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Sopwith Tabloid

1914 WORLD WAR 1

Sopwith Tabloid Story

The company entered the aviation business developing racing cars long before the Sopwith name was associated with the victorious World War I (1914-1918) Sopwith "Camel" biplane. This was reflected in the Sopwith Tabloid, an early form with biplane wings that first flew in November 1913 and was officially launched in 1914. While not originally intended for use as a fighter, by 1914 the type was impressive enough.

When Britain declared war on Germany, it was pushed into the standard of this service.

As planned, the plane had two crew members sitting side by side in the open air cockpit. The cockpit is located behind the upper wing assembly that spans the lower span. These elements are supported by the usual combination of wiring and parallel struts (curved for lateral control). The engine is mounted on the front of the aircraft as usual, and almost the entire engine is covered with an aerodynamically optimized metal shroud.

The fuselage was given a decked appearance consistent with aircraft of that era, the landing gear was fixed in flight (the seaplane/seaplane derivative - the "Schneider" racing car - had large pontoons under the center mass, There are smaller pontoons below the mass) rear). The plane uses a simple wood and canvas construction, although there is some aluminum near the engine section.

In its original form, the tabloid was flown using an 80-horsepower French midget "Lambda" rotary engine turning a two-bladed wooden propeller in the nose. In Farnborough's trials, the type achieved a low 90 mph range and could last more than two hours.

Interested in this amazing capability at the time, the British government commissioned 40 aircraft for military service.

1914 Schneider racing form with pontoon gear and all gear, raced the Schneider Air Race and powered a Gnome Monosoupape 9-cylinder 100 hp engine. In subsequent speed trials, the tabloids outperformed the competition and an air racing star was born.

During the operation, pilot Howard Pixton set a new aerial record (in relation to the seaplane) when he reached a speed of 92 miles per hour as he approached the end of the route.

After total war swept Europe in the summer of 1914, the tabloid was popular with the British Air Force, and the first aircraft consisted of 12 flying machines. Like previous Renner models, these are equipped with a 100-horsepower Gnome engine. Although the line was initially unarmed, it was quickly modified to mount a 7.7mm Lewis gun in a sloping arrangement.

The upper wing section has a partial cutout to accommodate the gun and the intended action of moving and firing below potential air targets. Later models were also equipped with conventional ailerons to replace the cumbersome wing twisting technique.

Some naval models more typically mount a Lewis cannon on the upper wing assembly to clear the propeller arc. Another example is a Lewis gun mounted on the nose, fired through the rotating propeller blades.

Due to the lack of interrupter equipment in the UK at this point in the war, "deflector" wedges were installed on the blades to deflect the plane's (and pilot's) bullets.

About 42 biplanes were completed to tabloid standards, with another 136 built in the shape of Schneider racing models. Both the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) initially relied on this type, while fast biplanes were often used as unarmed reconnaissance aircraft to monitor battlefield conditions and as light bombers to monitor to deter enemies or act as "Balloon Destroyer" to keep the German Zeppelin fleet honest.

The aircraft was illegally copied and built by Lebed in Russia and used for Lebed VII reconnaissance missions. The related Lebed VIII features an improved landing gear layout.

The Empire of Japan observed enough aircraft on a single trip to England to design the Yokosuka "Navy Ha-Go Small Seaplane" in the form of a disposable seaplane model for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN).

Although the tabloid proved too fragile for long-term military service (it was scrapped as early as the spring of 1915), it formed the starting point of a lineage that culminated in the outstanding Sopwith Camel Fighting Biplane . In addition to Schneider Racing, the collection includes the Sopwith "Baby" and Sopwith "Half-Strutter," the company's first true fighter jets -- both of which exist thanks to the original tabloids .

Sopwith Tabloids / Schneiders served with RFC No. 3 Squadron and No. 201 RAF Squadron.