H.King Sopwith Aircraft 1912-1920 (Putnam)

Tabloid

   This tiny biplane was Sopwith's historic essay in building an aeroplane primarily for high performance (especially respecting speed) both for sporting and military-scouting work. In its first two seat-form it appeared in November 1913; and when officially tested at Farnborough late in that month (the actual date quoted by Sopwith being the 29th, on which day also Hawker 'buzzed' a crowded Hendon meeting) showed a speed range of 36.9-92 mph (59-148 km/h) and an initial rate of climb of 1.200 ft (336 m) per minute and this when carrying two men and petrol for 2 1/2 hours' flying. Here, then, was yet another example of what Sopwith - Britain's new, up-and-coming aircraft constructor - could achieve with low power, by virtue of excellent aerodynamic and structural design; for the reader may now recall the earlier rhetoric of Aeronautics concerning the Three-seater: 'How many constructors would undertake ..." etc. and stressing the low power required.
   Like the Three-seater, the Tabloid had a Gnome engine of 80 hp only; and one of the few criticisms that could be made of the little newcomer was that the two occupants, seated side by side, with the pilot to port, had a poor field of view especially upwards, for the cockpit was under the centre section, and the wings, though short in span, were deep in chord, and initially had no trailing-edge cutout. The depth in chord was due in part to the use of warping for lateral control; and another notable feature of the controlling surfaces was the absence of a fin ahead of the aerodynamically balanced rudder.
   Although construction was conventional in the conventional sense (wooden, wire-braced, fabric-covered) it was sufficiently ingenious in detail to be lengthily described in two consecutive articles in Flight during February 1914. These articles were not only partly written, but illustrated also, by the present writer's one-time editor C. M. Poulsen; and though no specific reference could be made at the time to the Tabloid as such, 'C.M.P.' assured me once that what he had to say and show in those early efforts was essentially applicable.
   "We are indebted', the first article acknowledged, 'to the Sopwith Aviation Co., Ltd., for their courtesy in giving us every information and in placing their extensive works at our disposal. It would have been difficult to find a more representative firm' (the declared topic of the articles being 'An Aeroplane in the Making') 'for at their works at Kingston, where the Sopwith Aviation Co. employ some 150 workmen, in addition to a large staff of draughtsmen, all the most up-to-date machinery and latest labour-saving methods are employed, whilst the workmanship of their machines has already established for them an enviable reputation, equalled only by the excellence of their design." Poulsen then went on to say a great deal about woodwork, which was always his particular interest (one remembers him talking of his days in American forests); but perhaps the most relevant paragraph in his first instalment - especially in view of the many stories told (with picturesque variations) about Sopwith aeroplanes being 'chalked out on the floor' was this:
   'The method of constructing the fuselage is similar to that employed in building up the wings. The longerons, struts and cross-members are all cut to shape on the spindle machines, and, this being done, they are taken to the erecting shop, on the floor of which are secured some thin strips of wood bent to the shape which it is desired to give the fuselage. The longerons are placed on the floor, and kept to the desired shape by wood blocks pressing them against the strips on the floor. The struts with their respective sockets are then put in place, and the two sides of the fuselage made rigid by means of diagonal cross-bracing. Each of the bracing wires has incorporated in it a wire strainer in order to allow of each bay being tuned up separately. When the two sides are thus finished they are raised up on edge and connected by the cross-members and by diagonal bracing, and the whole structure is then adjusted, or, as it is called, "tuned up". The next job to be done is that of putting the engine bearers, tank supports, pilot's and passenger's seats, controls &c., into place, and when this is accomplished the fuselage is ready to be covered with fabric. In the Sopwith machines, this is done by cutting the fabric to shape and, passing it around the fuselage, lacing it along one longeron. The fabric is then doped similarly to the wings, and the fuselage is ready for the wings.'
   Here, I think, we have a singularly interesting study in philology (apart from one's deliberate suppression of italics for the words fuselage and longeron); for the expression 'tuning up' was to endure only in respect of engines, whereas the early wire-braced airframes were quite literally tuned-up like musical instruments (flying, in any case, then being more of an art than a science). Further respecting terminology and nomenclature, one is here constrained to quote a more famous editor than C. M. Poulsen. in the person of C. G. Grey, who declared of the Sopwith aeroplane which now concerns us: 'It was nicknamed the Tabloid, and those universal benefactors Burroughs Wellcome & Co. objected to the use of their registered trade name thinking that it was poking fun at them. I took much pains to show them that it was a compliment, and we went on using it.'
   Ironically, in the context of the 1919 Transatlantic attempts, it was the victorious Sir John Alcock and the hapless Harry Hawker who pronounced the 'Tabloid' first - aid kit to be 'the only possible medical equipment for airmen'; and as early as March 1914 Burroughs, Wellcome and Co. had been advertising their 'No.706, or The Aviator's Case' as being no larger than a cigarette case.
   Exploitation of the Sopwith Tabloid's military potential as a fast scout dated from April 1914, when the first of a small batch for the RFC was finished. By 26 May the sixth was at Brooklands for test. These Service Tabloids were single-seaters, with a fin and plain rudder and finer nose lines. It was, in fact, these very features that apart from a float landing gear had distinguished the specimen to which attention is now directed, and which was to prove the most famous Tabloid of all by winning for Great Britain what came to be regarded as almost the Grail of airmen - the Schneider Trophy.
