# Sopwith Antelope

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Antelope General information Type Light transport aircraft National origin United Kingdom Manufacturer Sopwith Aviation Company Number built 1 History First flight 1920 Retired 1935 Developed from Sopwith Wallaby

The **Sopwith Antelope** was a British three-seat transport aircraft built after the end of the [First World War](/source/World_War_I). A single-engined [biplane](/source/Biplane) based on the [Sopwith Wallaby](/source/Sopwith_Wallaby) long-range aircraft, only a single Antelope was built.

## Development and design

In 1919, the [Sopwith Aviation Company](/source/Sopwith_Aviation_Company) developed a three-seat transport aircraft, the **Sopwith Antelope**, based on its [Wallaby](/source/Sopwith_Wallaby) long-range aircraft built to compete for a £10,000 prize for an England-Australia flight, which was in turn based on the [Sopwith Atlantic](/source/Sopwith_Atlantic), which had crashed during an attempt to be the first aircraft cross the [Atlantic Ocean](/source/Atlantic_Ocean) non-stop earlier that year.[1][2][3]

Like the Wallaby, the Antelope was a single-engined [tractor](/source/Tractor_configuration) [biplane](/source/Biplane), but with a modified fuselage to accommodate the pilot and two passengers. The pilot sat in an open cockpit under the tailing edge of the wing, in front of an enclosed cabin where the two passengers sat on wicker seats facing each other, with a door on the left side of the cabin to give direct access and windows to provide the passengers with a view. The cabin was fitted with a hatch on its roof, which when slid forward allowed the rearmost passenger seat to be raised so the passenger could be seated with his or her head outside the cabin.[4][5][6] It was powered by a single 180 hp (134 kW) [Wolseley Viper](/source/Wolseley_Viper) water-cooled [V8 engine](/source/V8_engine) and had [two-bay](/source/Interplane_strut) wings.[1][7]

## Operational history

The Antelope was displayed at the 1920 [Olympia](/source/Olympia%2C_London) Aero show,[4] and received its [Certificate of Airworthiness](/source/Standard_Airworthiness_Certificate) on 10 August 1920 [1] before being entered into the [Air Ministry](/source/Air_Ministry) Small Commercial Aircraft Competition later that month, where it received the second prize of £3,000.[1]

While Sopwith went into [Voluntary liquidation](/source/Liquidation#Voluntary_liquidation), the Antelope was sold to the Larkin Sopwith Aviation Company of Australia in 1923, being fitted with a [Siddeley Puma](/source/Siddeley_Puma) engine,[1] where it was used to fly [air mail](/source/Air_mail), remaining in existence until 1935.[2]

## Specifications

*Data from* *Sopwith – The Man and His Aircraft* [8]

**General characteristics**

- **Crew:** 1

- **Capacity:** 2 passengers

- **Length:** 31 ft 0 in (9.45 m)

- **Wingspan:** 46 ft 6 in (14.17 m)

- **Height:** 11 ft 3 in (3.43 m)

- **Wing area:** 550 sq ft (51 m2) [9]

- **Empty weight:** 2,387 lb (1,083 kg)

- **Gross weight:** 3,450 lb (1,565 kg)

- **Powerplant:** 1 × [Wolseley Viper](/source/Wolseley_Viper) water-cooled [V8 engine](/source/V8_engine), 180 hp (130 kW)

- **Propellers:** 2-bladed propeller

**Performance**

- **Maximum speed:** 110 mph (180 km/h, 96 kn)

- **Cruise speed:** 84 mph (135 km/h, 73 kn)

- **Range:** 450 mi (720 km, 390 nmi) (approximately)[9]

- **Time to altitude:** 7.5 min to 5,000 ft (1,500 m)

## See also

**Related development**

- [Sopwith Atlantic](/source/Sopwith_Atlantic)

- [Sopwith Wallaby](/source/Sopwith_Wallaby)

**Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era**

- [Avro 547](/source/Avro_547)

- [Beardmore W.B.X](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beardmore_W.B.X&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Westland Limousine](/source/Westland_Limousine)

## References

### Notes

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Jackson_v3_p311_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Jackson_v3_p311_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Jackson_v3_p311_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Jackson_v3_p311_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Jackson_v3_p311_1-4) Jackson 1988, p.311.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Robertson_p231_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Robertson_p231_2-1) Robertson 1970, p.231.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Robertson_p142_3-0)** Robertson 1970, p.142.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Olympia_p799-800_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Olympia_p799-800_4-1) *Flight* 22 July 1920, pp. 799–800.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Flight_20_p857_5-0)** *Flight* 5 August 1920, p.857.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Flight_20_p725_6-0)** *Flight* 8 July 1920, p.725.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Robertson_p193_7-0)** Robertson 1970, p.193.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-robertson_p236-41_8-0)** Robertson 1970, pp. 236–237, 240–241.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Flight_20_p858_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Flight_20_p858_9-1) *Flight* 5 August 1920, p.858.

### Bibliography

- ["The Olympia Aero Show at a Glance"](http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1920/1920%20-%200712.html). *Flight*, 8 July 1920, pp. 712–727.

- ["The Olympia 1920 Aero Show"](http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1920/1920%20-%200793.html). *Flight*, 22 July 1920, pp. 793–806.

- ["The Air Ministry Competition at Martelsham: Some Notes on the Machines Entered"](http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1920/1920%20-%200853.html). *[Flight](/source/Flight_International)*, 5 August 1920, pp. 855–861.

- Jackson, A.J. *British Civil Aircraft 1919–1972:Volume III*. London:Putnam, 1988. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85177-818-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85177-818-6).

- Richardson, Bruce. *Sopwith – The Man and His Aircraft*. Letchworth, UK:Air Review, 1970. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-900435-15-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-900435-15-1).

v t e Sopwith aircraft By role Fighters Buffalo Bulldog Camel Dolphin Dragon Gunbus Hippo Hispano-Suiza Triplane L.R.T.Tr. Pup Snail Snapper Snark Snipe Swallow Triplane Bombers B.1 Cobham Rhino Torpedo bomber Cuckoo Scouts/bombers Baby Sparrow 1½ Strutter Tabloid Two-Seat Scout Seaplanes Bat-Boat Circuit of Britain floatplane Sopwith Pusher Seaplane/S PG N Admiralty Type 137 Admiralty Type 138 Admiralty Type C Special torpedo seaplane Type C Type 807 Type 860 Schneider (1914) Baby Schneider (1919) Ground attack Salamander Sports tourer Gnu By designation B.1 B.2 2B.2 F.1 2F.1 4F.1 5F.1 7F.1 8F.1 3F.2 (I) 3F.2 (II) FR.2 2FR.2 FS.1 T.1 TF.1 TF.2 By name Antelope Atlantic Baby Bat-Boat Bee Buffalo Bulldog Circuit of Britain floatplane Camel Cobham Cuckoo Dolphin Dove Dragon Gnu Grasshopper Gunbus Hippo Hispano-Suiza Triplane L.R.T.Tr. Pup Rainbow Rhino Salamander Scooter Snail Snapper Snark Snipe Sparrow Sociable Swallow 1½ Strutter Tabloid Tadpole Three-seater Triplane Special torpedo seaplane Type C Wallaby Designers Herbert Smith Thomas Sopwith

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sopwith Antelope](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Antelope) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Antelope?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.