# Sopwith Gnu

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British 1919 biplane touring aircraft

Gnu General information Type Touring biplane Manufacturer Sopwith Aviation & Engineering Company Number built 13 History Introduction date 1919

The **Sopwith Gnu** was a 1910s British touring [biplane](/source/Biplane), designed and built by the [Sopwith Aviation & Engineering Company](/source/Sopwith_Aviation_%26_Engineering_Company) of [Kingston-upon-Thames](/source/Kingston-upon-Thames). It was one of the first cabin aircraft designed for civil use.

## Design and development

Designed for the postwar civil market, the **Gnu** was a conventional equal-span biplane. It had an open cockpit for a pilot with seating for two passengers under a hinged and glazed roof. Most of the aircraft were powered by a 110[hp](/source/Horsepower) [Le Rhône](/source/Le_Rh%C3%B4ne) rotary engine. The enclosed passenger cabin was cramped and unpopular, and most production aircraft had an open rear cockpit. One prototype and twelve production aircraft were built. A postwar slump ended production, and the company had problems selling the aircraft, although two aircraft were sold in Australia.

## Operational history

The United Kingdom-based aircraft were mainly used to provide joyrides in the early 1920s. Two aircraft that were used for exhibition and stunt flying in the late 1920s crashed. Most of the production aircraft were not sold, and were dismantled, including four aircraft that remained unsold when the Sopwith Aviation Company folded in 1920. Two Australian aircraft were used by [Australian Aerial Services](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Australian_Aerial_Services&action=edit&redlink=1) on the Adelaide to Sydney [mail route](/source/Air_mail).

## Operators

**[Australia](/source/Australia)**

- [Australian Aerial Services](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Australian_Aerial_Services&action=edit&redlink=1)

## Specifications (Gnu)

**General characteristics**

- **Crew:** one (pilot)

- **Capacity:** two

- **Length:** 25 ft 10 in (7.88 m)

- **Wingspan:** 38 ft 1 in (11.61 m)

- **Height:** 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m)

- **Gross weight:** 3,350 lb (1,520 kg)

- **Powerplant:** 1 × [Le Rhône](/source/Le_Rh%C3%B4ne) rotary engine , 110 hp (82 kW)

**Performance**

- **Maximum speed:** 93 mph (150 km/h, 81 kn)

- **Range:** 300 mi (483 km, 260 nmi)

- **Rate of climb:** 645 ft/min (3.3 m/s)

## References

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

- A.J. Jackson, *British Civil Aircraft since 1919 – Volume 3*, Putnam, London 1988, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85177-818-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85177-818-6)

- *The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft* (Part Work 1982–1985), Orbis Publishing.

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