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   After the blue of the Mediterranean meanwhile, back at the (Brooklands sewage) farm ...
   From the Sopwith Scouts - as the military Tabloids were now sometimes called R. H. Barnwell of the Bristol Flying School (who is not to be confused with his brother F. S., and who had taken over as temporary test pilot) was getting splendid results. These single-seaters, as already noted, had a tail fin and a plain rudder, and though they retained the skid/wheel landing gear, the skids were longer than those on the original Tabloid and were necessarily supported by longer, and more sharply raked, struts, one specimen at least having three instead of two main struts. Conversely, the nose and other features had been cleaned up, and more than one form of engine mounting had been tried.
   Barnwell's best performance was, perhaps, not a test flight in itself but a delivery flight to Farnborough on 22 April. There a new speed range of 39.6-94.9 mph (63.6-153 km h) was established. Pixton was quickly home from the racing to carry on the good work on behalf of ‘the military' and fortified not only by a good lunch stood by the Aero Club but by having heard the Marquess of Tullibardine affirm at that lunch that Sopwith was one of the world's foremost aircraft constructors.
   The summer of 1914 saw the delivery of one of the first military Tabloids to No.7 Squadron. RFC; and thereafter the technical, as distinct from the operational, history of the type became obscured by the fog of war - especially so as the RNAS, as well as the RFC, employed it. Four were shipped in crates to Boulogne as early as 19 August, 1914, and two of these were flown by Lieuts Gorden Bell and Norman Spratt. This last-named officer has achieved an unusual kind of fame for having forced an enemy aircraft to land by manoeuvring in 'an aggressive manner', though he carried with him on that occasion a few steel darts; and he is also remembered for his tentative trailing of a grenade on a cable. A grapnel and a pistol have also been named among Spratt's weapons; but although he has been credited with tiring thirty shots from a 'revolver', he must have been as dextrous as he was ingenious to reload about six chambers several times over.
   In any case, air fighting was only just beginning in those times, and Tabloid production ended in the spring of 1915. Though the redoubtable 'Sammy' (Cdr C. R. Samson) seems to have approved a top-wing mounting for a Lewis gun, the two most famous Tabloids that came to his squadron at Antwerp Nos.167 and 168 (which, with No.169, made up a brave little trio) - were destined to establish Sopwith and the RNAS in the low-level bombing, or strike, business. The importance of this function was implicit in the following letter received by Sopwith from the Director of the Admiralty Air Department on 28 December, 1914 alluding to some stirring events of the previous October:
   'Gentlemen. With reference to the recent attack on the German air [ship] sheds at Cologne and Dusseldorf, carried out by Sqn. Cdr. Spenser D. A. Grey and Fl. Lieut. R. L. G. Marix, you may be interested to learn that the machines used were your Sopwith Tabloid aeroplanes.'
   Sad would it be indeed if we were to leave the Tabloid landplane a classically clean biplane if ever there was one still hampered by the wheel skid landing gear that was a feature of early-production specimens. Happily, the facts are otherwise, for when it returned to England from Monaco Pixton's racing seaplane was further modified for sporting use by fitting one of the neatest V-strut gears (two wheels, 'split' half-axles, no skids) that could have been desired. In this form it was intended to participate in the 1914 Aerial Derby with 100 hp Gnome Monosoupape engine, and with R. H. Barnwell as pilot. A second Tabloid, from the RFC production batch, flown by Pixton and powered by an 80 hp Gnome, was also entered, but fog obliged both Tabloids to retire. Respecting speed one notes with special interest this passage in C. H. Barnes' book Bristol Aircraft Since 1910 (the 'modified Scout' referred to being, of course, a Bristol product, and the Tabloid's spritely rival). Thus: 'On 14 May, 1914, Busleed put the modified Scout through an A.I.D. performance test at Farnborough and recorded a speed range of 97.5 m.p.h. to 40 m.p.h.; he then flew to Brooklands, where he gave a spectacular demonstration and in a handicap race was beaten only by seconds by Harold Barnwell in the 100 h.p. Gnome-engined Sopwith Tabloid."
   Concerning the very neat V-strut landing gear earlier mentioned, it is helpful to have the following description, written in 1915, because this general form of gear, utilising steel tubes for the main members, was to become a veritable Sopwith 'trademark', being associated in particular with the 1 1/2 Strutter. Having stressed the quality of simplicity, the 1915 description added: 'The axle is divided in the centre, where it is pivoted between two transverse members joining the apexes of the chassis struts. In order to prevent a downward movement of the centre of these members a single wire is taken from this point to the bottom of the body. Transverse rigidity is established by diagonal cross bracing between the front pair of chassis struts. This undercarriage, it should be pointed out, is not that fitted as standard on the Sopwith scouts. It was, in fact, quickly produced for the last Aerial Derby.'
   Quickly though this form of gear may have come (and here, if one is not grossly in error, the hand of Sigrist is once more discerned) long was it to remain. 'Split-axle', though technically correct in a descriptive sense, is nevertheless misleading (having regard to later usage of the term) and 'stub axles' were the main transverse components.
   It was not, in any case, sheer speed which was to distinguish the Sopwith fighters of later years so much as their powers of manoeuvre (Spratt's aggressiveness has already been instanced) - combined, of course, with effective armament. To emphasise the manoeuvrability factor (and remembering what construction T. O. M. Sopwith had placed on the term 'factor', as noted earlier) one could adduce no more convincing or entertaining instance than the following report of Brooklands activities, rendered as early as April 1914:
