Sopwith Dragon
Sopwith Aviation Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1918 · fighter
The Sopwith Dragon was a British single-seat fighter biplane developed from the Sopwith Snipe.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Fuselage lengthened by 22 in over the Snipe |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-seat fighter biplane developed from the Snipe
- ABC Dragonfly radial engine
- Fuselage lengthened by 22 in over the Snipe
It is a Snipe-type fighter biplane with a radial Dragonfly engine in a lengthened fuselage.
Specifications
- The Sopwith Dragon has a length of 6.63 m (22 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.47 m (31 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 240 km/h (149 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
In April 1918 the sixth Snipe prototype was fitted with a 320 hp ABC Dragonfly I radial engine, with the fuselage lengthened by 22 in to compensate for the extra weight. A second prototype with the 360 hp Dragonfly IA reached 150 mph at sea level.
Variants
The Dragon was the Snipe airframe re-engined with the Dragonfly, and it was armed with two forward-firing Vickers guns.
Where you'll see it
The RAF contracted for 30 Dragonfly-engined Snipes in June 1918, and Sopwith built about 200 airframes, which were stored awaiting engines. Difficulties with the Dragonfly could not be resolved, none were issued to squadrons, and the type was declared obsolete in April 1923.
Related aircraft
- Sopwith 2FR.2 Bulldog
- Sopwith Buffalo
- Sopwith Snail
- Sopwith Swallow
- Adamoli-Cattani Fighter
- AEG DJ.I
- AEG J.II
- Albatros C.XIV
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