Sopwith Snapper
Sopwith Aviation Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1919 · fighter
The Sopwith Snapper was a prototype British fighter of the First World War. It was a single-engined biplane designed to replace the Sopwith Snipe.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Two synchronised Vickers machine guns on the fuselage top decking |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Small single-bay biplane with heavily staggered wings
- Cockpit positioned aft of the wings
- Two synchronised Vickers machine guns on the fuselage top decking
A wire-braced, fabric-covered fuselage with the cockpit set well aft of the staggered wings for good visibility.
Specifications
- The Sopwith Snapper has a length of 6.27 m (21 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.53 m (28 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 225 km/h (140 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was built to meet a 1918 requirement that specified the new ABC Dragonfly radial engine. The first Snapper flew at Brooklands in May 1919.
Variants
Three prototypes were built. Sopwith's alternative design to the same requirement was a triplane, the Snark.
Where you'll see it
It did not enter service. The Dragonfly engine was overweight and suffered unsolvable reliability and vibration problems, and was cancelled in September 1919.
Related aircraft
- Sopwith 1919 Schneider Cup Seaplane
- Sopwith Atlantic
- Sopwith Cobham
- Sopwith Snark
- Armstrong Whitworth Ara
- Armstrong Whitworth Siskin
- Blériot-SPAD S.XXII
- Boeing MB-3A
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.