new design, the Vickers Type 18, or '''Vickers E.F.B.2'''. This was a two-[[interplane strut|bay]] [[biplane]] powered by a single 80 hp (60 kW) [[Gnome Monosoupape]] nine-cylinder [[rotary engine]]; the aircraft had a steel tube structure, with fabric-covered wings and tail, and a [[duralumin]]-covered [[nacelle]] with large celluloid windows in the sides. The unequal-span wings were [[Stagger (aviation)|unstaggered]], with lateral control by [[wing warping]], while the aircraft had a large semi-circular [[tailplane]]. Armament remained a single Vickers gun mounted in the nose of the nacelle, with limited movement possible, and a very poor view for the gunner.<ref name="Mason fighter p17">Mason 1992, p.17</ref><ref name="Bruce p55">Bruce 1980, p. 55.</ref><ref name="Vickers 1908 p48"/> The E.F.B.2 made its first flight at [[Brooklands]] on 26 November 1913.<ref name="Bruce p55"/> It was soon followed by the '''E.F.B.3''', powered by a similar engine, but using [[aileron]]s instead of wing warping, and with equal-span wings, while the nacelle omitted the large windows fitted to the E.F.B.2.<ref name="Bruce p56">Bruce 1980, p. 56.</ref><ref name="Mason fighter p20-1">Mason 1992, pp. 20–21.</ref>

The belt-fed machine gun proved problematic, and the weapon was changed to the lighter, handier, drum-fed .303 in (7.7 mm) [[Lewis gun]].

The F.B.5 first flew on 17 July 1914. It was powered by a single 100 hp (75 kW) [[Gnome Monosoupape]] nine-cylinder rotary engine driving a two-bladed propeller, and was of simple, clean, and conventional design compared with its predecessors.

===F.B.6===
The '''Vickers F.B.6''' was a development of the F.B.5 with an increased span on the upper wing. Only one was built.

=== F.B.9 ===
A further development of the F.B.5, the '''Vickers F.B.9,''' had a more streamlined nacelle and an improved ring mounting (either Vickers or [[Scarff ring|Scarff]]) for the Lewis gun. Fifty were delivered to [[Royal Flying Corps]] training units. A few served in some [[Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2|F.E.2b]] squadrons while they were waiting for their new aircraft between late 1915 and early 1916.

==Operational history==
The first F.B.5 was delivered to [[No. 6 Squadron RAF|No. 6 Squadron]] of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) at [[Netheravon Airfield|Netheravon]] in November 1914.<ref name="Vickers 1908 p49">Andrews and Morgan 1988, p.49.</ref> On 25 December the first use of the F.B.5 in action took place, when F.B.5 No. 664 took off from Joyce Green airfield to engage a German [[Rumpler Taube|Taube]] monoplane, hitting the Taube (and possibly causing its loss) with [[Incendiary ammunition|incendiary bullets]] from a [[carbine]] after the Lewis gun jammed.<ref name="Bruce p.61">Bruce 1980, p.61</ref> Eighteen days later, the same flight crew, Second Lieutenants M. R. Chidson and D. C. W. Sanders, flying the first F.B.5 in France, No. 1621, were forced to land behind German lines, and the new plane fell into enemy hands.<ref>Guttman and Dempsey 2009, p. 18.</ref>

The F.B.5 began to be seen on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] when the first reached [[No. 2 Squadron RAF|No.2 Squadron]] RFC on 5 February 1915.<ref name="Bruce p.62">Bruce 1980 p.62.</ref> The type served in ones and twos with several other units before [[No. 11 Squadron RAF|No. 11 Squadron RFC]] became the world's first fighter [[squadron (aviation)|squadron]] when, fully equipped with the F.B.5, it deployed to [[Villers-Bretonneux]], France on 25 July 1915.<ref name="Bruce p63">Bruce 1980, p.63.</ref> [[Second Lieutenant]] [[Gilbert Stuart Martin Insall|G.S.M. Insall]] of 11 Squadron won the [[Victoria Cross]] for an action on 7 November 1915 in which he destroyed a German aircraft while flying a Gunbus.<ref name="Vickers 1908 p51">Andrews and Morgan 1988, p.51.</ref> [[No. 18 Squadron RFC]], which deployed to [[France]] in November 1915, also operated the F.B.5 exclusively.