   'Mr. Pixton was out on the "tabloid" Sopwith biplane; but the flights of the afternoon were by Mr. Barnwell on the Sopwith "tabloid" on which he achieved the distinction of being the first Brooklands airman to "loop the loop", after having quickly climbed to 4,000 ft. In the strong sunshine and at the height the evolution was carried out it was difficult to follow every detail of movement, but to most it seemed that the machine, after turning vertically upwards, fell to one side, and then, turning over, completed the loop prior to planing down. Mr. Tom Sopwith ran out to greet Mr. Barnwell and to ask him exactly what he had done, to which question the aviator called out: "That's just what I've come down to ask you!" His idea of his movements, however, coincided with the above opinion, so, apparently quite satisfied as to what he had to do the next time, he immediately restarted, and at his second attempt made three very good loops at a height of about 3.000 feet. On his return to terra firma he had a warm reception by the crowd near the "Blue Bird". It is worthy of note that nobody has previously attempted the feat on a machine approaching the speed of the Sopwith "tabloid". Mr. Barnwell seemed to think nothing of the feat he had accomplished, merely remarking after his second attempt: "I began to wonder where the world had got to that last time!"
   That this little effort was indeed 'worthy of note' would not have been disputed by Pup and Camel pilots in the war then drawing near; nor was the rendering 'tabloid Sopwith’ unknown in Service circles, for about six months before the war Lieut Col F. H. Sykes named as a captain in the chapter on 'Other Men's Aeroplanes' was reported as having affirmed: 'Experience places the value of aerial reconnaissance beyond a doubt, not only in calm weather, but practically in all weathers; reconnaissance will however be opposed, and that in the air. Anti-aircraft guns will assist, but probably insufficiently. This fact being granted, there is the obvious necessity for different types of aircraft ... Does the advanced cavalry require one type? The Headquarters of an Army another? Flanking divisions a third? Will there be a battle squadron? A fast scout flotilla? A squadron to hunt down and destroy airships and to attack aircraft bases? A low-flying armoured destroyer of ammunition parks and supply trains? A heavy transport convoy craft? A breakdown and repair craft?
   'For all these duties, slightly different types and qualities are required. Even now, one can hardly imagine the tabloid Sopwith taking the role of a Sikorski argosy." [sic].
   An interesting study, this, not only in the coming needs of air warfare (which Sopwith was to do so much to meet) but in aircraft nomenclature also.
   With the quality of manoeuvrability one was careful to associate a little earlier 'effective armament"; and though the full significance of the qualification 'effective' (as distinct from merely 'heavy') will later be emphasised-especially in regard to the 1 1/2 Strutter and Camel the moment now arrives to proclaim the Tabloid as an initiator of the 'deflector' propeller one, that is, which had an arrangement of steel plates to protect it from damage from bullets fired straight ahead through the plane of the revolving blades. That this same innovation is sometimes ascribed to the type of aeroplane called the Sopwith Gordon Bennett appears to be amply justified, and is explained in the "Gordon Bennett' chapter which follows the present one; but for the present at least this particular armament fitment is associated with the Tabloid. Relevant in any case is 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.’ (It is not, however, suggested that the device was in any sense a product of 'Winnie's toy-shop' - as a certain exciting, dangerous and unofficial emporium came to be known one war later).
   Whatever its origins (probably French) one deflector scheme had associations with The Integral Propeller Co Lid of Euston Road, London. A stout bracing-rod for the channel-form bullet-deflector was a prominent feature.
   Beyond recording that between October 1914 and June 1915 Tabloid production totalled 36 machines (all Sopwith-built); that the later examples had ailerons instead of wing warping; and that allocated Service numbers included 123, 124, 167-169, 326, 394 and 1201-1213, little remains to be said of this historic little biplane; for though four were sent to the Dardanelles aboard hms Ark Royal (later renamed Pegasus) early in 1915, though two were at the Isle of Grain and one or more served at Great Yarmouth, these achieved little operational distinction.
   These facts notwithstanding, we must not omit to note that Ark Royal was commanded by that pioneer of aircraft armament Cdr R. H. (later Air Marshal Sir Robert) Clark-Hall, who himself reported that the "four land machines' (the Tabloids) had so small a wing span that they could be hoisted in and out 'with their wings spread' (meaning fully rigged, for the wings did not fold). These aeroplanes, said Clark-Hall, could be flown off the ship's deck, but could not land back on to it, and they could alight on the sea only with great risk. One wholly fascinating observation by 'Clarkie', was that they could be set ashore, for service from land bases, 'without difficulty in the ship's boats'.
   Shades of Sir Francis Drake and company: yet the armament of these particular Tabloids was no mere musketoon, but four or more 20 lb bombs, or quantities of steel spikes weighing 50 lb per thousand.
   So, from Kingston-on-Thames and Monaco, it was out to the Dardanelles ... Yet, later in the war came a reminder - a somewhat poignant one today for lovers of Sopwith 'original' material - of Pixton's historic peacetime victory, on the strength of which some observers steadfastly declared that it ‘had proved the biplane to be as fast as the monoplane’ (the dubiety of which would have been less in 1914 than now). The reminder just mentioned came after the Sopwith Sports of 1917, concerning which it was announced: 'The gate receipts totalled ?52. 7s. 6d., the tickets sold realised ?46. 16s. 6d., while the draw for the beautifully made model of the Schneider Cup winner brought in ?16. 3s. 6d.'.
   Where - many readers will join the writer in wondering - is that model today?


