H.King Sopwith Aircraft 1912-1920 (Putnam)
Gordon Bennett
There are, one feels, two justifications for this present short chapter both of them aeroplanes. The first of these machines, as shown in the accompanying photographs, was very distinctive, not only in matters of detail wherein it differed from any known form of the Tabloid, but in palpably basic features also. That this particular aeroplane had a special claim to the name 'Gordon Bennett' or 'Gordon Bennett Racer’; that it was taken over by the Admiralty as No. 1215; and that it had associations - at Hendon - with Lieut Spenser Grey are indisputable facts; but concerning the second aeroplane mentioned some haziness persists, though in having tucked it away under the 'Tabloid' heading one feels relief and confidence in equal measure. Let us then recognise what the photograph showing it fitted with a deflector propeller proclaims it to be a Tabloid, or a very close derivative. But equally let us admit the possibility of its having been intended (in one form or another) as a standby, or second siring, for the 1914 Gordon Bennett Aviation Cup.
On the purely sporting aspects of the matter once again we seek counsel from Peter Lewis, writing of 1914. Thus: 'Racing had been extremely popular for some three years, but relatively few attempts had been made in Great Britain to design small machines exclusively for the purpose.' (Here we shall do well to remember Sir Thomas Sopwith's own assurance that Pixton's victorious Schneider Trophy mount of 1914 was originally a Tabloid from an RFC production batch). But to allow Mr Lewis to finish: 'Among the efforts just before the war began was the Sopwith single-seater derived from the Tabloid with the express intention of competing for the 1914 Gordon Bennett Aviation Cup. It used an 80-hp Gnome equipped with a deep-chord cowling blended into a finely conceived circular fuselage but was never raced and, instead, saw war service at Hendon in the RNAS as 1215.'
The most noticeable differences between the special Gordon Bennett machine and a typical Tabloid were the slender fuselage, with convex side-fairings running back to the deep-chord tailplane, and blending forwards with a particularly smooth cowling having an annular air-intake of very small diameter, behind the propeller spinner; the vertical tail-surfaces alarmingly small in area, even though disposed both above and below the fuselage (the triangular fins seeming almost negligible ahead of the deep-chord, shallow and rounded rudder); and the slimness of the V-form landing gear struts.
Yet there were distinctions also in the wing cellule which, though generally of Tabloid form, had no stagger, and was braced by notably slender steel-tube struts - those immediately forward of the cockpit converging sharply upwards in side elevation, though the rear struts were single, and not inverted-Vs as on the 1915 Martinsyde two-seater, which had a somewhat similar arrangement. Behind the cockpit was the merest suggestion of a head-fairing, and another probably more significant subtlety was the blending of the lower wing-roots with the rounded fuselage, somewhat as on the Gloster IV racing seaplane of 1927.
It appeared, indeed, that the only discernible feature having some possible commonality between Gordon Bennett No.1215 and Tabloid (or Tabloid-derivative) No.1214 was the low-drag landing gear; and that 1215 should be appreciably the faster of the pair having a reputed speed of 105 mph (169 km/h) with a Gnome engine of only 80 hp can well be understood.
Less comprehensible - having regard to the fact that the 1913 Gordon Bennett contest had been won, by a Deperdussin monoplane, at 124 mph (200 km h) - is that any hope whatever should have been entertained for competitive success, though a more powerful engine may well have been in view.
M.Goodall, A.Tagg British Aircraft before the Great War (Schiffer)
Deleted by request of (c)Schiffer Publishing
SOPWITH tractor biplanes (Gordon Bennett racers)
The outbreak of war prevented the holding of the contest for the Gordon Bennett Cup of 1914 for which Sopwith had authorized the construction of two machines on 7 May 1914. Both were completed and purchased by the Admiralty against Contract CP60619/14/X21593 dated 21 October 1914, being identified as Nos.1214-1215, and were delivered to Hendon on 19 October 1914 and 25 November 1914 for the 'Fast Flight'. In naval service, No. 1214 went to France for a time, before being finally deleted in March 1916. No.1215 was deleted at Chingford in July 1915.
The two machines were quite unlike one another. No. 1214 was similar to a 'Tabloid' and, when in service had hoop shaped skids under the wing tips and was fitted with a forward firing Lewis gun with propeller blade deflectors. Originally to have a 100hp Monosoupape Gnome, an 80hp Gnome engine was fitted when supplied to the Admiralty.
No. 1215 was intended to be a really fast machine, fitted with a 200hp Gnome engine, but was downgraded to 80hp, when acquired by the Navy. Although this machine was of typical Sopwith Scout layout, it had a more streamlined appearance. Starting with the completely circular, dome shaped nose cone, the fuselage was faired to circular section, progressively changing to a flatter form adjacent to the tail unit. The nose cone had only a small central opening for cooling air to enter around the spinner and the propeller boss.
The vertical tail surfaces consisted of small triangular shaped fins, above and below the tailplane, which carried a rudder of almost circular form, flat along the hinge line. The tailplane extended well along the fuselage sides and carried a divided elevator. The front center section struts were canted forward and warping control was fitted to both aircraft.
Power:
No.1214 80hp Gnome seven-cylinder air-cooled rotary fitted instead of 100hp Gnome Monosoupape B nine-cylinder originally planned.
No.1215 80hp Gnome seven-cylinder air-cooled rotary fitted instead of 200hp Gnome Monosoupape M nine-cylinder originally planned.
Data No.1215
Speed with 80hp 105 mph
P.Lewis British Aircraft 1809-1914 (Putnam)
Sopwith Gordon Bennett Racer
Two examples of these single-seat tractor biplanes were constructed during 1914 for the Gordon Bennett Race of that year, and were improved versions of the Tabloid with circular fuselages. The power was provided by a 50 h.p. Gnome, enclosed in a long-chord cowling. Both were taken into service by the Admiralty on the outbreak of the 1914-18 War for intended use as high-speed scouts, and were given the serials 1214 and 1215. Maximum speed, 105 m.p.h.
J.Bruce British Aeroplanes 1914-1918 (Putnam)
Sopwith Gordon Bennett Racer
FOR the 1914 Gordon Bennett race the Sopwith company produced a remarkably clean single-seat biplane. It was powered by an 80 h.p. Gnome engine which was cleanly cowled in what, twenty years later, would have been called a long-chord cowling. The fuselage had faired sides, and a neat vee undercarriage was fitted.
It was obvious that great care had been taken to reduce drag as much as possible; but in doing so the fin and rudder were reduced to dangerously small proportions. The maximum speed proved to be 105 m.p.h., an excellent performance on only 80 h.p.
Two machines of this type were built, and were impressed by the Admiralty on the outbreak of war, doubtless with the intention of using them as high-speed single-seat scouts. The Gordon Bennetts were given the serial numbers 1214 and 1215. Their service history is unfortunately obscure.
H.King Armament of British Aircraft (Putnam)
Gordon Bennett Racer. Almost identical with the Tabloid, one of two machines of this type was fitted in 1915 with a fixed, stripped Lewis gun on the starboard side of the fuselage. The airscrew was provided with plates to deflect the bullets. A minute written by Winston Churchill in April 1915, calling for a single-seat Naval aircraft 'with a Lewis gun firing through the deflector propeller', may be mentioned in this context.