The Sopwith ‘Pup’ was fast, agile, and easy-to-fly, perhaps reflecting the fact that it was developed from the personal aircraft of Harry Hawker, Sopwith Aviation’s test pilot.
Entering service in late summer of 1916, the Sopwith “Scout” (as it was officially termed) was one of the first British tractor biplanes with a synchonized machine gun. Supplied to No. 2 Naval Wing of the RNAS at Dunkirk, it displayed its capabilities immediately, as pilots flying the new craft claimed eight victories in the last week of September. Even though it only carried one 7.7 mm machine gun, it was in some ways superior even to the new German Albatros D.III.
On August 2, 1917, a Sopwith Pup became the the first airplane to land on the deck of a moving ship, HMS Furious, a landmark in the development of naval aviation.
Top Speed: 112 m.p.h.
Manufacturer: Sopwith Aviation Co.
Year: 1916
Engine: 80 h.p. Le Rhone 9C 9-cylinder rotary
Wingspan: 26 feet 6 inches
Weight: 1,225 lb.
Armament: 1 machine gun