Tabloid (80 hp Gnome)

   Span 25 ft 6 in (7.7 m): length 20 ft 4 in (6.2 m); wing area 241.3 sq ft (22.4 sq m). Empty weight 730 lb (331 kg); maximum weight 1,120 lb (508 kg). Maximum speed 92 mph (148 km/h); endurance 3.5 hr.

M.Goodall, A.Tagg British Aircraft before the Great War (Schiffer)

P.Lewis British Aircraft 1809-1914 (Putnam)

Sopwith Tabloid

   Following the current trend of attempts to produce small fast tractor biplane scouts, T. O. M. Sopwith and F. Sigrist embodied their own ideas in the Tabloid, which was built in secret for racing and demonstration by their test pilot, H. G. Hawker, who also made some contribution at the design stage. First trials were made during the autumn of 1913 at Brooklands and, upon completion, they were followed by official tests at Farnborough on 29th November. These disclosed that the Tabloid possessed the unusually wide speed-range of 55T m.p.h. Later the same day, Hawker flew the machine from Farnborough to Hendon, arriving over the aerodrome while one of the popular Saturday meetings was in progress. He showed the new Sopwith off to the competitors and 50,000 spectators by completing two low, fast circuits of the field at 90 m.p.h.
   The two-seat prototype was scheduled to appear at the 1914 Paris Aero Show, but, instead, Hawker took the machine on demonstration to his native Australia in an effort to arouse the Government's interest in the type. While it was away, the Tabloid was modified and, on its return to England on 6th June, 1914, was seen to have had the fabric of the rear fuselage removed and a new undercarriage with simple vee-struts fitted. The original machine was built without a fin, and the single cockpit housed its two occupants side-by-side.
   Early in 1914 the Tabloid was put into production as a single-seat scout for both the Military and Naval Wings of the R.F.C. The length of the production version was increased by 4 ins. to become 20 ft. 4 ins.; a fin was added to the tail unit and ailerons replaced wing-warping.
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SPECIFICATION

   Description: Single- and two-seat tractor biplane. Wooden structure, fabric covered.
   Manufacturers: Sopwith Aviation Co. Ltd., Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey.
   Power Plant: 80 h.p. Gnome, 100 h.p. Monosoupape Gnome.
   Dimensions: Span, 25 ft. 6 ins. Length (prototype), 20 ft. Length (production), 20 ft. 4 ins. Height, 8 ft. 5 ins. Wing area, 241.3 sq. ft.
   Weights: Prototype. Empty, 670 lb. Loaded 1,060 lb. Production. Empty, 730 lb. Loaded, 1,120 1b.
   Performance: Maximum speed, 92 m.p.h. Landing speed, 36.9 m.p.h. Climb, 1,200 ft./min. Endurance, 3.5 hrs.

J.Bruce British Aeroplanes 1914-1918 (Putnam)

Sopwith Tabloid

  THE Sopwith Tabloid made a dramatic debut at Hendon on November 29th, 1913. On that day it had undergone official trials at Farnborough, where it had returned performance figures which at that time were astonishing. The machine’s performance was regarded as the more remarkable because it was a biplane: it was generally believed that the monoplane was the superior form of aeroplane.
  The Tabloid was designed and built in considerable secrecy. It was intended to be used for demonstration flying and racing, and was remarkably compact. The original Tabloid was a two-seater; pilot and passenger sat side-by-side in the single cockpit. The engine was an 80 h.p. Gnome, and was almost wholly enclosed in the peculiar cowling. Cooling air was admitted through two slots in the front bearing member of the fore-and-aft engine mounting. Construction was of wood throughout; the fuselage was a wire-braced box girder with a rounded top-decking. The undercarriage was a simple twin-skid structure.
  The wings had only a single pair of interplane struts on each side. Lateral control was by wing-warping. The semicircular tailplane was fitted with divided elevators, and a balanced rudder of rounded outline was hinged to the sternpost; there was no fin. The Tabloid’s first flights were made at Brooklands, and on their successful completion Hawker flew the machine to Farnborough. The official tests showed that the Tabloid had a speed of 92 m.p.h. and climbed to 1,200 feet in one minute with pilot, passenger and fuel for 2 1/2 hours. Hawker gave the Hendon crowds startling evidence of the Tabloid’s speed by flying two laps of the racing course at maximum speed.
  Hawker took the prototype Tabloid to Australia, his native land, early in 1914; there he gave demonstration flights. He returned on June 6th, 1914, by which time the Tabloid had been fitted with a simple vee undercarriage and the rear fuselage had been stripped of its fabric covering.
  During Hawker’s absence other Tabloids had been built. The most noteworthy was the machine which, fitted with a float undercarriage and a 100 h.p. Gnome Monosoupape engine, won the Schneider Trophy for Britain on April 20th, 1914. A modified vertical tail assembly was fitted: there was a triangular fin with a plain rudder hinged to it. This particular aeroplane is discussed in the history of the Sopwith Schneider and Baby seaplanes.
  Soon after the Schneider contest, the racing seaplane was converted to a landplane; the undercarriage was a simple vee structure. In this form the machine was flown in the 1914 Aerial Derby. Its pilot was R. H. Barnwell, but he was unable to exploit his aircraft’s performance to the full owing to the bad visibility; ultimately he had to abandon the race.
  The Tabloid went into small-scale production for the R.F.C. and R.N.A.S. early in 1914, and by June 5th, 1914, six machines had been completed. The production Tabloids were all single-seaters, and all had a fin and rudder similar to those of the Schneider seaplane. The skid-type undercarriage was fitted; the forward struts were more sharply raked than those of the prototype, and some machines had an additional strut in the skid bracing. The engine was the 80 h.p. Gnome.
  The Tabloid has frequently been described as the first single-seat scout ever built. That is not historically accurate, for it was preceded by the Royal Aircraft Factory’s B.S.1 by several months. It was, however, used for scouting duties in the early months of the war. Four went to France with the Aircraft Park which arrived at Boulogne on August 18th, 1914. Two of these Tabloids were flown for scouting purposes by Lieutenant Norman Spratt and Lieutenant Gordon Bell: they were unarmed. To chase a German aeroplane on one occasion, Norman Spratt took some flechettes (steel darts) in his Tabloid, and is said to have forced the enemy machine down by circling round it. Squadrons Nos. 3 and 4 each had a Tabloid on their strength for a short time.
  The Tabloid was not generally popular when it was first introduced into the Service, and it acquired a reputation for being a rather dangerous aeroplane. Rumour, as usual, was false: the trouble lay in the pilots themselves, for flying technique had not advanced in step with the improvements in aircraft design.
  The R.N.A.S. had one Tabloid when war broke out, but it was intended to send two to join Commander Samson’s Eastchurch Squadron at Antwerp at the earliest possible date. By early October, 1914, they had arrived, but the British force had to evacuate Antwerp on the 7th of the month. The two Tabloids, numbered 167 and 168, were the last aeroplanes to leave Antwerp; their pilots were Squadron Commander Spenser Grey and Flight Lieutenant R. L. G. Marix, who had orders to bomb the Zeppelin sheds at Cologne and Dusseldorf. Bad visibility delayed their take-off until 1.20 p.m. on October 8th.
  Thick mist prevented Spenser Grey from finding his objective, and he had to be content with dropping his bombs on Cologne railway station. Marix, flying No. 168, was more fortunate: he dropped his bombs from a height of 600 feet above the airship shed at Dusseldorf and was rewarded by a great explosion accompanied by flames 500 feet high. He had destroyed a brand-new Zeppelin, the Z.IX. Marix’ Tabloid was damaged by ground fire, but he managed to get to within 20 miles of Antwerp before he was obliged to land; he completed his journey by bicycle, and escaped from Antwerp by motor. Spenser Grey returned to Antwerp, but his Tabloid was damaged by enemy shell-fire: he too left for Ostend by motor.
  There was no standard armament installation on the Tabloid, but in February, 1915, the Tabloids of Commander Samson’s squadron were fitted with a mounting for a Lewis gun above the upper wing. The mounting was devised by Warrant Officer J. G. Brownridge and Lieutenant T. Warner.
  Two Tabloids accompanied Commander Samson’s squadron to the Dardanelles in March, 1915, but proved to be of little real use there. They were not the first machines of their type to reach that theatre of war, however, for they had been preceded by the two Tabloids which were the only landplanes included in the equipment of the aircraft carrier Ark Royal: the carrier arrived at Tenedos on February 17th, 1915. There was then no aerodrome on Tenedos, so the Tabloids were of no immediate use; nor is there any record of their use once the aerodrome - an area of 600 yards by 300 yards - was prepared.
  Production of Tabloids ended in the spring of 1915, and the type vanished from the operational scene. A few went to training units. The last major modification was the fitting of ailerons to the late production machines.
  At least one R.N.A.S. Tabloid was fitted with a Lewis gun arranged to fire forward through the airscrew; there was no interrupter gear, but the airscrew was fitted with steel deflector plates to protect it from damage by bullets which did not pass between the blades. The gun was mounted on the starboard side of the fuselage just below the upper longeron. The Tabloid which had this experimental installation was fitted with a simple vee undercarriage and had large wing-tip skids.


