# Sopwith Atlantic

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Atlantic General information Type Long range experimental aircraft National origin United Kingdom Manufacturer Sopwith Aviation Company Designer W G Carter Number built 1 History First flight 1919 Developed from Sopwith B.1 Variant Sopwith Wallaby

The **Sopwith Atlantic** was an experimental [British](/source/United_Kingdom) long-range aircraft of 1919. It was a single-engined [biplane](/source/Biplane) that was designed and built to be the first aeroplane to [cross the Atlantic Ocean](/source/Transatlantic_flight) non-stop. It took off on an attempt to cross the Atlantic from [Newfoundland](/source/Newfoundland_(island)) on 18 May 1919, but ditched during the flight owing to an overheating engine.

## Development and design

In 1913, the British newspaper the *[Daily Mail](/source/Daily_Mail)* offered a [prize](/source/Daily_Mail_aviation_prizes) of [£](/source/Pound_sterling)10,000 for the first flight across the Atlantic.[1] Although plans were drawn up to attempt to win the prize, notably by [Rodman Wanamaker](/source/Rodman_Wanamaker), who ordered two [Curtiss America](/source/Curtiss_Model_H) [flying boats](/source/Flying_boats), with [John Cyril Porte](/source/John_Cyril_Porte) selected to be the pilot, the outbreak of the [First World War](/source/First_World_War) in August 1914 put a stop to these plans. Following the [Armistice](/source/Armistice_with_Germany_(Compi%C3%A8gne)) on 11 November 1918, the competition was reopened[2] and [Thomas Sopwith](/source/Thomas_Sopwith), the head of the [Sopwith Aviation Company](/source/Sopwith_Aviation_Company), decided to build an aircraft to compete for the prize.[3]

[George Carter](/source/George_Carter_(engineer)) of Sopwith based his design for the transatlantic aircraft on the single-engined [Sopwith B.1](/source/Sopwith_B.1) [bomber aircraft](/source/Bomber_aircraft). It was a large, two-bay [biplane](/source/Biplane) powered by a [Rolls-Royce Eagle](/source/Rolls-Royce_Eagle) engine in a [tractor configuration](/source/Tractor_configuration).[3] The new aircraft had a deeper fuselage than the B.1,[3] housing a fuel tank carrying 330 [imperial gallons](/source/Gallon) (1,500 [L](/source/Litre)) of petrol and with the crew of two sat well aft of the wings.[4] The [undercarriage](/source/Landing_gear) mainwheels were jettisonable to reduce [drag](/source/Drag_(physics)), while a boat was provided in case of emergency landing on the sea, being built into the fuselage decking behind the crew's cockpit.[3]

## Operational history

Another view of the aircraft, seen here with its engine cowling removed

The transatlantic aircraft, named the **Sopwith Atlantic** was designed and built quickly, being completed early in 1919. Following testing at [Brooklands airfield](/source/Brooklands), the Atlantic was dismantled and dispatched to Newfoundland aboard ship, arriving on 28 March 1919.[3] The aircraft was soon assembled, but weather was poor, with the chosen airstrip at [St John's](/source/St._John's%2C_Newfoundland_and_Labrador) snowbound. Despite the fact that the competing [Martinsyde](/source/Martinsyde) aircraft had also arrived in Newfoundland, the crew of the Atlantic, Australian pilot [Harry Hawker](/source/Harry_Hawker) and navigator [Kenneth Mackenzie Grieve](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kenneth_Mackenzie_Grieve&action=edit&redlink=1) could not attempt the Atlantic flight for several weeks.[3][5][6]

Hawker and Grieves finally took off from St John's on 18 May 1919[3][6] (other sources: from [Mount Pearl](/source/Mount_Pearl)).[7] During the night, however, the aircraft's engine started to overheat, possibly because of a blocked filter in the cooling system. After making several attempts to clear the blockage by diving the aircraft and stopping and restarting the engine to attempt to cool it, with the engine still overheating and heavy weather ahead, they turned south to seek out the shipping lanes, and on encountering the Danish steamer SS *Mary,*[ditched](/source/Water_landing) in the Atlantic and were rescued, 1,130 mi (1,820 km) from St John's and 750 mi (1,210 km) from Ireland.[8][9]

As the *Mary* was not fitted with radio, no news of Hawker and Grieves' rescue had reached the rest of the world, and they were feared to have been killed, a telegram of condolence being sent by King [George V](/source/George_V_of_the_United_Kingdom) until the *Mary* reached Scotland on 25 May.[8][10]

