Sopwith Bee
Sopwith Aviation Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1916 · light aircraft
The Sopwith Bee was a small biplane built in 1916 as a personal aircraft for Harry Hawker, Sopwith's chief test pilot. Only one was built.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 4.34 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Small single-bay biplane
- Large semi-circular cutout in the trailing edge of the upper wing for the pilot
- Gnome Omega rotary engine at the nose
It is a very small single-bay biplane powered by a 50 hp Gnome Omega rotary. The upper wing has a large semi-circular trailing-edge cutout to accommodate the pilot, and lateral control was by wing warping.
Specifications
- The Sopwith Bee has a length of 4.34 m (14 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 4.95 m (16 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was intended for use by Hawker as a runabout and for aerobatics. It was later fitted with a synchronised Vickers .303 machine gun, possibly with a view to an Admiralty requirement for a small scout, but nothing came of this.
Variants
Only one Bee was built and no further development of the type was carried out. The aircraft was sometimes referred to as the Tadpole.
Where you'll see it
The Bee served as Harry Hawker's personal aircraft. After the machine gun was fitted it was not developed into a service type.
Related aircraft
- Sopwith Pup
- Sopwith Triplane
- Sopwith 1½ Strutter
- Sopwith 2B2 Rhino
- Airco DH.6
- Audenis E.P.2
- Boeing B&W Seaplane
- Boeing Model C
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