SPECIFICATION
  Manufacturers: The Sopwith Aviation Co., Ltd., Canbury Park Road, Kingston-on-Thames.
  Power: Standard: 80 h.p. Gnome. Racing version: 100 h.p. Gnome Monosoupape.
  Dimensions: Span: 25 ft 6 in. Length: prototype, 20 ft; production version, 20 ft 4 in. Height: 8 ft 5 in. Chord: 5 ft 1 1/2 in. Gap: 4 ft 6 in. Stagger: 11 in. Dihedral: 1° 30'. Incidence: 1°. Span of tail: 9 ft 6 in. Airscrew diameter: 8 ft 2 in. Wheel track: 4 ft 9 in.
  Areas: Wings: upper 128-3 sq ft, lower 113sq ft, total 241-3 sq ft. Ailerons (late production Tabloids only): 28 sq ft. Tailplane: 11-8 sq ft. Elevators: 11-8 sq ft. Fin: prototype, nil; production version, 1-8 sq ft. Rudder: prototype, 7 sq ft; production, 4-27 sq ft.
  Weights: Prototype: Empty, 670 lb. Loaded: 1,060 lb. Production: Empty, 730 lb. Loaded: 1,120 lb.
  Performance: Maximum speed at ground level: 92 m.p.h. Climb to 1,200 ft: 1 min. Endurance: 3 1/2 hours.
  Armament: Various experimental installations of single Lewis machine-guns, above the centre-section or on starboard side of fuselage, firing forward. A small load of 20-lb bombs could be carried.
  Service Use: Western Front: R.F.C. Squadrons Nos. 3, 4 and 7; R.N.A.S., Eastchurch Squadron operating from Antwerp. Dardanelles: No. 3 Squadron, R.N.A.S., Tenedos; aircraft carrier H.M.S. Ark Royal. R.N.A.S. units in Britain: No. 1 Squadron, R.N.A.S., Gosport; R.N.A.S. Station, Great Yarmouth.
  Production and Allocation: A small number of Tabloids were built before the outbreak of war, and thirty-six were built between October 1st, 1914, and June 30th, 1915. Four went to France with the Aircraft Park in August, 1914, and one went there in 1915. Training units received four in 1914 and one in 1915. A total of at least four were delivered to Commander Samson’s R.N.A.S. Squadron; and two went to the Dardanelles aboard H.M.S. Ark Royal.
  Serial Numbers: 123, 124, 167-169, 326, 394, 1201-1213.
  Notes on Individual Machines: 167 and 168 were allocated to the R.N.A.S. Squadron operating from Antwerp in October, 1914; they bombed Cologne and Dusseldorf on October 8th, 1914. 1208: R.N.A.S. Station, Great Yarmouth.

P.Lewis The British Fighter since 1912 (Putnam)

