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Today in History



 
The first British fighter equipped with a fixed, forward firing, synchronized machine gun, the Sopwith 1½ Strutter was built in both one and two-seater models. In the latter, the gas tank was dangerously positioned between the pilot and observer. This prompted some airmen to joke that the designer of the aircraft must surely have been German. Not long after its introduction, the 1½ Strutter was replaced by the Sopwith Pup.

With 13 victories, the highest scoring ace to fly this aircraft was Geoffrey Cock.
 
Sopwith 1½ Strutter Specifications
Country: Great Britain
Manufacturer: Sopwith Aviation Company
Type: Figher; later used for reconaissance/bombing
First Introduced: April 1916
Number Built: About 6000
Engine(s): Clerget 9Z, 110 hp
Clerget 9B, 130 hp
Clerget 9Ba, 135 hp
Clerget 9Bb, 135 hp
Clerget 9Bc, 145 hp
Le Rhône 9J, 110 hp
Le Rhône 9Jby, 135 hp
Le Rhône 9C, 80 hp
Wing Span: 33 ft 6 in
Length: 25 ft 3 in
Height: 10 ft 3 in
Empty Weight: from 1,159 lb to 1,411 lb
Gross Weight: from 2,041 lb to 2,416 lb
Max Speed: 80 mph to 103 mph (at 10,000 ft)
Ceiling: from 10,000 ft to 15,000 ft
Endurance: from 2 ¼ hours to 8 hours
Crew: 1 or 2
Armament: two .303 machine guns; two seater could carry four 25 lb to 65 lb bombs
 
Sopwith 1½ Strutter Units
Belgian Air Service: 2me, 3me, 4me
French Air Service: 13, 23, 24, 28, 29, 36, 54, 61, 66, 71, 106, 107, 108, 111, 123, 128, 129, 131, 132, 134, 141, 204, 206, 210, 214, 221, 222, 223, 224, 226, 227, 270
Royal Air Force: 225
Royal Flying Corps: 37, 43, 44, 45, 70, 78
Royal Naval Air Service: 5N, 8N, 10N, 13N, 3W, 5W, 6W
United States Air Service: 88th Aero, 90th Aero, 99th Aero
 
Sopwith 1½ Strutter Aces (8)
1 England Cock, Geoffrey Hornblower 13
2 England Belgrave, James Dacres 6
3 Scotland Harries, Thomas Montagu 6
4 Canada Blaiklock, George Walker 5
5 Ireland Caulfield-Kelly, Edward T. 5
6 Scotland Frew, Matthew Brown 5
7 England Murison, John Thompson Guy 5
8 England Vessey, John Arthur 5
 
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