Early aircraft were fitted with British-built Monosoupapes, which initially proved less reliable than French-built engines, while much work was done before a useful gun mounting became available.<ref name="Bruce AI p170">Bruce 1994, p. 170.</ref> Although its forward-firing machine gun was a great advantage, the F.B.5 was relatively slow. German pilots often used the superior speed of their aircraft to avoid combat however this was still useful as it cleared the sky of enemy planes.<ref name="ReferenceA">Hare 2014, Chapter 2 - Pushers and Pulpits</ref> Only the single pilot/observer team of [[Lionel Rees]] and [[James McKinley Hargreaves]] became aces while flying this type.<ref>Gutmann and Dempsey 2009, pp. 90–91.</ref>

{{Blockquote|text=It never pretended to be capable of setting speed or height records. It was quite happy bumbling along above the German Army, booming it its sonorous defiance for all to hear and never evading a trial of strength.|author=Lt A.J Insall (F.B.5 Observer)}}

By the end of 1915, the aircraft was outclassed by the [[Fokker Eindecker|Fokker ''Eindecker'']]. Examples of the improved Vickers F.B.9 were sent to France, pending sufficient supplies of the [[Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2]]b however both the F.B.5 and F.B.9 were fully withdrawn from frontline service by July 1916. Remaining examples, in British service, were mostly used as [[Trainer (aircraft)|trainer]]s.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

12 F.B.5s were built under license in Denmark. These were completed in 1916 and remained in service with the [[Royal Danish Air Force|Danish Army Air Corps]] until their retirement in 1924.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

===Legacy===
The [[Vickers]] company persisted with an active experimental program during the [[World War I|First World War]] period, including a line of single-seat pusher fighters that culminated in the [[Vickers Vampire|Vickers F.B.26 Vampire]] of 1917–18, but the F.B.5 remained their only significant production aircraft until the [[Vickers Vimy]] bomber, which entered service too late to affect the war.

Vickers F.B.5 had a lasting legacy as German pilots continued to refer to British [[pusher aircraft]] as "Vickers-types". Many victories over [[Airco D.H.2|D.H.2]] or [[Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2|F.E.2b]] pushers were reported as destruction of a "Vickers".

A flying replica of the F.B.5 Gunbus was completed in 1966 and flew until late 1968. It is now (2014) an exhibit at the [[Royal Air Force Museum]] at [[Hendon]] near London.

==Variants==
;E.F.B.2 (Vickers Type 18)
:Single-engined two-seat fighter prototype powered by 100 hp (75 kW) [[Gnome Monosoupape]] rotary engine. It had a slight overhang on upper wings and [[wing warping]] controls. Its nacelle was fitted with large celluloid windows and was armed with a single Vickers machine gun. One built.<ref name="Vickers 1908 p48">Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 48.</ref>
;E.F.B.3 (Vickers Type 18B)
:Revised fighter, with equal-span wings, [[aileron]] controls and revised nacelle without windows. One built.<ref name="Vickers 1908 p48"/>
;E.F.B.4
:Proposed design of similar layout to "Destroyer" - unbuilt.<ref name="Vickers 1908 p51"/>
;E.F.B.5
:Further improved development of E.F.B.3. Six built for RFC and RNAS.<ref name="Vickers 1908 p49"/>
[[File:Vickers F.B.12 single-seat pusher fighting scout (IWM Q 68158).jpg|thumb|''Bombay (2)'', an F.B.5a]]
;F.B.5
:Production version of E.F.B.5 with rectangular tail surfaces.<ref name="Vickers 1908 p49"/> At least 120 built by Vickers, with 75 built by [[Darracq Motor Engineering Company|Darracq]] in France and 12 by the ''Tøjhusvoerkstedt'' (Danish Arsenal Workshops), giving a total of at least 207.<ref name="Bruce p68">Bruce 1980, p. 68.</ref>
;F.B.6
:Pre-production aircraft, differing from E.F.B.5 by having revised unequal span wings with large overhang and ailerons only on upper wing. One built.<ref name="Bruce p58">Bruce 1980, p. 58.</ref>
;F.B.9
:Improved derivative of F.B.5, with revised wings and tail, more streamlined nacelle, a new V-type undercarriage and using streamlined Rafwire bracing instead of conventional cable bracing.<ref name="Vickers 1908 p54,6">Andrews and Morgan 1988, pp. 54, 56.</ref> 95 built by Vickers and 24 by Darracq, giving 119 in total.<ref name="Bruce p68"/>
;F.B.10
:Proposed development with 100 hp (75 kW) [[Isotta Fraschini]] engine. Unbuilt.<ref name="Vickers 1908 p56">Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 56.</ref>
;S.B.1
:1914 design for dual control trainer based on E.F.B.3 and powered by 100 hp (75 kW) [[Anzani]] [[radial engine]]. Unbuilt.<ref name="Vickers 1908 p58">Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 58.</ref><ref name="Vickers 1908 p492">Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 492.</ref>

