| Sopwith |
| Snipe |
| A descendant of the Sopwith Camel, the Sopwith Snipe was equipped with a more powerful engine and provided better visibility from the cockpit. Though not much faster than the Camel, the Snipe had a better rate of climb and pilots found it much easier to fly. |
| Country: Great Britain Manufacturer: Sopwith Aviation Company Type: Fighter First Introduced: 1918 Number Built: 497 Engine(s): Bentley B.R.2, 230 hp Wing Span: 31 ft 1 in Length: 19 ft 10 in Height: 9 ft 6 in Empty Weight: 1312 lb Gross Weight: 2020 lb Max Speed: 121 mph Ceiling: 19,500 ft Endurance: 3 hrs Crew: 1 Armament: 2 machine guns |
| On 27 October 1918, Canadian ace William Barker made the Sopwith Snipe famous in a single-handed battle with more than 60 enemy aircraft that earned him the Victoria Cross. With 7 confirmed victories, Australian Elwyn King scored more victories with the Snipe than any other ace. |
| The Sopwith 7.F1 Snipe is widely considered one of the best Allied fighters of the War. It arrived at the Front too late too have the impact of its predecessor, the Sopwith Camel, and less than a hundred were flown in combat. The first squadron to be equipped with the Sopwith Snipe, No. 43 Squadron RAF, destroyed 36 enemy aircraft in a four day period. The only other squadron to be equipped with the Snipe prior to the Armistice was No. 28 Squadron RAF. The Sopwith Snipe was a large fighter, particularly when compared with the Sopwith Camel, but still extremely maneuverable. The 230 hp Bentley rotary engine created so much torque, that the production Snipe had to be given a much larger rudder and vertical stabilizer than the prototype to stabilize control in flight. The Snipe gained notoriety for its role in one of the most famous air battles of the War, in which Maj. William G. Barker battled alone against 60 German aircraft, destroying 3 enemy aircraft and escaping with 3 wounds. Following the Armistice, the Snipe became the standard RAF fighter, and was used in active service until 1926. |
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