The S.1’s more successful counterpart from the Sopwith stable, the nimble little Tabloid, had meanwhile been energetically developed into a useful scout at Kingston, following its dramatic victory in the Schneider contest at Monaco. The landplane Tabloid, fitted with the 80 h.p. Gnome, was in production for the R.F.C. and R.N.A.S. as a single-seater. A triangular fin was added at the tail and the front struts of the undercarriage were raked forward more sharply than on the original machine. Some of the production Tabloids were given an extra pair of struts in the undercarriage for additional strength.
   On the outbreak of war, four R.F.C. Tabloids were taken to France and were used, unarmed, for scouting by Lts. Gordon Bell and Norman Spratt during the early operations on the Western Front. To render his Tabloid more warlike Spratt carried a supply of flechettes, a form of sharp steel dart, which could be thrown out of the cockpit onto a target.
   When the R.N. A.S. entered the conflict, one Tabloid was on strength but four finally went to Cdr. C. R. Samson’s R.N.A.S. Squadron. Two of them, Nos. 167 and 168, earned immortal fame for the epic raid which was carried out by their pilots - Sqn.Cdr. Spenser D. A. Grey, who bombed Cologne railway station, and Flt.Lt. R. L. G. Marix, who destroyed the Zeppelin Z.IX in its shed at Dusseldorf.
   The Tabloid went into action devoid of any armament but Samson’s machines were fitted in February, 1915, with a Lewis gun mounting on the upper centre-section, an installation which was the brainchild of Wt.Off. J. G. Brownridge and Lt. T. Warner. Another Tabloid belonging to the R.N.A.S. was equipped with a Lewis gun installed on the starboard side of the fuselage, beneath the centre-section struts and enabled to fire through the propeller arc by the very rudimentary arrangement of steel deflector wedges, which were strapped around the specially shaped blades in the line of fire. Any bullet which might otherwise have hit the propeller during the uninterrupted firing of the gun was, therefore, made to ricochet off.
   In addition to the few Tabloids built prior to 4th August, 1914, another thirty-six were constructed from 1st October until 30th June, 1915, with ailerons taking the place of wing warping on later examples. This comparatively small production run meant that the type was unable to make much of a name for itself, but the Tabloid stands at the head of the subsequent lengthy line of scouts and fighters which were to emanate from Kingston.

F.Mason The British Fighter since 1912 (Putnam)

Sopwith Tabloid

   The arrival on the aviation scene of the diminutive Sopwith Tabloid towards the end of 1913 was widely regarded as the most momentous event of the year. Originally conceived as a conveniently-proportioned two-seat sporting biplane, which Harry Hawker could take with him to visit his home in Australia, the design was schemed up in chalk on the floor of a skating rink - then TOM Sopwith’s ‘factory’ in Canbury Park Road, Kingston-upon-Thames - by Sopwith, Hawker, Sigrist and others; it was then formalised by R J Ashfield, the company’s chief draughtsman. Construction of the aircraft, known then as the S.S., was completed in great secrecy within two months, and first flown by Hawker in November 1913 at Brooklands.
   Powered by an 80hp Gnome the aeroplane, now named the Tabloid, was a tractor biplane with a single cockpit in which pilot and passenger sat side-by-side. Most unusual for its day, it possessed single-bay wings while the rudder, hinged on the stern post, was without a fixed fin. Lateral control was by means of wing warping, the wings being without ailerons. The engine was almost entirely enclosed, a pair of small slots in the front of the cowling sufficing for cooling purposes.
   Delivered to Farnborough by Hawker, the Tabloid underwent official trials on 29 October, demonstrating that with pilot and passenger and with full fuel, it possessed a top speed of 90 mph, a stalling speed of 36 mph and an initial climb rate of 1,200 ft/min. Early in 1914 Hawker set off for Australia taking with him the Tabloid prototype, returning with it in June.
   In the meantime the aircraft went into limited production for the RFC and RNAS as a single-seat scout; a fin was added forward of the rudder hingeline, and a cut-out was incorporated in the upper wing above the cockpit.
   One of the early production Tabloids was modified with twin-float undercarriage and, powered by a 100hp Gnome monosoupape rotary, was entered for the second Schneider Trophy race at Monaco flown by Howard Pixton on 20 April 1914. Not only did the Tabloid win the race but eclipsed every other contestant, returning an average speed of 85.5 mph, compared with 51 mph of the second place finisher. Pixton went on to establish a new world speed record for seaplanes at 92 mph. (The further history of the Tabloid seaplanes is recorded under the Sopwith Schneider).
   By June 1914 five Tabloids had been produced for the RNAS, and production continued until about May 1915, with a total of between 40 and 50 being completed. The aircraft did not carry a gun armament as standard, although several experiments were performed mounting a single Lewis gun. One RNAS Tabloid was fitted with a Lewis gun to fire forward through the propeller, the blades being protected by deflector plates.
   After the outbreak of war four Tabloids of the RFC went to France in August, at least two of which flew scouting patrols with Nos 3 and 4 Squadrons. Later two aircraft joined the RNAS Eastchurch Squadron at Antwerp, but these were equipped to carry 201b bombs; indeed, on 8 October, flown by Sqn Cdr Spenser Grey and Flt Lt R L G Marix, they attacked targets in Germany, the latter pilot hitting the airship shed at Dusseldorf and destroying the new German Zeppelin Z IX. Four RNAS Tabloids were shipped out to the Dardanelles early in 1915, but by May the type was being withdrawn from operational service.


   Type: Single-engine, single-seat, single-bay biplane scout.
   Manufacturer: The Sopwith Aviation Co Ltd, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey.
   Powerplant: One 80hp Gnome nine-cylinder air-cooled rotary engine driving two-blade propeller.
   Structure: All-wood construction; wire-braced box-girder fuselage with curved stringer-formed top decking; two-spar single-bay wings without ailerons. Twin wheel-and-skid undercarriage.
   Dimensions: Span, 25ft 6in; length, 20ft 4in; height, 8ft 5in; wing area, 241.3 sq ft.
   Weights: Tare, 730lb; all-up, 1,120lb.
   Performance : Max speed, 92 mph at sea level; initial climb, 1,200 ft/min; endurance, 3 /2 hr.
   Prototype and Production: One prototype and between 40 and 50 production examples. Summary of Service: Served with Nos 3, 4 and 7 Squadrons, RFC, and Nos 1 and 3 Squadrons, RNAS; also aboard HM Seaplane Carrier Ark Royal, and at RNAS Great Yarmouth.