==Operators==
;{{DEN}}
*[[Royal Danish Air Force|Danish Army Air Corps]], Operated 12 license built aircraft from 1916-1924.
;{{UK}}
*[[Royal Flying Corps]]
**[[No. 2 Squadron RAF|No. 2 Squadron RFC]]
**[[No. 5 Squadron RAF|No. 5 Squadron RFC]]
**[[No. 7 Squadron RAF|No. 7 Squadron RFC]]
**[[No. 11 Squadron RAF|No. 11 Squadron RFC]]
**[[No. 16 Squadron RAF|No. 16 Squadron RFC]]
**[[No. 18 Squadron RAF|No. 18 Squadron RFC]]
**[[No. 24 Squadron RAF|No. 24 Squadron RFC]]
**[[No. 25 Squadron RAF|No. 25 Squadron RFC]]
**[[No. 32 Squadron RAF|No. 32 Squadron RFC]]
**[[No. 35 Squadron RAF|No. 35 Squadron RFC]]
**[[No. 41 Squadron RAF|No. 41 Squadron RFC]]

==Specifications (Vickers F.B.5)==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Vickers Aircraft since 1908 <ref name="Vickers 1908 p59">Andrews and Morgan 1988, p.59.</ref>
|prime units?=imp

|crew=Two, pilot & observer/gunner
|length m=
|length ft=27
|length in=2
|span m=
|span ft=36
|span in=6
|height m=
|height ft=11
|height in=0
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=382
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=1220
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=2050
|gross weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=

|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[Gnome Monosoupape]]
|eng1 type=9-cylinder [[rotary engine]]
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=100
|eng1 shp=
|more power=

|prop blade number=
|prop name=
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop note=

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=70
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=at {{convert|5000|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed kts=
|range km=
|range miles=250
|range nmi=
|endurance= 4 hours 30 minutes <ref name="Bruce Vickersp69">Bruce 1980, p.69.</ref>
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=9000
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|time to altitude=16 min to {{convert|5000|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|more performance=

|guns= 1 × [[.303 British|0.303 in (7.7 mm)]] drum-fed [[Lewis gun]] in observer's cockpit
|bombs=

|avionics=
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent|
|related=
*[[Vickers E.F.B.1]]
|similar aircraft=
*[[Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2]]
*[[Airco DH.1]]
|sequence=
|lists=
*[[List of aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps]]
|see also=
}}

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|2}}

===Bibliography===
*Andrews, C. F. and Morgan, E. B. ''Vickers Aircraft since 1908''. London: Putnam, 1988. {{ISBN|0-85177-815-1}}.
*Bruce, J. M. ''The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing)''. London: Putnam, 1982. {{ISBN|0-370-30084-X}}.
*Bruce, J. M. "The Vickers Fighting Biplanes". ''[[Air International]]'', September 1994, Vol 47 No 3. pp. 166–171.
*{{cite book|last=Bruce|first=J. M.|title=Vickers FB5|series=Windsock Datafile No. 056|publisher=Albatros Productions|location=Hertfordshire, Great Britain|year=1996|isbn=978-0948414756}}
*Bruce, J. M. "Vickers' First Fighters". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]'' No. 12, April - July 1980. pp. 54–70. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}.
*Gutmann, Jon and Dempsey, Harry. ''Pusher Aces of World War 1''. Osprey Publishing, 2009. {{ISBN|1-84603-417-5}}, {{ISBN|978-1-84603-417-6}}.
*Mason, Francis K. ''The British Fighter since 1912''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1992. {{ISBN|1-55750-082-7}}.
*[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1913/1913%20-%200206.html "The Olympia Exhibition"]. ''[[Flight International|Flight]]'', 22 February 1913, pp. 210–230.
*Hare, Paul R. "Britain's Forgotten Fighters, Chapter 2 - Pushers and Pulpits". Fonthill, 2014. {{ISBN|9781781551974}}
* Spooner, Nigel (2024). ''A History of Aviation at Brooklands in 100 Objects''. Barnsley, England: Pen & Sword Airworld. {{ISBN|978-1-52679-091-0}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Vickers Gunbus}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930184011/http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=605 British Aircraft Directory: Vickers F.B.5], archived on [[Internet Archive]]
*[http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1961/1961%20-%200021.PDF "Vickers Golden Jubilee"] - pictures of EFB 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, FB5 and FB6

