The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was a British single-seat

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a ...

fighter of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

(RAF). It was designed and built by the

Sopwith Aviation Company The Sopwith Aviation Company was a British aircraft company that designed and manufactured aeroplanes mainly for the British Royal Naval Air Service, the Royal Flying Corps and later the Royal Air Force during the First World War, most famously ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, and came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of the conflict, in late 1918. The Snipe was not a fast aircraft by the standards of its time, but its excellent climb and manoeuvrability made it a good match for contemporary German fighters. It was selected as the standard postwar single-seat RAF fighter and the last examples were not retired until 1926.

Design and development

In April 1917,

Herbert Smith Herbert Smith LLP was a multinational law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The firm was founded in the City of London in 1882 by Norman Herbert Smith and merged with the Australian law firm Freehills on 1 October 2012, forming Herb ...

, the chief designer of the Sopwith Company, began to design a fighter intended to be the replacement for Sopwith's most famous aeroplane, the

Sopwith Camel The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the ...

.Lumsden ''Aeroplane Monthly'' October 1990, p. 588. The design, called Snipe by Sopwith, was in its initial form a single-

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a na ...

, slightly smaller than the Camel and intended to be powered by similar engines. The pilot sat higher than in the Camel while the centre-section of the upper wing was uncovered, giving a better view from the cockpit. Armament was to be two

Vickers machine gun The Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a water-cooled .303 British (7.7 mm) machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army. The gun was operated by a three-man crew but typically required more men to move and o ...

s.Bruce ''Air International'' April 1974, pp. 190–191.Davis 1999, p. 136. In the absence of an official order, Sopwith began construction of two prototypes as a private venture in September 1917. This took advantage of a licence that had been granted to allow construction of four Sopwith Rhino bomber prototypes, only two of which were built. The first prototype Snipe, powered by a Bentley AR.1

rotary engine The rotary engine is an early type of internal combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration. The engine's crankshaft remained stationary in operation, while the entire crankcase and its ...

was completed in October 1917. The second prototype was completed with the new, more powerful

Bentley BR.2 The Bentley B.R.2 was a nine-cylinder British rotary aircraft engine developed during the First World War by the motor car engine designer W. O. Bentley from his earlier Bentley BR.1. Coming as it did near the end of the war, the BR.2 was built ...

, engine, which gave in November 1917. This promised better performance and prompted an official contract for six prototypes to be placed, including the two aircraft built as private ventures.Bruce ''Air International'' April 1974, pp. 191–192. The third prototype to fly,

serial number A serial number is a unique identifier assigned incrementally or sequentially to an item, to ''uniquely'' identify it. Serial numbers need not be strictly numerical. They may contain letters and other typographical symbols, or may consist enti ...

''B9965'', had modified wings, with a wider centre-section and a smaller cut-out for the pilot, while the fuselage had a fully circular section, rather than the slab-sided one of the first two aircraft and the tail was smaller. It was officially tested in December 1917, reaching a speed of and was then rebuilt with longer-span [] two-bay wings (compared with the single bay wings).Lumsden ''Aeroplane Monthly'' October 1990, p. 589. This allowed the Snipe to compete for Air Board Specification A.1(a) for a high-altitude single-seat fighter. This specification required a speed of at least at and a ceiling of at least while carrying an armament of two fixed and one swivelling machine gun. An oxygen supply and heated clothing were to be provided for the pilot to aid operation at high altitude.Bruce ''Air International'' April 1974, p. 191.Lumsden ''Aeroplane Monthly'' October 1990, pp. 588–589. The Snipe was tested against three other fighter prototypes, all powered by the Bentley BR.2 engine: the Austin Osprey

triplane A triplane is a fixed-wing aircraft equipped with three vertically stacked wing planes. Tailplanes and canard foreplanes are not normally included in this count, although they occasionally are. Design principles The triplane arrangement ma ...

