Sopwith Tabloid
| Sopwith Tabloid | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Reconnaissance |
| Manufacturer | Sopwith |
| First flight | Nov 1913 [1] |
| Introduction | early 1914 [2] |
| Primary user |  U.K. (RFC/RAF)
|
| Number built | ~40 [1][3] |
| Wingspan | 7.77 m (25 ft 6 in)[4][2] |
| Engine | 80hp Gnome rotary |
| Armament | usually none or 9 kg (20 lb) of bombs[3] |
| Crew | 1 |
| Max Speed | 148 km/h (92 mph) [1][5][6][4][2] |
| Climb | 370 m (1,200 ft) in 1:00 [1][6] |
| Service Ceiling | ~4,600 m (15,000 ft)[5][4] |
| Endurance | 2:30[2]-3:30 [1][5][6][4] |
When the Sopwith Tabloid was first demonstrated in late 1913, onlookers were astonished with its excellent performance. The original model had pilot and passenger sitting side-by-side in a shared cockpit, though military machines were single-seaters. Wings were controlled by warping and were of single-bay configuration. Eventually ailerons were added instead. In many ways, the Tabloid set design trends that would carry through to 1918.
The RFC and RNAS both ordered small numbers of Tabloids in early 1914 and some went to France in August 1914. The RNAS had only two on hand in Antwerp before it was evacuated, and one managed to destroy Zeppelin Z.IX as it rested in its shed at Dusseldorf. Ad-hoc mounts of machine guns were constructed including a Lewis gun on the upper wing firing over the propeller arc; another used deflector plates on the propeller.
The Tabloid's service life did not last long after the spring of 1915. [1]
For more information, see Wikipedia:Sopwith Tabloid.
Timeline [note 1]
Game Data
Wings of Glory
| Version | Availability | Maneuver | Damage | Dmg Points | Max Alt. | Climb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| unarmed | 14Q3-15Q1 | Y | --- | 9 | 9 | 6 |
| jury-rigged Lewis | Y | B | 9 | 9 | 6 |
Miniatures and Models
1:144 Scale
- Shapeways: Reduced Aircraft Factory
1:285/6mm/1:288 Scale
- Shapeways: Reduced Aircraft Factory
1:300 Scale
- Metal kit: Heroics & Ros GWA107
Resources
Orthographic Drawings
References
- Notes
- Citations
- 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 3. Great Britain: Argus Books, 1989. ISBN 0-85242-998-3
- J.M. Bruce. British Aeroplanes 1914-18. Great Britain: Funk & Wagnalls, 1957, 1969. ISBN 0370000382
- 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