{{Vickers aircraft}}
{{Admiralty aircraft type numbers}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1910s British fighter aircraft|Vickers F.B.05]]
[[Category:Single-engined pusher aircraft]]
[[Category:Vickers aircraft|F.B.05]]
[[Category:Rotary-engined aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1914]]
[[Category:Biplanes]]
[[Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear]]

Sopwith Tabloid

2025-10-31T00:34:23Z

2A00:23C8:C9C:E701:6924:6687:7140:A918: /* Bibliography */

{{Short description|1913 general aviation aircraft family}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox aircraft
|name = Tabloid/Schneider
|image = File:Sopwith Schneider.jpg
|caption =
|type = Sports/scout aircraft
|national_origin= United Kingdom
|manufacturer = [[Sopwith Aviation Company]]
|designer =[[Fred Sigrist]]
|first_flight = 1913
|introduction = 1914
|retired = 1918
|status =
|primary_user = [[Royal Flying Corps]]
|more_users = [[Royal Naval Air Service]]
|produced =
|number_built = About 42 Tabloids, 136 Schneiders<ref name="Bruceiv p847"/>
|variants = [[Sopwith Baby]]
}}

The '''Sopwith Tabloid''' and '''Sopwith Schneider''' (floatplane) were British [[biplane]]s, originally designed as sports aircraft and later adapted for military use. They were among the first successful types to be built by the [[Sopwith Aviation Company]]. The "[[Tabloid (newspaper format)|Tabloid]]", so named because of its small size, caused a sensation when it made its first public appearance.

A [[floatplane]] variant was prepared in under a month and entered for the 1914 [[Schneider Trophy]] race where it was piloted by [[Howard Pixton]]. This aircraft won the competition against minimal opposition.<ref name=BruceDatafile1>Bruce, 1996, p.1</ref>

Production orders for both types were placed by the military, and although a few [[Gnome Lambda]]-powered Tabloids saw limited service in the early war years, some Schneiders were still in Naval service four years later, at the end of the [[First World War]].

==Design and development==
The original Tabloid, which was first flown by [[Harry Hawker]] on 27 November 1913, was a two-seat single-bay biplane with a side-by-side seating, which was unusual at the time. The equal-span wings were staggered and used [[wing warping]] for lateral control. The rectangular-section [[fuselage]] was a conventional wire-braced wooden structure with the forward section covered in aluminium sheet and the remainder, aft of the cockpit, covered in fabric. The wings were also of wood, covered with fabric. The tail surfaces were of steel tubing, fabric-covered, and the undercarriage had a pair of forward-projecting skids in addition to the wheels. The most distinctive feature of the design was the engine cowling, which almost entirely covered the upper half of the engine.

The prototype was powered by an {{cvt|80|hp}} [[Gnome Lambda]] [[rotary engine]] and in a trial flown by [[Harry Hawker]] at [[Farnborough, Hampshire|Farnborough]] the Tabloid reached {{cvt|92|mph}} and took only one minute to reach {{cvt|1200|ft}} while carrying a passenger and enough fuel for 2{{frac|1|2}} hours. A production order from the [[War Office]] for the [[Royal Flying Corps]] was placed early in 1914, and a total of 40 were built to this specification. However, the aircraft's speed made it an obvious candidate for entry to the [[Schneider Trophy]] competition.