, the

Boulton & Paul Bobolink The Boulton & Paul P.3 Bobolink was a World War I British single-engined single-seat fighter aircraft. It was built by Boulton & Paul Ltd. Development and design The ''Bobolink'' was the first aeroplane designed by Boulton & Paul Limited of N ...

and the Nieuport B.N.1. While there was little difference in performance between the aircraft, the Sopwith was selected for production, with orders for 1,700 Snipes placed in March 1918.Bruce 1982, p. 548. The Snipe's structure was heavier but much stronger than earlier Sopwith fighters. Although not a fast aircraft for 1918, it was very manoeuvrable and much easier to handle than the Camel, with a superior view from the cockpit - especially forwards and upwards. The Snipe also had a superior rate of climb and much better high-altitude performance compared with its predecessor, allowing it to fight Germany's newer fighters on more equal terms. Further modifications were made to the Snipe during the war and postwar. The Snipe was built around the Bentley BR2 engine - the last rotary to be used by the RAF. It had a maximum speed of at compared with the Camel's at the same altitude and an endurance of three hours. Its fixed armament consisted of two 0.303 in (7.7 mm)

s on the

cowling A cowling is the removable covering of a vehicle's engine, most often found on automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, and on outboard boat motors. On airplanes, cowlings are used to reduce drag and to cool the engine. On boats, cowlings are a cove ...

and it was also able to carry up to four bombs for

ground attack In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movemen ...

work, identical to the Camel's armament. The design allowed for a Lewis gun to be mounted on the centre section in a similar manner to those carried by the

Dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the b ...

- in the event this was not fitted to production aircraft. Production began in 1918, with more than 4,500 being ordered. Production ended in 1919, with just under 500 being built, the rest being cancelled due to the end of the war. There was only one variant, the Snipe I, with production by several companies including Sopwith, Boulton & Paul Ltd,

Coventry Ordnance Works Coventry Ordnance Works was a British manufacturer of heavy guns particularly naval artillery jointly owned by Cammell Laird & Co of Sheffield and Birkenhead, Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Govan, Glasgow and John Brown & Comp ...

, D. Napier & Son,

Nieuport Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars. History Beginnings Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...

and

Ruston, Proctor and Company Ruston, Proctor and Company was established in Lincoln, England in 1857, and were manufacturers of steam tractors and engines. They later became Rustons and then Ruston & Hornsby. History The firm was started as millwrights and implement man ...

. Two aircraft were re-engined with a

ABC Dragonfly The ABC Dragonfly was a British radial engine developed towards the end of the First World War. It was expected to deliver excellent performance for the time and was ordered in very large numbers. It proved, however, to be extremely unreliable ...

radial engine and these entered production as the Sopwith Dragon. An armoured version entered production as the

Sopwith Salamander The Sopwith TF.2 Salamander was a British ground-attack aircraft of the First World War designed by the Sopwith Aviation Company which first flew in April 1918. It was a single-engined, single-seat biplane, based on the Sopwith Snipe fighter, wi ...

Operational history

First World War

In March 1918, an example was evaluated by No.1 Aeroplane Supply Depot (No.1 ASD) at St-Omer in France. Lieutenant L. N. Hollinghurst (later an ace in

Sopwith Dolphin The Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphin was a British fighter aircraft manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It was used by the Royal Flying Corps and its successor, the Royal Air Force, during the First World War. The Dolphin entered service on t ...

s, and an

air chief marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admi ...

) flew to 24,000 ft in 45 minutes. He stated that the aircraft was tail heavy and had "a very poor rudder", but that otherwise manoeuvrability was good.Bruce ''Air Enthusiast International'' April 1974, pp. 195, 206. The first squadron to equip with the new fighter was No. 43 Squadron, based at Fienvillers in France, which replaced its Camels with 15 Snipes on 30 August 1918. After spending much of September training, it flew its first operational patrols equipped with the Snipe on 24 September.Bruce ''Air Enthusiast International'' June 1974, p. 290. The Snipe also saw service with No. 4 Squadron

Australian Flying Corps The Australian Flying Corps (AFC) was the branch of the Australian Army responsible for operating aircraft during World War I, and the forerunner of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The AFC was established in 1912, though it was not until ...