The *Daily Mail* prize was finally won by [John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown](/source/Alcock_and_Brown) who flew from St. John's to [Clifden](/source/Clifden), Ireland in a [Vickers Vimy](/source/Vickers_Vimy) on 14–15 June 1919.[11] Harry Hawker however won a prize of £5,000 for the first pilot to fly 1,000 miles over the ocean without ditching.[7]

## Specifications

*Data from* Sopwith-The Man and his Aircraft [12]

**General characteristics**

- **Crew:** Two

- **Length:** 32 ft 0 in (9.75 m)

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

- **Height:** 11 ft 0 in (3.35 m)

- **Wing area:** 575 sq ft (53.4 m2)

- **Empty weight:** 3,000 lb (1,361 kg)

- **Gross weight:** 6,150 lb (2,790 kg) [4]

- **Powerplant:** 1 × [Rolls-Royce Eagle](/source/Rolls-Royce_Eagle) VIII water-cooled [V12 engine](/source/V12_engine), 375 hp (280 kW)

- **Propellers:** 2-bladed propeller, 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) diameter

**Performance**

- **Maximum speed:** 118 mph (190 km/h, 103 kn)

- **Cruise speed:** 105 mph (169 km/h, 91 kn)

- **Service ceiling:** 13,000 ft (4,000 m)

## See also

**Related development**

- [Sopwith B.1](/source/Sopwith_B.1)

- [Sopwith Wallaby](/source/Sopwith_Wallaby)

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

- [Short Shirl](/source/Short_Shirl)

- [Boulton Paul Atlantic](/source/Boulton_Paul_Atlantic)

- [Vickers Vimy](/source/Vickers_Vimy)

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Flight_13_p393_1-0)** *Flight* 5 April 1913, p.393.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Flight_18_p1316_2-0)** *Flight* 21 November 1918, p.1316.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Robertson_p134_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Robertson_p134_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Robertson_p134_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Robertson_p134_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Robertson_p134_3-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Robertson_p134_3-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-Robertson_p134_3-6) Robertson 1970, p.134.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-flight_10th_p476_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-flight_10th_p476_4-1) *Flight* 10 April 1919, p.476.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-NYT_13_April19_5-0)** *New York Times* 13 April 1919.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NYT_19_May19_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NYT_19_May19_6-1) *New York Times* 19 May 1919.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-darling_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-darling_7-1) Kev Darling: *Hawker Typhoon, Tempest and Sea Fury*. The Crowood Press, 2003. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1 86126 620 0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1_86126_620_0). p.8

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Robertson_p135_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Robertson_p135_8-1) Robertson 1970, p.135.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Flight_19_p694_9-0)** *Flight* 29 May 1919, p.694.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Flight_19_p696_10-0)** *Flight* 29 May 1919, p.696.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Alcock and Brown"](http://www.aviation-history.com/airmen/alcock.htm) *Aviation-History.com*. Retrieved 14 August 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Robertson_p236-9_12-0)** Robertson 1970, pp. 236–237, 240–241.

## References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Sopwith Atlantic](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sopwith_Atlantic).

- "[The New *Daily Mail* Prizes](http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1913/1913%20-%200387.html)". *Flight*, 5 April 1913. p. 393.

- "[The *Daily Mail* Atlantic Prize](http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1918/1918%20-%201315.html)". *Flight*, 21 November 1918. p. 1316.

- "[The Transatlantic Race](http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1919/1919%20-%200476.html)". *[Flight](/source/Flight_International)*, 10 April 1919. pp. 476–480.

- "[The Transatlantic Race](http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1919/1919%20-%200503.html)". *Flight*, 17 April 1919, pp. 503–505.

- "[Plan Start Today on Win Or Die Atlantic Flight](https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1919/04/13/96292625.pdf)". *[New York Times](/source/New_York_Times)*, 13 April 1919, pp. 1,3.

- "[Hawker Waited Six Weeks To Start](https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1919/05/19/118152815.pdf)". *New York Times*, 19 May 1919, p. 5.

- "[The Transatlantic Flight:Hawker and Grieve Retrieved](http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1919/1919%20-%200694.html)". *Flight*, 29 May 1919.

- Robertson, 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 Atlantic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Atlantic) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Atlantic?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.