Knowledge (XXG)

Sopwith Snapper

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in May 1919, soon followed by the other two aircraft. Although performance was good when the Dragonfly was working correctly, the engines problems were unsolvable, with the engine eventually being cancelled in September 1919. Although Sopwith attempted to enter one of the Snappers (with the civil
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lightweight fighter and the Snark), but this was abandoned to ease production, with a more conventional wire-braced fabric covered fuselage substituted. The cockpit was positioned aft of the wings, providing good visibility to the pilot, while two forward firing
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The change in fuselage design delayed production of the fuselage, with further delays being caused by the engine which was overweight, and suffered from catastrophic reliability and vibration problems. The first Snapper flew at
569: 146:, which had been ordered into production in large numbers on the basis of excellent promised performance and ease of production despite the fact that it had yet to complete testing. 562: 209:, this was forbidden by the Air Ministry (officially as its engine was still classified as Secret) and the three Snappers were used for test flying by the 161:. The Air Ministry ordered three prototype Snappers, along with three Snarks. (In addition Sopwith received orders for 300 Dragonfly powered Snipes as the 1017: 774: 555: 542: 1214: 1167: 799: 118:
fighter, it first flew after the end of the war, but did not enter service owing to the failure of its engine, only three aircraft being built.
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To meet this requirement, Sopwith produced two new and completely different designs, a
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140 mph (230 km/h, 120 kn) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m)
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developed a requirement for a single-seat fighter to replace the
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War Planes of the First World War: Fighters Volume Three
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The Snapper was a small single-bay biplane with heavily
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10,000 ft (3,000 m) in 7 minutes 50 seconds
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wings. It was originally intended to have a wooden
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Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
523:. Annapolis, USA:Naval Institute Press, 1992. 563: 8: 590: 570: 556: 548: 188:were mounted on the fuselage top decking. 412: 20: 327:7.5 lb/sq ft (37 kg/m) 7: 16:British WW1 biplane fighter aircraft 256:10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) 250:28 ft 0 in (8.53 m) 244:20 ft 7 in (6.27 m) 14: 494:, 26 June 1919, pp. 837–847. 352:2 × forward firing, synchronised 336:0.16 hp/lb (0.26 kW/kg) 262:292 sq ft (27.1 m) 1168:Special torpedo seaplane Type C 800:Special torpedo seaplane Type C 1215:1910s British fighter aircraft 780:Sopwith Pusher Seaplane/S PG N 521:The British Fighter since 1912 294:2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller 1: 1018:Circuit of Britain floatplane 775:Circuit of Britain floatplane 315:23,000 ft (7,000 m) 1220:Aircraft first flown in 1919 211:Royal Aircraft Establishment 205:where it was to be flown by 288:, 360 hp (270 kW) 274:2,190 lb (993 kg) 268:1,462 lb (663 kg) 1241: 508:. London:Macdonald, 1969. 499:British Aeroplanes 1914-18 224:British Aeroplanes 1914-18 23: 112:Sopwith Aviation Company 374:Armstrong Whitworth Ara 229:General characteristics 1073:Hispano-Suiza Triplane 636:Hispano-Suiza Triplane 501:. London:Putnam, 1957. 452:: 26 June 1919, p.847. 284:9-cylinder air-cooled 122:Development and design 461:Bruce 1969, pp.56-57. 176:fuselage (as did the 126:In 1918, the British 357:Vickers machine guns 286:radial piston engine 186:Vickers machine guns 106:. A single-engined 790:Admiralty Type 138 785:Admiralty Type 137 519:Mason, Francis K. 470:Bruce 1957, p.635. 440:Bruce 1957, p.634. 431:Mason 1992, p.147. 384:Nieuport Nighthawk 1202: 1201: 865: 864: 419:Bruce 1969, p.56. 319:Time to altitude: 89: 88: 1232: 1225:Sopwith aircraft 825:Schneider (1919) 815:Schneider (1914) 795:Admiralty Type C 591: 572: 565: 558: 549: 486:The Aerial Derby 471: 468: 462: 459: 453: 447: 441: 438: 432: 429: 420: 417: 399:Westland Wagtail 344: 313:Service ceiling: 302: 231: 201:) into the 1919 110:designed by the 100:fighter aircraft 95:was a prototype 82: 44: 36:Type of aircraft 21: 1240: 1239: 1235: 1234: 1233: 1231: 1230: 1229: 1205: 1204: 1203: 1198: 1177: 971: 861: 845: 829: 758: 722: 706: 680: 582: 576: 539: 534: 480: 475: 474: 469: 465: 460: 456: 448: 444: 439: 435: 430: 423: 418: 414: 409: 365: 345: 340: 298: 227: 219: 132:Royal Air Force 124: 114:to replace the 104:First World War 93:Sopwith Snapper 80: 43:National origin 42: 37: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1238: 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1008:Buffalo 976:By name 749:Tabloid 739:Sparrow 685:Bombers 671:Swallow 656:Snapper 616:Dolphin 606:Bulldog 601:Buffalo 587:By role 579:Sopwith 354:.303 in 254:Height: 242:Length: 159:Snapper 108:biplane 102:of the 97:British 72:Status 58:Sopwith 33:Fighter 1063:Gunbus 1048:Dragon 1033:Cuckoo 1028:Cobham 718:Cuckoo 697:Cobham 626:Gunbus 621:Dragon 527:  512:  491:Flight 450:Flight 1123:Snipe 1118:Snark 1108:Snail 1093:Rhino 1068:Hippo 1023:Camel 941:2FR.2 702:Rhino 666:Snipe 661:Snark 651:Snail 631:Hippo 611:Camel 543:Photo 407:Notes 350:Guns: 236:Crew: 153:(the 67:1919 29:Role 1043:Dove 993:Baby 967:TF.2 962:TF.1 948:FS.1 936:FR.2 919:8F.1 914:7F.1 909:5F.1 904:4F.1 899:2F.1 887:2B.2 820:Baby 734:Baby 525:ISBN 510:ISBN 280:1 × 199:K149 91:The 1083:Pup 1053:Gnu 1003:Bee 955:T.1 894:F.1 882:B.2 877:B.1 857:Gnu 692:B.1 646:Pup 488:". 165:). 134:'s 1211:: 424:^ 213:. 85:3 571:e 564:t 557:v 531:. 516:. 484:" 334:: 238:1

Index

Fighter
United Kingdom
Sopwith
British
fighter aircraft
First World War
biplane
Sopwith Aviation Company
Sopwith Snipe
Air Ministry
Royal Air Force
Sopwith Snipes
ABC Dragonfly
radial engine
triplane
Sopwith Snark
Sopwith Dragon
staggered
monocoque
Sopwith Snail
synchronised
Vickers machine guns
Brooklands
Aerial Derby
Harry Hawker
Royal Aircraft Establishment
ABC Dragonfly
radial piston engine
Power/mass
.303 in

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