H.King Armament of British Aircraft (Putnam)

Tabloid. On 28 December, 1914, the following letter was received by the Sopwith Company from the Director of the Admiralty Air Department:
   'Gentlemen, With reference to the recent attack on the German air[ship] sheds at Cologne and Dusseldorf, carried out by Sqn Cdr Spenser D. A. Grey and Fl Lieut R. L. G. Marix, you may be interested to learn that the machines used were your Sopwith Tabloid aeroplanes.'
   The bombs employed in this famous raid, in which Marix destroyed Z.IX and Spenser Grey had to transfer his attack to Cologne station, were of the 20-lb Hales pattern.
   The Tabloid first appeared in 1913. As early as February 1915, Tabloids of Cdr Sampson's squadron were lined with a mounting for a Lewis gun above the lop wing. This mounting was devised by Lieut T. Warner and Warrant Officer J. G. Brownridge. Other installations were made on the side of the fuselage. More primitive weapons, apart from pistols and perhaps rifles, included steel darts (as carried by Lieut N. C. Spratt when he forced an enemy aircraft to land after manoeuvring in 'an aggressive manner'), a grapnel and hand grenades. On one occasion an attempt was made by Lieut Spratt to tie a grenade to a length of control cable with the intention of fouling the enemy's airscrew. This device was never used.

O.Thetford British Naval Aircraft since 1912 (Putnam)

Sopwith Tabloid

   The Tabloid was one of the most outstanding aircraft produced in Great Britain before the outbreak of war in 1914. By the standards of those days, its top speed of over 90 mph and its climb of 1,200 ft per min were remarkable, and it caused a sensation when demonstrated in public for the first time by Harry Hawker, at Hendon on 29 November 1913. The prototype seated two, side-by-side, but subsequent Tabloids were single-seaters, including the seaplane flown to victory in the 1914 Schneider Trophy contest by Howard Pixton.
   The military potential of the Tabloid was immediately apparent and production for the Naval and Military Wings of the RFC began early in 1914. By October 1914 the RNAS possessed only three Tabloids, yet in that month the type struck a telling blow at the enemy. On the 8th Sqn Cdr Spenser Gray and FlLt R L G Marix took off from Antwerp, then under bombardment by the enemy, in Tabloids Nos.167 and 168 to bomb Zeppelin sheds at Cologne and Dusseldorf. Mist prevented Spenser Gray from finding his target, so he bombed Cologne railway station, but Marix's success was complete. He dived on the sheds at Dusseldorf and bombed from 600 ft. Within 30 seconds flames had risen to 500 ft; the new Zeppelin ZIX had been destroyed, the first to fall a victim to a British aircraft.
   Between October 1914 and June 1915, a further 36 Tabloids were built and delivered to the RFC and RNAS. The naval Tabloids served with Wg Cdr Samson's Eastchurch squadron in Belgium, as already mentioned, and later with Samson's No.3 Squadron, RNAS, in the Dardanelles campaign. Others served aboard the seaplane-carrier Ark Royal in the same campaign, and at least one Tabloid was on the strength of the RNAS station at Great Yarmouth.
   RNAS Tabloids received the serial numbers 167, 168, 169,326,362,378,386, 387,392,394 and 1201 to 1213.

TECHNICAL DATA (TABLOID)
   Description: Single-seat scouting and bombing aircraft. Wooden structure, fabric covered.
   Manufacturers: Sopwith Aviation Co Ltd, Kingston-on-Thames.
   Power Plant: One 100 hp Gnome Monosoupape.
   Dimensions: Span, 25 ft 6 in. Length, 20 ft 4 in. Height, 8 ft 5 in. Wing area, 241 sq ft.
   Weights: Empty, 730 lb. Loaded, 1.120 lb.
   Performance: Maximum speed, 92 mph at sea level. Climb, 1 min to 1.200 ft. Endurance, 3 1/2 hr.
   Armament: One Lewis machine-gun mounted on the centre section or at the side of the fuselage. A small load of 20 lb bombs could be carried.

D.James Schneider Trophy Aircraft 1913-1931 (Putnam)

Sopwith Tabloid

   Great Britain’s first Schneider Trophy aspirant was the Sopwith Tabloid, a small biplane which was designed by T. O. M. Sopwith and Fred Sigrist. The side-by-side two-seat Tabloid prototype, which was first flown in November 1913 by Harry Hawker, the Sopwith Aviation test pilot, was later to be energetically developed into an effective little single-seat scout for use by the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service during the First World War.
   Powered by an 80 hp Gnome nine-cylinder air-cooled rotary engine driving a two-blade wooden propeller, the Tabloid was of wire-braced fabric-covered all-wood construction. It featured slightly staggered biplane wings of constant 5 ft (1-52 m) chord; and with only a single pair of interplane struts in the 4 ft 3 in (1-29 m) gap, and two centre-section struts each side, it was one of the few single-bay biplanes of that period. Ailerons were not fitted and lateral control was achieved by wing-warping. A large bull-nosed metal cowling enclosed the engine and metal panels extended aft to clad the fuselage sides back to the cockpit. A ‘comma’ shaped rudder - which shape typified many subsequent Sopwith aeroplanes - without a fin was used with a large-area tailplane and elevators. These flying surfaces were cable operated. A twin wheel-and-skid main undercarriage and a tailskid were conventional features.

Журнал Flight

Flight, December 20, 1913.

THE NEW 80 H.P. SOPWITH BIPLANE.

