Time Period: World War I
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Type: Biplane, Fighter Aircraft
Manufacturer: Sopwith Aviation Company
Sopwith Sniper Aircraft Overview
The Sopwith Snipe was a British single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that saw service in the final months of World War I and the early postwar period. It was designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company as an improved version of the successful Sopwith Camel fighter.
The Sopwith Snipe was a single-engine biplane with a wooden structure and fabric covering. It was powered by a 230-horsepower Bentley BR2 rotary engine and had a top speed of around 121 miles per hour (195 kilometers per hour). The aircraft was armed with two Vickers machine guns mounted on the fuselage, which fired through the propeller arc.
The Sopwith Snipe was notable for its excellent performance and handling, which made it a popular choice among pilots. Its improved design over the Camel included a larger wing and a more powerful engine, which made it faster and more maneuverable in the air. The Snipe was also known for its reliability and ease of maintenance, which made it popular with ground crews.
The Sopwith Snipe entered service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in late 1918, and saw limited action in the final months of the war. It was also used by the RAF in the early postwar period, where it served as a front-line fighter until it was gradually replaced by more advanced designs.
Overall, the Sopwith Snipe was an important aircraft in the development of fighter aircraft technology during World War I. Its success and popularity helped establish the importance of improved performance and handling in aircraft design, and its legacy can be seen in the many advanced fighter aircraft that followed in the years after the war.
Sopwith Snipe Specifications
- Crew: 1
- Length: 19 ft 10 in (6.05 m)
- Upper wingspan: 31 ft 1 in (9.47 m)
- Lower wingspan: 30 ft 0 in (9.14 m)
- Height: 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m)
- Wing area: 271 sq ft (25.2 m2)
- Empty weight: 1,312 lb (595 kg)
- Gross weight: 2,020 lb (916 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 38.5 imp gal (46.2 US gal; 175 L)
- Powerplant: 1 × Bentley BR2 nine-cylinder rotary engine, 230 hp (170 kW)
- Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller.
Sopwith Snipe Performance
- Maximum speed: 121 mph (195 km/h, 105 kn) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m)
- Endurance: 3 hr
- Service ceiling: 19,500 ft (5,900 m)
- Time to altitude:
- 5 min 10 s to 6,500 ft (2,000 m)
- 18 min 50 s to 15,000 ft (4,600 m)
- Wing loading: 7.4 lb/sq ft (36 kg/m2)
Sopwith Snipe Armament
- Guns: 2× 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns
- Bombs: 4× 25 lb (11 kg) bombs.