[[File:Sopwith Tabloid on floats which won the 1914 Schneider Race.jpg|thumb|Sopwith Tabloid on floats which won the 1914 Schneider Race]]

Accordingly, a floatplane adaptation was prepared, to be powered by a {{cvt|100|hp}} [[Gnome Monosoupape]], which [[Thomas Sopwith|T.O.M. Sopwith]] personally collected from Paris. This was initially fitted with a single central float, but on its first taxiing trials with [[Howard Pixton]] at the controls the aircraft turned over as soon as the engine was started, and remained in the water for some hours before it could be retrieved. Great effort was made to make the waterlogged machine airworthy, and, lacking the time to prepare a new set of floats, the existing float was simply sawn in half down the middle and converted into a pair of floats.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.kingstonaviation.org/stories/fred-sigrist-and-the-tabloid.html|title=Obituary of Fred Sigrist|type=letters|newspaper=[[The Times]]|first=Thomas|last=Sopwith|author-link=Thomas Sopwith|date=14 December 1957}}</ref> After a satisfactory test flight on 7 April the aircraft was shipped to Monaco, where the competition was to take place.

The competition was won by Pixton.<ref group=note>The race was technically a time trial as each contestant departed in their own time and was timed, rather than them racing directly against each other.</ref> Sopwith did not expect to win,<ref name=Pixton278>Pixton, 2014, p.278</ref> but all of the leading contenders dropped out from mechanical problems connected to their nearly universal use of a larger two row rotary engine theoretically developing {{cvt|160|hp}} to the Sopwith's 100, leaving the Sopwith to lap the only remaining contender in a {{cvt|100|hp}} [[FBA Type A]] [[flying boat]] even before it stopped to refuel.<ref name=Pixton285>Pixton, 2014, p.285</ref> Pixton completed his first circuit in around two thirds of the time taken by the FBA. One other competitor broke his prop without completing the race. It was the first British designed and built aircraft to win a major international contest.<ref name=Pixton297>Pixton, 2014, p.297</ref> Much was made of the British design, with a British made Integral propeller, and protected with British cellon dope in the British press.<ref name=Pixton287>Pixton, 2014, p.287</ref> Despite the other competitors dropping out, the Sopwith's speed, coupled with Pixton's flying skill, made for a convincing victory. The prizewinning variant was then known as the Sopwith Schneider. After completing the twenty-eight circuits required for the actual race, at an average speed of {{cvt|86.75|mph}} and suffering from a misfiring cylinder, he made additional laps to set a new world record for seaplanes.<ref name="brucei p734-5">Bruce ''Flight'' 8 November 1957, pp. 734–735.</ref>

The first order, for twelve "Schneider" [[floatplane]] aircraft, was placed in November 1914 by the [[Royal Naval Air Service]].<ref name=BruceDatafile3>Bruce, 1996, p.3</ref> Like the race winner, these were powered by the {{cvt|100|hp}} Monosoupape and differed only in minor detail from the racer - most noticeably in the redesigned tail float. Later production aircraft were fitted with [[ailerons]] in place of wing-warping, and were fitted with a [[Lewis gun]] firing upwards through an opening in the wing centre-section, and development would lead to the [[Sopwith Baby]].

In all 160 were built. No original Tabloids or Schneiders survive but full-size reproductions are displayed at the [[Royal Air Force Museum London]], Hendon and [[Brooklands Museum]] and a full-scale replica kit is sold by [[Airdrome Aeroplanes]] for homebuilders.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.airdromeaeroplanes.com/ |title=Airdrome Aeroplanes ~ Holden, MO|access-date=6 July 2017}}</ref>

==Operational history==
[[File:Sopwith Tabloid Biplane Thomas Brothers Aeroplane Co., Ithaca, New York, 1915 (28943756843).jpg|right|thumb|Single seat Sopwith Tabloid at Ithaca, New York, 1915]]

Single-seat variants of the Tabloid went into production in 1914 and 36 eventually entered service with the [[Royal Flying Corps]] and [[Royal Naval Air Service]] (RNAS).<ref name="Donald">Donald, 1997. p 849.</ref> Deployed to [[France]] at the outbreak of the [[World War I|First World War]], Tabloids were used as fast [[Scout (aircraft)|scouts]].

