Aircrafttotal Encyclopedia


Role	Biplane general purpose aircraft
National origin	United Kingdom
Manufacturer	Sopwith Aviation Company
First flight	December 1915
Introduction	April 1916
Primary users	Royal Naval Air Service Royal Flying Corps Aéronautique Militaire
Number built	4,500 France1,439 Great Britain

The Sopwith 1+1⁄2 Strutter is a British single- or two-seat multi-role biplane aircraft of the First World War. It was the first British two-seat tractor fighter and the first British aircraft to enter service with a synchronised machine gun. It was given the name 1+1⁄2 Strutter because of the long and short cabane struts that supported the top wing. The type was operated by both British air services and was in widespread but lacklustre service with the French Aéronautique Militaire.

In other foreign service

Three Belgian squadrons also flew French-built Sopwiths, and surplus French Sopwiths were used by several countries postwar. During the war, several 1+1⁄2 Strutters that were interned after landing in the Netherlands were purchased for the Dutch Luchvaart Afdeeling.

Development

In December 1914, the Sopwith Aviation Company designed a small, two-seat biplane powered by an 80 hp (60 kW) Gnome rotary engine, which became known as the "Sigrist Bus" after Fred Sigrist, the Sopwith works manager. The Sigrist Bus first flew on 5 June 1915 and although it set a new British altitude record on the day of its first flight, only one was built, serving as a company runabout

Sopwith Aviation Company Sopwith 1+1⁄2 Strutter

Sopwith Aviation Company
Sopwith 1+1⁄2 Strutter

General Info

Crew: 2 Length: 25 ft 3 in (7.70 m) Wingspan: 33 ft 6 in (10.21 m) Height: 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) Wing area: 346 sq ft (32.1 m²)

Powerplant

Empty weight: 1,305 lb (592 kg) Gross weight: 2,149 lb (975 kg) Max takeoff weight: 2,154 lb (977 kg) Powerplant: 1 × Clerget 9B 9-cylinder air-cooled rotary piston engine, 130 hp (97 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 100 mph (160 km/h, 87 kn) at 6,500 ft (1,981 m) Endurance: 3 hours 45 minutes Service ceiling: 15,500 ft (4,700 m) Time to altitude: 6,500 ft (1,981 m) in 9 minutes 10 seconds

Related development

Guns: 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) forward-firing synchronised Vickers machine gun 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun in observer's cockpit Bombs:** Up to 130 lb (60 kg) bombs

Special Links Sopwith Aviation Company Sopwith 1+1⁄2 Strutter

Links to Youtube & Others

Sopwith Aviation Sopwith 1+1⁄2 Strutter

Like other early Sopwith types, the 1+1⁄2 Strutter was very lightly built and its structure did not stand up very well to arduous war service.

Youtube Link

It was still a useful long-range reconnaissance aircraft when it could be provided with adequate fighter escort but was one of the types to suffer severely during "Bloody April", 43.

Sopwith Aviation Company
Sopwith 1+1⁄2 Strutter