(AFC) from October 1918. While 43 Squadron's Snipes saw relatively little combat, the Australians had more success, claiming five victories on 26 October and six on 28 October, while on 29 October, 4 Squadron claimed eight Fokker D.VIIs destroyed and two more driven down out of control for the loss of one of 15 Snipes.Davis 1999, pp. 141–142.Bruce ''Air Enthusiast International'' June 1974, pp. 290–291. No. 208 Squadron RAF converted from Camels in November, too late for the Snipes to see action.Bruce ''Air Enthusiast International'' June 1974, p. 291. One of the most famous incidents in which the Snipe was involved occurred on 27 October 1918 when

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

Major William Barker attached to

No. 201 Squadron RAF Number 201 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It currently operates the Boeing Poseidon MRA1 from RAF Lossiemouth, Moray. It is the only squadron affiliated with Guernsey, in the Channel Islands. This affiliation started in 1935 a ...

flew over the

Forêt de Mormal The Forêt de Mormal (Forest of Mormal) is a forest in France, near the Franco-Belgian border. It is best known to the British for its role in the retreat from Mons in August 1914. Its perceived lack of passable roads forced I and II Corps 2nd C ...

in France. Barker's Snipe (No. ''E8102'') had been brought with him for personal evaluation purposes in connection with his UK-based training duties and was therefore operationally a "one-off". The engagement with enemy aircraft occurred at the end of a two-week posting to renew his combat experience as Barker was returning to the UK. While on his last operation over the battlefields of France, he attacked a two-seater German aircraft and swiftly shot it down. However, he was soon attacked by a formation of at least 15 Fokker D.VIIs, an aircraft widely considered to be the best operational German fighter of the First World War. The ensuing melee was observed by many Allied troops. In the engagement, he was wounded three times, twice losing consciousness momentarily, but managing to shoot down at least three D.VIIs before making a forced landing on the Allied front lines. Barker was awarded the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...

for this action.Davis 1999, p. 142. The fuselage of this Snipe is preserved at the

Canadian War Museum The Canadian War Museum (french: link=no, Musée canadien de la guerre; CWM) is a national museum on the country's military history in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The museum serves as both an educational facility on Canadian military history, in ad ...

, Ottawa, Ontario.

Postwar operations

Following the

Armistice with Germany The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...

that ended the First World War, Sopwith Snipes formed part of the British Army of Occupation, returning to the United Kingdom in August/September 1919, while Snipes replaced Camels in four home defence squadrons based in the United Kingdom. This force was quickly run down, however, and by the end of 1919, only a single squadron, No 80 was equipped with the Snipe.Thetford ''Aeroplane Monthly'' November 1990, p. 666. In 1919, the Snipe took part in the Allied intervention on the side of the White Russians during the

Russian Civil War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Russian Civil War , partof = the Russian Revolution and the aftermath of World War I , image = , caption = Clockwise from top left: {{flatlist, *Soldiers ...

against the

Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

, twelve Snipes being used by the RAF mission in north Russia.Davis 1999, pp. 144–145. At least one of the RAF Snipes was captured by the Bolsheviks and pressed into service.Robertson 1970, p. 137. Although the performance demonstrated by the Snipe was unimpressive (tests at

Martlesham Heath Martlesham Heath village is situated 6 miles (10 km) east of Ipswich, in Suffolk, England. This was an ancient area of heathland and latterly the site of Martlesham Heath Airfield. A "new village" was established there in the mid-1970s and t ...

in October 1918 had shown that the Snipe was inferior to the Martinsyde F.3 and Fokker D.VIIBruce ''Air Enthusiast International'' June 1974, p. 299.), it was selected as the standard postwar single-seat fighter of the RAF almost by default, with the

Martinsyde Buzzard The Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard was developed as a powerful and fast biplane fighter for the Royal Air Force (RAF), but the end of the First World War led to the abandonment of large-scale production. Fewer than 400 were eventually produced, with man ...

development of the F.3 being 25 percent more expensive than the Snipe and relying on a French engine that was in short supply (the 300 hp

Hispano-Suiza 8 The Hispano-Suiza 8 was a water-cooled V8 SOHC aero engine introduced by Hispano-Suiza in 1914, and was the most commonly used liquid-cooled engine in the aircraft of the Entente Powers during the First World War. The original Hispano-Suiza ...