Some naval aircraft were armed with a [[Lewis gun]] on the top wing, firing over the [[Propeller (aircraft)|propeller]] arc. One other aircraft used a Lewis gun firing through the propeller arc with deflector wedges mounted on the propeller blades, but the Tabloid was also used as a [[bomber]], when on 22 September 1914 Tabloids mounted the first raid by British aircraft on German soil; and in their most famous mission two RNAS Tabloids flying from [[Antwerp]] on 8 October 1914 attacked the German [[Zeppelin]] sheds at [[Cologne]] and [[Düsseldorf]]. The Cologne target was not located, the railway station being bombed instead, but the Zeppelin shed at Düsseldorf was struck by two {{cvt|20|lb}} bombs dropped from {{cvt|600|ft}} and Zeppelin [[List of Zeppelins#LZ 25|''Z IX'']] destroyed.<ref name="Bruce PtI p736">Bruce ''Flight'' 8 November 1957, p. 736.</ref>

During 1915 attempts were made to use Schneiders to intercept Zeppelins over the [[North Sea]], launching them from [[seaplane carrier]]s including {{HMS|Ben-my-Chree}} and {{HMS|Engadine|1911|2}}, but these efforts were largely unsuccessful due to heavy seas either damaging the floats or making takeoff impossible entirely.

On 6 August 1915 a Schneider took off from the aircraft carrier {{HMS|Campania|1914|6}} using a jettisonable dolly.<ref>Lamberton, 1960. p 58.</ref>

A single Sopwith Schneider fighter seaplane was acquired by Captain Shiro Yamauchi, during an inspection tour of England, during 1915. While in [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] service it was designated '''Yokosuka Navy Ha-go Small Seaplane'''.<ref name="Mikesh">Mikesh, Robert and Shorzoe Abe. ''Japanese Aircraft 1910–1941''. London: Putnam, 1990. {{ISBN|0-85177-840-2}}</ref>

==Variants==
;Tabloid:
:Original wheeled version, two seater, 6 built
;Single-seater Tabloid:
:Single-seat version for RFC and RNAS, 32+ built
;1914 Schneider Racer
:Single-seater Tabloid equipped with floats, 1 or 2 built
;Schneider
:Float equipped, production version of Schneider Racer for RNAS, 133 built
;[[Gordon Bennett Trophy (aeroplanes)|Gordon Bennett]] Racer
:Variant with the fuselage partially faired to a circular section, a smaller fin and rudder, conventional engine cowling and V strut undercarriage without skids. Maximum speed {{convert|105|mph|kph|abbr=on}} Taken into service by the Admiralty on the outbreak of war as Nos. 1214 and 1215. Two built.<ref>Lewis 1962, p.492.</ref>
;Lebed VII
:Unlicensed copy of the design built by [[Lebed (aircraft manufacturer)|Lebed]] in Russia as a military reconnaissance aircraft
;Lebed VIII
:As Lebed VII but with revised undercarriage
;Yokosuka Navy Ha-go Small Seaplane
:A single Sopwith Schneider fighter seaplane operated by the IJN<ref name="Mikesh"/>

==Operators==
; {{UK}}
* [[Royal Flying Corps]]
** [[No. 3 Squadron RAF|No. 3 Squadron RFC]]
* [[Royal Naval Air Service]]
* [[Royal Air Force]]
** [[No. 201 Squadron RAF]]
;{{JPN}}
*[[Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service]]
;{{RUS}}
*[[Imperial Russian Navy]]

==Specifications (Production Schneider)==
[[File:Sopwith Tabloid RAFM.jpg|thumb|The Sopwith Tabloid replica on display at the [[Royal Air Force Museum]].]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Sopwith – The Man and His Aircraft<ref name="Robertson p234-5,8-9">Robertson 1970, pp. 234–235, 238–239.</ref>
|prime units?=imp

|crew=1
|length ft=22
|length in=10
|span ft=25
|span in=8
|height ft=10
|height in=0
|wing area sqft=240
|wing area note=<ref name="Bruceiv p848">Bruce ''Flight'' 29 November 1958, p. 848.</ref>
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight lb=1220
|gross weight lb=1700
|max takeoff weight lb=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=

|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[Gnome Monosoupape 9 Type B-2]]
|eng1 type=9-cylinder rotary engine
|eng1 hp=100

|prop blade number=2
|prop name=wooden propeller
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop dia note=

|max speed mph=87
|cruise speed mph=
|stall speed mph=
|never exceed speed mph=
|range miles=510
|combat range miles=
|ferry range miles=
|endurance=
|ceiling ft=7000
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|climb rate ftmin=
|time to altitude={{cvt|6500|ft}} in 15 minutes
|lift to drag=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass=
|thrust/weight=

|more performance=

|guns= 1 × [[.303 British|{{cvt|0.303|in}}]] [[Lewis gun]] occasionally fitted<ref name="Bruceiv p847">Bruce ''Flight'' 29 November 1957, p. 847.</ref>
|bombs=1× {{cvt|65|lb}} or up to 5× {{cvt|20|lb}} bombs<ref name="Bruceiv p847"/>
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent|
|related=
* [[Sopwith Baby]]
|similar aircraft=
*[[Avro 511]]
*[[Bristol Scout]]
|sequence=
|lists=
*[[List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force]]
*[[List of aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps]]
*[[List of aircraft of the Royal Naval Air Service]]
|see also=
}}

