Sopwith Snipe
| Sopwith Snipe | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Sopwith |
| Designer | Herbert Smith [1] |
| First flight | Dec 1917 [2][3] |
| Introduction | 23 Sept 1918 [4] |
| Primary user |  U.K. (RFC/RAF)
|
| Wingspan | 9.14 m (30 ft) [5][6][7] [note 1] |
| Propeller Diam. | 2.77 m (9 ft 1 in)[7] |
| Engine | 230hp Bentley B.R.2 rotary |
| Crew | 1 |
| Max Speed | 195 km/h (121 mph) [2][8][9][5][6][3][note 2] |
| Climb | 2,000 m (6,500 ft) in 5:10[2][9][5][10] 3,000 m (10,000 ft) in 9:25[2][9][5][10][3] 4,600 m (15,000 ft) in 18:50 [2][9][5][10] |
| Service Ceiling | 5,900 m (19,500 ft) [2][8][9][5][6][10][3] |
| Endurance | 3:00 [2][8][9][6][10][3] |
The promising Bentley B.R.2 rotary engine was the center of a new fighter based roughly on the Sopwith Camel, the Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe. Huge numbers were ordered, and the first deliveries came in the summer of 1918. However, relatively few reached the front before Armistice: ninety-seven were in France on 31 Oct 1918, despite plans to replace all Camels in early 1919. They had a thicker, faired fuselage than the Camel to accommodate the larger engine, and the wings had equal dihedral. The tail surfaces were larger to deal with the torque of the larger engine. Early Snipes featured a stepped fin and rudder and unbalanced ailerons. As the war progressed, a larger, rounded fin+rudder combination was introduced and the upper ailerons were balanced. The plane retained excellent maneuverability and climb, but it eliminated the hair-trigger sensitivity of the Camel.
The original single-bay wings in the prototype were increased to two-bay wings for increased strength and load-bearing, as early specifications imagined a third gun on a Foster mount, armor plating, heating and oxygen equipment, of which the first two were abandoned.[4]
Squadron No.43 was the first to be equipped with the Snipe and it flew its first operational sortie on 23 September 1918.[4] No. 4 Squadron Australian Flying Corps was the only other unit to fully re-equip with Snipes before the end of the war. (No. 208 Squadron [formerly 8 Naval] was just beginning to roll over to them when the war ended.)[11] As well as conventional patrol, the Snipe was also intended to replace the Camel in shipbourne duties and Home Defense (as a night fighter), and it served on after the war as late as 1927.[12]
Those who flew the Snipe thought it was the best Entente fighter available at the end of the war.[2]
For more information, see Wikipedia:Sopwith Snipe.
Timeline [note 3]
Game Data
Wings of Glory
| Availability | Maneuver | Damage | Dmg Points | Max Alt. | Climb | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| summer18-end | M | A | 16 | 13 | 2 | 97 |
Plane and Crew Cards
-
4 Sqn AFC
Baker
RAF -
43 Sqn
Howsam
RAF -
4 Sqn AFC
King
RAF -
43 Sqn
Mulcair
RAF -
43 Sqn
RAF -
4 Sqn AFC
RAF
Blue Max/Canvas Eagles
Miniatures and Models
1:144 Scale
- Ares Full-Color: WGF116A Barker; WGF116B Kazakov; WGF116C Sapozhnikov
- Shapeways Full-Color: Reduced Aircraft Factory: Baker (E8069, 4 Sqn AFC), Howsam (E8013, 43 Sqn), King (E8050, 4 Sqn AFC), Mulcair (E8015, 43 Sqn), E8006 (43 Sqn), E8198 (4 Sqn AFC)
- Shapeways Paintable:
- Early-production model: Reduced Aircraft Factory
- Mid-production model: Decapod
- Late-production model: Kampfflieger, Reduced Aircraft Factory
- Metal kit: Red Eagle, Reviresco
- Wings of War: WW08D Barker; WW08E Richmond-Baker; WW08F Ryrie
1:285/6mm/1:288 Scale
- Shapeways: Decapod, Reduced Aircraft Factory
- Metal Cast: Goblintooth/H.A./MSD UKG-08
1:300 Scale
- Metal kit: Heroics & Ros GWA109
1:350 Scale
- Shapeways: Decapod
Resources
Orthographic Drawings
-
early model
-
late model
References
- Notes
- Citations
- ↑ Angelucci, p.61.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Bruce'69, p.607.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Argus Vol. 1, p.34.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Bruce'65, p.6.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Lamberton, pp.216-217.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Angelucci, p.51.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Bruce'65, p.10.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Munson, p.75.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Bruce'94, p.36.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Bruce'65, p.12.
- ↑ Franks'02, p.72.
- ↑ Bruce'65, p.9.
- ↑ Philpott'13, pp.379-444.
- Bibliography
- Enzo Angelucci, ed. The Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft, 1914-1980. New York: The Military Press, 1983 edition. ISBN 0-517-41021-4.
- Argus Books, Airplane Archive: Aircraft of World War One, Volume 1. Great Britain: Argus Books, 1989. ISBN 0-85242-983-5
- J.M. Bruce. British Aeroplanes 1914-18. Great Britain: Funk & Wagnalls, 1957, 1969. ISBN 0370000382
- J.M. Bruce, Profile Publications 50: The Sopwith 7F.I Snipe. Great Britain: Profile Publications, Ltd., 1965.
- J.M. Bruce, Windsock Datafile 46: Sopwith Snipe. Great Britain: Albatros Publications, Ltd., 1994. ISBN 0-948414-61-8
- Norman Franks, Dolphin and Snipe Aces of World War 1. Great Britain: Osprey Publications Limited, 2002. ISBN 1-84176-317-9
- W.M. Lamberton and E.F. Cheesman, Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War. Great Britain: Harleyford Publications Limited, 1960.
- Kenneth Munson, Fighters 1914-19, Attack and Training Aircraft. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1976. ISBN 0713707607
- Ian Philpott, The Birth of the Royal Air Force. Great Britain: Pen & Sword Books Limited, 2013. ISBN 978-1-78159-333-2