), while the range of fighters powered by the ABC Dragonfly

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ...

did not come to fruition owing to failure of that engine.Mason 1992, p. 138.Bruce ''Air Enthusiast International'' June 1974, p. 296.Thetford ''Aeroplane Monthly'' November 1990, p. 665. The last Snipes were retired by that service in 1926. The

Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

(CAF) operated the Snipe after the war, but it was phased out in 1923, a year before the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

(RCAF) was formed.

Operators

;: *

** No. 4 Squadron AFC in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. ** No. 5 (Training) Squadron AFC in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

. ** No. 8 (Training) Squadron AFC in the United Kingdom. ;: *

Brazilian Naval Aviation Brazilian Naval Aviation ( pt, Aviação Naval Brasileira; AvN) is the air arm of the Brazilian Navy operating from ships and from shore installations. History The Brazilian Naval Aviation branch was organized in August 1916, after creation of ...

operated 12 Snipes.Davis 1999, p. 145. ;: *

** No. 1 Squadron RCAF ; *

Soviet Air Force The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...

- Postwar. ;: *

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

Halley 1980, p. 354. ** No. 1 Squadron RAF **

No. 3 Squadron RAF Number 3 Squadron, also known as No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron, of the Royal Air Force operates the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, since reforming on 1 April 2006. It was first formed on 13 May 1912 as one of the first sq ...

** No. 17 Squadron RAF ** No. 19 Squadron RAF ** No. 23 Squadron RAF **

No. 25 Squadron RAF Number 25 (Fighter) Squadron (alternatively Number XXV (F) Squadron) is squadron of the Royal Air Force, having reformed on 8 September 2018. During the First World War, No. 25 Squadron operated as a fighter-reconnaissance unit and later as a ...

** No. 29 Squadron RAF **

No. 32 Squadron RAF Number 32 (The Royal) Squadron (sometimes abbreviated as No. 32 (TR) Squadron) of the Royal Air Force operates in the VIP and general air transport roles from RAF Northolt in Greater London. Originally formed in 1916 as part of the Royal Fl ...

** No. 37 Squadron RAF ** No. 41 Squadron RAF ** No. 43 Squadron RAF ** No. 45 Squadron RAF ** No. 56 Squadron RAF ** No. 70 Squadron RAF **

No. 78 Squadron RAF ("Nobody unprepared") , battle_honours = *Home Defence (1916–1918)* *Fortress Europe (1940–1944)* *Ruhr (1940–1945)* *Invasion Ports (1940) *Biscay Ports (1940–1945) * Berlin (1940–44)* *Channel and North Sea (1942–19 ...

** No. 80 Squadron RAF **

No. 81 Squadron RAF No 81 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It flew Fighter aircraft during the Second World War, and reconnaissance aircraft in the Far East after the war and was disbanded in 1970. History First World War No. 81 Squadron Royal Flyin ...

No. 111 Squadron RAF ("Standing by") , colors= , colors_label= , march= , mascot= , equipment= , equipment_label= , battles= , anniversaries= , decorations= , battle_honours= Palestine 1917–1918*, Megiddo, Home Defence 1940–1942*, France and Low Countries 1940, ...

No. 112 Squadron RAF No. 112 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It served in both the First World War and Second World War and was active for three periods during the Cold War. It is nicknamed "The Shark Squadron", an allusion to the fact that it was t ...

Davis 1999, p. 144. **

No. 143 Squadron RAF No. 143 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as a fighter unit in the First World War and reformed as an RAF Coastal Command fighter and anti-submarine unit in Second World War. History Formation and the First World War No. 143 Sq ...

** No. 208 Squadron RAF

Survivors and reproductions

Two complete, original, Sopwith Snipes survive. ''E6938'' is displayed in the

Canada Aviation and Space Museum The Canada Aviation and Space Museum (french: link=no, Musée de l'Aviation et de l'Espace du Canada) (formerly the Canada Aviation Museum and National Aeronautical Collection) is Canada's national aviation history museum. The museum is locate ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...

. Formerly owned by film star Reginald Denny, it was restored in the 1960s.Thetford ''Aeroplane Monthly'' November 1990, p. 670. ''E8105'' is exhibited at the

National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, it opened its main building on the N ...

in Washington, D.C. Previously, it had been at the

Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome is a living museum in Rhinebeck, New York. It owns many examples of airworthy aircraft of the Pioneer Era, World War I and the Golden Age of Aviation between the World Wars, and multiple examples of roadworthy antiqu ...