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Notes===
{{Reflist|group=note}}

===Bibliography===
{{Commons category|Sopwith Tabloid}}
{{Refbegin}}

* Bruce, J.M. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20110520141004/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201645.html The Sopwith Tabloid, Schneider and Baby: Historic Military Aircraft No.17, Part I]". ''[[Flight International|Flight]]''. 8 November 1957. pp. 733–736. Archived from the [https://web.archive.org/web/20110520141004/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201645.html original] on 20 May 2011.
* Bruce, J.M. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20110520141013/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201677.html The Sopwith Tabloid, Schneider and Baby: Historic Military Aircraft No.17, Part II]". ''[[Flight International|Flight]]''. 15 November 1957. pp. 765–766. Archived from the [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201677.html original] on 20 May 2011.
* Bruce, J.M. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150225100208/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201731.html The Sopwith Tabloid, Schneider and Baby: Historic Military Aircraft No.17, Part III]". ''[[Flight International|Flight]]''. 22 November 1957. pp. 821–822. Archived from the [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201731.html original] on 25 February 2015.
* Bruce, J.M. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20110520141018/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201755.html The Sopwith Tabloid, Schneider and Baby: Historic Military Aircraft No.17, Part IV]". ''[[Flight International|Flight]]''. 29 November 1957. pp. 845–848. Archived from the [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201755.html original] on 20 May 2011.
*{{cite book|last=Bruce|first=J.M.|title=Sopwith Baby|series=Windsock Datafile 60|publisher=Albatros Publications|location=Hertfordshire, UK|year=1996|isbn=978-0948414794}}
* {{cite book| editor-last = Donald |editor-first= David | title=The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft | publisher = Prospero Books | year = 1997 | isbn = 1-85605-375-X }}
* {{cite book |last= Holmes |first= Tony |title=Jane's Vintage Aircraft Recognition Guide |year=2005 |publisher=Harper Collins |location=London |isbn = 0-00-719292-4 }}
* {{cite book |last= Lamberton |first= W.M. |title=Fighter Aircraft of the 1914–1918 War |url= https://archive.org/details/fighteraircrafto0000unse |url-access= registration |year=1960 |publisher=Harleyford Publications Ltd. |location=Herts |pages= [https://archive.org/details/fighteraircrafto0000unse/page/58 58]–59 }}
* Lewis, Peter, ''British Aircraft 1809–1914''. London: Putnam, 1962.
*Mikesh, Robert and Shorzoe Abe. ''Japanese Aircraft 1910–1941''. London: Putnam, 1990. {{ISBN|0-85177-840-2}}
* {{cite book|last=Pixton|first=Stella |title=Howard Pixton, Test Pilot and Pioneer Aviator|publisher=Pen and Sword Aviation|location=South Yorkshire|year=2014|edition=epub|isbn=978-1473834941}}
* Robertson, Bruce. ''Sopwith – The Man and His Aircraft''. Letchwoworth, UK: Air Review, 1970. {{ISBN|0-900435-15-1}}.
* Spooner, Nigel (2024). ''A History of Aviation at Brooklands in 100 Objects''. Barnsley, England: Pen & Sword Airworld. {{ISBN|978-1-52679-091-0}}.
* Thetford, Owen. ''British Naval Aircraft since 1912''. London:Putnam, Fourth edition, 1978. {{ISBN|0-370-30021-1}}.

{{Refend}}

{{Sopwith Aviation Company aircraft}}
{{Lebed aircraft}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1910s British sport aircraft]]
[[Category:Biplanes]]
[[Category:Sopwith aircraft|Tabloid]]
[[Category:Schneider Trophy]]
[[Category:Floatplanes]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1913]]
[[Category:Rotary-engined aircraft]]
[[Category:1910s British bomber aircraft]]