Sopwith Dolphin

Greetings all!

I'm a newbie here, in fact, I just discovered this site yesterday and registered today, so I'm still just finding my way around.

What can anyone tell me about the Dolphin? I've only seen a couple of pictures of it, and a few things strike me. First, it appears as though the machine guns were movable i.e. up and down. Second it looks in the photos as though it has an enclosed cockpit. Third, is it a one or two seater?

Also, how many of these actually saw service, and were they
effective as a fighter?


Thanks,

Neophyte (Bill)

My Dolphin info is pretty thin, but it's a start. Anyone please feel free to correct errors I may have made.


The Dolphin was introduced into service sometime in November 1917, and there were about 1780 built IIRC. It was a one seater with a geared 200hp, liquid cooled Hispano-Suiza engine. Armament varied, being either 2 fixed Vickers and 1 flexible Lewis, or 2 fixed Vickers and 2 Lewis guns that could be elevated, but not swung side-to-side.

It was an easy plane to fly, with outstanding high altitude performance, and built very sturdily. Visibility on landing was poor as the pilot's upper body was above the top wing in the open cockpit, making the pilot blind to anything going on below him.

As a side note, Dick King flew a replica Dolphin at Rhinebeck for a couple of years after the death of Dave Fox, until he made a forced landing in the trees near the airfield, damaging the airframe heavily.

I have talked to him on several occasions about flying the Rhinebeck planes, he told me the Dolphin was tail heavy as most WW I types were, but not a difficult plane to fly. He said the pilot is almost in a standing position, with only the edge of his posterior on the seat, and the plumbing for the radiators runs through the cockpit and will burn your arms if you are wearing short sleeves. The view from the pilot's seat is excellent in every direction except down, but looking forward is odd, because you can't see any part of the aircraft. There is no engine or cowling directly in front of you to serve as a reference point on the horizon.

The pilots head was above the top wings? Gads. The landing must have been a real treat. With the movable Lewis guns mounted above the Vickers, the cockpit on the Dolphin must have been pretty crowded too.

This may seem like a dumb question, but would I assume correctly that the moveable Lewis Guns had the synchronization gear? Would I also be correct in the assumption that the Lewis guns were somehow counterweighted for easy movement with one hand during a fight?

It's strange that a plane that was as common, as you infer,
isn't better documented in photos. I would love to see inside the cockpit.

Anyway......Thank you for your reply,

Best wishes,

Neo (Bill)

Okay, now I've read your second post after I posted my reply, and with the plumbing running thru the cockpit, I'm convinced the cockpit must have really been a cluttered mess.

This may seem like a dumb question, but would I assume correctly that the moveable Lewis Guns had the synchronization gear? *Would I also be correct in the assumption that the Lewis guns were somehow counterweighted for easy movement with one hand during a fight?

Not a dumb question at all, in fact I don't know the answer to the synchronization or the counterweights. I suspect the Lewis guns were not counterweighted, because such a counterweight would have to protrude into the cockpit area even more than the Lewis' spade grips and the Vickers receivers already did.

I've never been very fond of the Dolphin, so I don't know the little details like these.

I've found a photo of the Dolphin's cockpit, but there is an Aldis sight in place of the Lewis gun or guns on this one. It looks like a pretty tight office!



Here is the URL where I found the picture, more good Dolphin info there:

http://209.235.66.44/WW1/British/Planes/SW-Dolphin.htm

Claustrophobic is more the phrase. Imagining another set of guns on top of the Vickers and it really is cramped. Although, Gillet waxed a bunch of DVII's with his, so it obviously was a very formidable opponent in the proper hands.

Thanks again for all the details and insight.

[Rod_Filan]

I don't know if its been mentioned above; but because of the inherent danger of having your head above the level of the upper plane, some Dolphins had crash pylons installed.
http://204.83.160.230/archive/a/images/Dol...nCrashPylon.JPG
I'm quite sure this was an 'in-field' alteration. Someone may want to correct me on that if it wasn't.
More Dolphin pics at my website (url below)

VBR
Rod

After reading Rex's link, it seems the "rollbar" (my term) was something that was installed on some of them from the factory. Plus it makes sense because that's a great place to place the Lewis gun. It looks as though it kept the gun well above the arc of the prop. Not to mention the benefit of helping to keep your head from being ripped off.

By the way Rod...your website absolutely rocks! It's now on my favorites and I'll probably spend a fair amount of time checking it out. Thanks.

Thank you Rex and Rod for helpin' out a newbie.