The Sopwith Pup was a single seat fighter built by the Sopwith Aviation Company in 1916. It was used successfully by the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service on the Western Front up until late 1917.
History
Development began in 1915 with a small test aircraft known as the SL. T.B.P, or as Hawker’s Runabout names after the test pilot Harry Hawker. Soon after calls for an armed fighter reached Sopwith which in turn started development of a single seat fighter based on the design of the SL. T.B.P. This new design would include a more powerful engine, a new wing layout with redesigned struts, more robust landing gear and most importantly a 7.7mm Vickers machine gun.
The prototype would take it’s first flight on the 9th of February 1916 and undergo more rigorous testing in late March. After some demonstrations the RNAS would go on to place an order with deliveries to the RNAS beginning in August 1916. Upon seeing it’s success the RFC would also place an order however those would not be delivered until the start of 1917.
Upon reaching the Western Front they would quickly prove to be a success by being credited for 20 victories in the skies above the Somme battlefield. The Pup proved it’s superiority over the early German designs with top ace of the war, Manfred von Richthofen quoted as saying -
during an encounter with a Pup in combat.
Despite it’s early success by the Pup come the spring of 1917 it would be outclassed by more advanced German fighters. At this point the RFC and RNAS were already looking at replacing the Pups with other Sopwith designs such as the Sopwith Triplane and Sopwith Camel.
Specifications
Size
- Length: 19 ft 3.75 in (5.8865 m)
- Wingspan: 26 ft 6 in (8.08 m)
- Height: 9 ft 5 in (2.87 m)
Weight
- Empty weight: 787 lb (357 kg)
- Gross weight: 1,225 lb (556 kg)
Powerplant
- 1 × Le Rhône 9C 9-cylinder air-cooled rotary piston engine, 80hp
Performance
- Maximum speed: 112 mph (180 km/h, 97 kn)
- Service ceiling: 17,500 ft (5,300 m)
- Time to altitude:
- 10,000 ft (3,048 m) in 14 minutes
- 16,100 ft (4,907 m) in 35 minutes
Armament
- 1 x 7.7mm Vickers machine gun
Pictures
- Yes
- No