Sopwith Cobham
Sopwith Aviation Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1919 · bomber
The Sopwith Cobham was a British twin-engined triplane bomber designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War. It did not fly until after the war ended.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Wooden box-girder fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Twin-engined triplane with equal-span wings
- Wooden box-girder fuselage
- Pilot's cockpit just forward of the wing leading edge, with gunners in the nose and dorsal positions
The only twin-engined aircraft built by Sopwith, with three prototypes ordered. It had a crew of three.
Specifications
- The Sopwith Cobham has a length of 11.58 m (38 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 16.46 m (54 ft).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Herbert Smith designed it to a June 1918 requirement for a long-range medium bomber. The first prototype, fitted with Siddeley Puma engines because no Dragonfly engines were available, made its maiden flight in April 1919.
Variants
The Cobham Mk I was powered by 360 hp Dragonfly IA engines, and two were built. The Cobham Mk II was the Puma-powered first prototype.
Where you'll see it
The Dragonfly proved extremely unreliable, and development of the engine was stopped in September 1920. The first prototype was last flown on 27 January 1921 at Farnborough.
Related aircraft
- Sopwith 1919 Schneider Cup Seaplane
- Sopwith Atlantic
- Sopwith Snapper
- Sopwith Snark
- Airco DH.11 Oxford
- Airco DH.14 Okapi
- Farman F.68 Goliath
- Fiat B.R.
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