# Sopwith B.1 > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sopwith_B.1 > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sopwith_B.1.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_B.1 > Source revision: 1321133456 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) British WW1 biplane bomber aircraft B.1 General information Type Bomber Manufacturer Sopwith Aviation Company Primary user Royal Naval Air Service Number built 2 History First flight 1917 The **Sopwith B.1** was an experimental [British](/source/United_Kingdom) bomber aircraft of the [First World War](/source/World_War_I). A single-seat, single-engined [biplane](/source/Biplane), the B.1 was built by the [Sopwith Aviation Company](/source/Sopwith_Aviation_Company) for the [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy). Although only two were built, one was used for bombing raids over France. ## Development and design In late 1916, Sopwith, whose earlier [1½ Strutter](/source/Sopwith_1%C2%BD_Strutter) had proved successful as a light bomber (particularly when operated as a single seater), designed a new, single-engined bomber aircraft. The new bomber was developed in parallel with the [Cuckoo](/source/Sopwith_Cuckoo) [carrier](/source/Aircraft_carrier)-based [torpedo bomber](/source/Torpedo_bomber) and closely resembled the Cuckoo. It, like the Cuckoo, was a compact [tractor](/source/Tractor_configuration) [biplane](/source/Biplane), powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) Hispano-Suiza water-cooled engine. Unlike the Cuckoo, the bomber's two-bay wings did not fold. It was designed as a single-seat aircraft, with the pilot sitting in a cockpit under the wing centre section to give a good view forwards and downwards for bombing. The aircraft bombload of up to 560 lb (255 kg) was carried vertically within the fuselage, in cells behind the pilot.[1][2] While no orders followed from either the [Admiralty](/source/British_Admiralty), whose needs for a single-engined bomber had been met by the [Airco DH.4](/source/Airco_DH.4) or the [Royal Flying Corps](/source/Royal_Flying_Corps), Sopwith obtained a license to build a prototype of the new bomber, designated **Sopwith B.1** as a private venture, probably hoping for orders from the French [*Aéronautique Militaire*](/source/History_of_the_Arm%C3%A9e_de_l'Air_(1909-1942)).[3] This prototype first flew in early April 1917, being tested officially later that month, where it demonstrated good performance, but was tail heavy when carrying a bomb load and nose heavy without, and was tiring to fly.[1] It was sent to France following these tests, in the mistaken belief that the French wanted to test the aircraft. Once in France, the unwanted B.1 was acquired by the British [Royal Naval Air Service](/source/Royal_Naval_Air_Service), given the serial number *N.50* and issued to [5 Squadron, RNAS](/source/No._205_Squadron_RAF), on 16 May 1917 for operational evaluation.[4] Fitted with a single forward-firing [Lewis gun](/source/Lewis_gun), the B.1 was flown on a number of bombing raids against targets in German-occupied Belgium. While its performance was praised, it was again noted that the B.1 was tiring to fly, and that the lack of manoeuvrability or any useful defensive armament meant that it was vulnerable to hostile fighters.[5] The prototype B.1 was sent to the [Marine Experimental Aircraft Depot](/source/Port_Victoria_Marine_Experimental_Aircraft_Depot) on the [Isle of Grain](/source/Isle_of_Grain) in autumn 1917 for reconstruction as a two-seat carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft with folding wings. The initial attempts at modifying the aircraft were not successful, but the B.1 formed the basis of the [Port Victoria Grain Griffin](/source/Port_Victoria_Grain_Griffin), a major redesign of the B.1 with new wings and a wider fuselage.[1] A second B.1 was built in early 1918, being fitted with the elevator control cables routed outside the fuselage in an attempt to improve control. This aircraft was purchased by the RNAS and tested at [Martlesham Heath](/source/RAF_Martlesham_Heath) in April–May 1918.[6] ## Operators **[United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom)** - [Royal Naval Air Service](/source/Royal_Naval_Air_Service) - [5 Squadron, RNAS](/source/No._205_Squadron_RAF) ## Specifications (B.1) *Data from* The British Bomber since 1914 [7] **General characteristics** - **Crew:** 1 - **Length:** 27 ft 0 in (8.23 m) - **Wingspan:** 38 ft 6 in (11.73 m) - **Height:** 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) - **Wing area:** 460 sq ft (43 m2) - **Empty weight:** 1,700 lb (771 kg) - **Max takeoff weight:** 3,055 lb (1,386 kg) - **Powerplant:** 1 × [Hispano-Suiza 8B](/source/Hispano-Suiza_8B) V-8 water-cooled piston engine, 200 hp (150 kW) - **Propellers:** 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller **Performance** - **Maximum speed:** 118.5 mph (191 km/h, 103 kn) - **Endurance:** 33⁄4 hours - **Service ceiling:** 19,000 ft (5,800 m) - **Time to altitude:** 10,000 ft (3,048 m) in 15 minutes 30 seconds - **Wing loading:** 6.64 lb/sq ft (32.4 kg/m2) - **[Power/mass](/source/Power-to-weight_ratio):** 0.065 hp/lb (0.107 kW/kg) **Armament** - **Guns:** 1x forward-firing [.303 in](/source/.303_British) [Lewis gun](/source/Lewis_gun) - **Bombs:** Up to 560 lb (255 kg) bombs including twenty 28 lb (13 kg) bombs *or* twenty French 10 kg (22 lb) bombs in fuselage bomb bay ## See also **Related development** - [Sopwith Cuckoo](/source/Sopwith_Cuckoo) - [Grain Griffin](/source/Port_Victoria_Grain_Griffin) **Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era** - [Sunbeam Bomber](/source/Sunbeam_Bomber) **Related lists** - [List of aircraft of the Royal Naval Air Service](/source/List_of_aircraft_of_the_Royal_Naval_Air_Service) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Bruce_British_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Bruce_British_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Bruce_British_1-2) Bruce 1957, pp. 593–596. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Mason 1994, pp. 80–81. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Bruce (2001), p. 1. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Bruce 2001, p. 4. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Bruce 2001, pp. 5–6. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Bruce 2001, pp. 7–9. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Mason 1994, p. 83. - Bruce, J. M. *British Aeroplanes 1914-18*. London:Putnam, 1957. - Bruce, J. M. *Sopwith B.1 & T.1 Cuckoo: Windsock Datafile 90*. Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, UK: Albatros Publications, 2001. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-902207-41-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-902207-41-6). - Mason, Francis K. *The British Bomber since 1914*. London:Putnam, 1994. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85177-861-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85177-861-5). 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 Authority control databases: National United States Israel --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sopwith B.1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_B.1) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_B.1?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.