, in

Rhinebeck, New York Rhinebeck is a village in the town of Rhinebeck in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 2,657 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie– Newburgh– Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well ...

. It passed to the NASM after Cole Palen's death in December 1993."Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe"
''Smithsonian Air and Space Museum''. Retrieved 27 January 2012. The fuselage (minus landing gear, engine and cowl) of Major William G. Barker's Snipe, ''E8102'' is on display at the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa.

Reproductions

Antique Aero in California has completed construction of an airworthy, very detailed reproduction Sopwith Snipe. It awaits a new-build 230 h.p. Bentley B.R.2 engine. Another Snipe reproduction marked as ''E8102'' was built in New Zealand by The Vintage Aviator Ltd., and was subsequently purchased by Kermit Weeks for his Fantasy of Flight aviation museum in Polk City, Florida. This is airworthy and uses an original Bentley rotary engine. The RAF Museum in August 2012 took delivery of a static display reproduction of the Snipe. Marked ''E6655'', it was constructed in the Wellington workshops of The Vintage Aviator Ltd. in New Zealand. The inclusion of original, non-airworthy parts precludes this aircraft from flight status. The first reproduction was built by Richard Lincoln Day of Colonia, NJ. This Snipe, marked as ''E6837'', flew for one summer at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, in Rhinebeck, NY before being purchased by Doug Champlin for his collection in Mesa, Arizona. This collection was later donated to the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington. Tyabb Airport in Victoria, Australia, hosts a reproduction snipe VH-SNP ''E8050''. The aircraft first flew on the 17th of October 2014, and is powered by a W670 Radial. This snipe has since been relocated to the

RAAF Museum RAAF Museum is the official museum of the Royal Australian Air Force, the second oldest air force in the world, located at RAAF Williams Point Cook, Victoria, Australia which is the oldest continuously operating Military Air Base in the world. T ...

in Point Cook, Victoria

Specifications (Snipe)

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Bruce, J. M. ''The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing)''. London: Putnam, 1982. . * Bruce, J. M. ''British Aeroplanes 1914–18''. London: Putnam, 1957. * Bruce, J. M. "Sopwith Snipe...the RAF's first fighter: Part 1". '' Air Enthusiast International'', April 1974, Vol 6 No 4. Bromley, Kent, UK: Fine Scroll. pp. 190–195, 206–207. * Bruce, J. M. "Sopwith Snipe...the RAF's first fighter: Part 2". ''Air Enthusiast International'', June 1974, Vol 6 No 6. Bromley, Kent, UK: Fine Scroll. pp. 289–299. * Davis, Mick. ''Sopwith Aircraft''. Ramsbury, Malborough, UK: The Crowood Press, 1999. . * Franks, Norman. ''Dolphin and Snipe Aces of World War I (Aircraft of the Aces).'' London: Osprey Publishing, 2002. . * Halley, James J. ''The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force''. Tonbrige, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians), 1980. .
"Honours: Two More VCs"
''

Flight Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be a ...

'', 5 December 1918, Vol X No 49. p. 1369. * Lumsden, Alec. "On Silver Wings: Part 1". ''Aeroplane Monthly'', October 1990, Vol 18 No 10. London:IPC. ISSN 0143-7240. pp. 586–592. * Mason, Francis K. ''The British Fighter since 1912''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1992. . * Robertson, Bruce. ''Sopwith–The Man and His Aircraft''. Letchworth, UK: Air Review, 1970. . * Thetford, Owen. "On Silver Wings: Part 2". '' Aeroplane Monthly'', November 1990, Vol 18 No 11. London:IPC. ISSN 0143-7240. pp. 664–670.

External links

2018 checkout flight by Kermit Weeks, of his ''Fantasy of Flight'' New Zealand-built, rotary-powered Sopwith Snipe reproduction example
{{Authority control 1910s British fighter aircraft Military aircraft of World War I

Snipe A snipe is any of about 26 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill, eyes placed high on the head, and cryptic/ camouflaging plumage. The '' Gallinago'' snipes have ...

Aircraft first flown in 1917 Single-engined tractor aircraft Biplanes Rotary-engined aircraft