# Sopwith Snapper > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sopwith_Snapper > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sopwith_Snapper.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Snapper > Source revision: 1338836573 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) British WW1 biplane fighter aircraft Snapper General information Type Fighter National origin United Kingdom Manufacturer Sopwith Status Prototype Number built 3 History First flight 1919 The **Sopwith Snapper** was a prototype [British](/source/United_Kingdom) [fighter aircraft](/source/Fighter_aircraft) of the [First World War](/source/World_War_I). A single-engined [biplane](/source/Biplane) designed by the [Sopwith Aviation Company](/source/Sopwith_Aviation_Company) to replace the [Sopwith Snipe](/source/Sopwith_Snipe) fighter, it first flew after the end of the war, but did not enter service owing to the failure of its engine, only three aircraft being built. ## Development and design In 1918, the British [Air Ministry](/source/Air_Ministry) developed a requirement for a single-seat fighter to replace the [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force)'s [Sopwith Snipes](/source/Sopwith_Snipe), even though the Snipe had yet to enter service. This requirement, RAF Type 1, specified the new [ABC Dragonfly](/source/ABC_Dragonfly) air-cooled [radial engine](/source/Radial_engine), which had been ordered into production in large numbers on the basis of excellent promised performance and ease of production despite the fact that it had yet to complete testing. To meet this requirement, Sopwith produced two new and completely different designs, a [triplane](/source/Triplane) (the [Sopwith Snark](/source/Sopwith_Snark)) and a more conventional biplane, which was named the **Snapper**. The Air Ministry ordered three prototype Snappers, along with three Snarks.[1] (In addition Sopwith received orders for 300 Dragonfly powered Snipes as the [Sopwith Dragon](/source/Sopwith_Dragon)). The Snapper was a small single-bay biplane with heavily [staggered](/source/Stagger_(aviation)) wings. It was originally intended to have a wooden [monocoque](/source/Monocoque) fuselage (as did the [Sopwith Snail](/source/Sopwith_Snail) lightweight fighter and the Snark), but this was abandoned to ease production, with a more conventional wire-braced fabric covered fuselage substituted.[2] The cockpit was positioned aft of the wings, providing good visibility to the pilot, while two forward firing [synchronised](/source/Synchronization_gear) [Vickers machine guns](/source/Vickers_machine_gun) were mounted on the fuselage top decking.[3] The change in fuselage design delayed production of the fuselage, with further delays being caused by the engine which was overweight, and suffered from catastrophic reliability and vibration problems. The first Snapper flew at [Brooklands](/source/Brooklands) in May 1919, soon followed by the other two aircraft.[2] Although performance was good when the Dragonfly was working correctly, the engines problems were unsolvable, with the engine eventually being cancelled in September 1919. Although Sopwith attempted to enter one of the Snappers (with the civil registration *K149*) into the 1919 [Aerial Derby](/source/Aerial_Derby) where it was to be flown by [Harry Hawker](/source/Harry_Hawker), this was forbidden by the Air Ministry[4] (officially as its engine was still classified as Secret) and the three Snappers were used for test flying by the [Royal Aircraft Establishment](/source/Royal_Aircraft_Establishment).[5] ## Specifications *Data from* British Aeroplanes 1914-18[6] **General characteristics** - **Crew:** 1 - **Length:** 20 ft 7 in (6.27 m) - **Wingspan:** 28 ft 0 in (8.53 m) - **Height:** 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) - **Wing area:** 292 sq ft (27.1 m2) - **Empty weight:** 1,462 lb (663 kg) - **Gross weight:** 2,190 lb (993 kg) - **Powerplant:** 1 × [ABC Dragonfly](/source/ABC_Dragonfly) 9-cylinder air-cooled [radial piston engine](/source/Radial_piston_engine), 360 hp (270 kW) - **Propellers:** 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller **Performance** - **Maximum speed:** 140 mph (230 km/h, 120 kn) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m) - **Service ceiling:** 23,000 ft (7,000 m) - **Time to altitude:** 10,000 ft (3,000 m) in 7 minutes 50 seconds - **Wing loading:** 7.5 lb/sq ft (37 kg/m2) - **[Power/mass](/source/Power-to-weight_ratio):** 0.16 hp/lb (0.26 kW/kg) **Armament** - **Guns:** 2 × forward firing, synchronised [.303 in](/source/.303_British) [Vickers machine guns](/source/Vickers_machine_gun) ## See also **Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era** - [Armstrong Whitworth Ara](/source/Armstrong_Whitworth_Ara) - [BAT Basilisk](/source/BAT_Basilisk) - [Nieuport Nighthawk](/source/Nieuport_Nighthawk) - [Sopwith Dragon](/source/Sopwith_Dragon) - [Sopwith Snark](/source/Sopwith_Snark) - [Westland Wagtail](/source/Westland_Wagtail) ## Notes 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Bruce_v3_p56_1-0)** Bruce 1969, p.56. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Mason_Fighter_p147_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Mason_Fighter_p147_2-1) Mason 1992, p.147. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Bruce_British_p634_3-0)** Bruce 1957, p.634. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Flight_p847_4-0)** *Flight*: 26 June 1919, p.847. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Bruce_v3_p56-7_5-0)** Bruce 1969, pp.56-57. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Bruce_British_p635_6-0)** Bruce 1957, p.635. ## References - "[The Aerial Derby](http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1919/1919%20-%200837.html)". *[Flight](/source/Flight_International)*, 26 June 1919, pp. 837–847. - Bruce, J.M. *British Aeroplanes 1914-18*. London:Putnam, 1957. - Bruce, J.M. *War Planes of the First World War: Fighters Volume Three*. London:Macdonald, 1969. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-356-01490-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-356-01490-8). - Mason, Francis K. *The British Fighter since 1912*. Annapolis, USA:Naval Institute Press, 1992. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-55750-082-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-55750-082-7). ## External links - [Photo](https://web.archive.org/web/20111001065101/http://www.historicaircraft.org/WW1-Gallery/pages/Sopwith-Snapper.html) 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 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sopwith Snapper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Snapper) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Snapper?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.