   WHEN the latest production of the Sopwith Aviation Co. made its bow to the public at Hendon a few Saturdays ago it did so like a bolt from the blue, and wasting no time in showing what it could do, immediately completed two circuits at a speed of about 90 m.p.h. The successes of the former Sopwith machines - designed by Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith and Mr. Segrist - are, no doubt, still fresh in our readers' minds, and with this new 80 h.p. "baby" biplane, in the design of which Mr. H. G. Hawker, who piloted the former machines to success, has played an important part, it seems that further achievements will soon be added to the credit of this go-ahead Kingston firm.
   The general lines of the new biplane are similar to those of the other Sopwith tractor machines previously described in FLIGHT, and so, with the help of the accompanying scale drawings and illustrations, we need but briefly describe its principal features. It has been designed with the intention of producing what might be called an exhibition machine, that is to say, a machine capable of performing all sorts of evolutions such as steep bankings, small circles, switchbacks, &c. This machine is therefore of small dimensions, having a span of 25 ft. 6 ins. and an over-all length of 25 ft. The total area of the main planes is 240 sq. ft., which gives a loading of 3 lbs. per sq. ft. light or 4-5 lbs. per sq. ft. fully loaded, the weight of the machine empty and with pilot and 3 1/2 hours' fuel being 670 lbs. and 1,060 lbs. respectively. The main planes, which are comparatively flat, are set at a slight dihedral angle, and the top plane is staggered forward 1 ft. They are built up in two cellules, the lower planes being attached to the lower portion of the fuselage, whilst the top planes are secured to a centre panel supported above the fuselage by two pairs of struts; there are only two other pairs of struts separating the main planes near the extremities. The attachment of the rear spar of the lower plane to the fuselage is shown in one of the accompanying sketches. It should be noticed that the struts, including those of the chassis, are well streamlined. In plan form the planes have a greater length in the trailing edge, as on the Morane monoplane. The fuselage follows usual Sopwith practice, being rectangular in section, tapering to a vertical knife-edge at the rear. The pilot is seated in a small cockpit between the planes, whilst another seat for a passenger is provided on the pilot's right. The forward ends of the top and bottom longerons converge, forming an attachment for the front engine bearer. The 80 h.p. Gnome engine is mounted in the nose of the fuselage, and is almost completely covered by a neat aluminium cowl, but is nevertheless efficiently cooled by the stream of air passing through a narrow slit formed in the cowl by the front engine bearer; the lower extremity of the engine also projects slightly below the cowl. The latter is easily detachable, and hinges forward, giving easy access to the valves. The carburettor, to which the petrol is fed by gravity, projects within the cockpit, and can easily be got at by the pilot or passenger. The landing chassis has been considerably modified, and consists of two short skids, each connected to the fuselage by a pair of struts. At the rear the skids are connected by a streamlined cross strut, in the centre of which is hinged the divided axle, carrying at its outer extremities the covered-in running wheels. In its normal position, the axles lie in a groove formed in the cross strut, thus maintaining the streamline effect of the latter. The axle is sprung by means of rubber shock absorbers attached to the skids, and is held in position by two very short radius rods, hinged to the rear extremities of the skids. In order to prevent the cross strut from bending downwards in the middle, it is braced at this point to the fuselage by a wire. The whole of this arrangement is clearly shown in one of our sketches. The tail consists of a semi-circular stabilizing plane, to the trailing edge of which are hinged two elevator flaps with a balanced vertical rudder, almost circular in shape, between them. The simple tail skid is shown in one of the sketches. Lateral control is by wing warping, the movement being carried out by a wheel mounted on a vertical column, a fore-and-aft movement of which operates the rear elevators through a connecting rod and countershaft. The warp cables are led from a rockshaft to pulleys let into the uprights of the fuselage just above the rear spar attachments of the lower plane. From these pulleys the cables go to the top sockets of the rear outer struts. A continuous cable also runs from each of the outer rear strut sockets of the lower plane over pulleys on the tops of the two rear struts attached to the fuselage. The new tubular steel rudder bar forms the subject of one of our sketches, so needs no further comment here, other than we should think that its shortness has much to commend it on account of the sensitive nature of the control on a machine of this type. As regards the actual performances of this biplane, we referred to these last week, but they are worthy of repetition. Tested over the measured course at Farnborough, fully loaded with fuel for 3 hours, pilot and passenger, a maximum speed of 92 m.p.h. and a minimum speed of 36.9 m.p.h. were attained. The climbing speed was 1,200 ft. in one minute, also fully loaded - quite a credit to British aeroplane design. It was originally intended to take this biplane over to Paris during the Aero Show in order to demonstrate its wonderful capabilities in the home of aviation, so to speak. We understand, however, that this plan has been changed, and that the machine has been sent out to Australia, where Mr. Hawker will put it through its paces above his native soil, and endeavour to rouse the interest of the Australian Government.
   After staying there some months, we may hope to see him back in England. Our readers will, we feel sure, join us in wishing both Mr. Hawker and the Sopwith Aviation Co. every success in this latest enterprise.


Flight, May 22, 1914.

THE AERIAL DERBY.

THE PILOTS AND HOW TO RECOGNISE THE MACHINES.

No. 19. The 80 h.p. Sopwith
   is a small fast machine, somewhat similar to the Vickers and Bristol, but has a wider and deeper fuselage, and may be identified by its chassis, which differs from that of the two above-mentioned machines in that two skids are fitted.

No. 20. The 100 h.p. Sopwith Biplane
   is similar in outward appearance to No. 19, from which it differs only in engine power.

THE MACHINES AND HOW TO RECOGNISE THEM.

Nos. 19 and 20. The Sopwith Biplanes, of which one is fitted with an 80 h.p. engine, whilst the other has a 100 h.p. motor, are very similar to the biplane on which Mr. Pixton won the Schneider race at Monaco recently, with the exception, of course, that it is fitted with a land chassis. As these small Sopwith biplanes are very fast indeed, they should provide a very close race with some of the other really fast machines entered.


Flight, September 25, 1914.

THE R.N. AIR SERVICE RAID ON ZEPPELIN SHEDS.

   IN the following statement issued by the Secretary of the Admiralty through the official Press Bureau, the story of the raid by the Royal Naval Air Service pilots on the Zeppelin sheds at Dusseldorf is briefly told. Dusseldorf is on the Rhine about 22 miles north of Cologne, and is about 103 miles from Antwerp. It, with Cologne (the headquarters) and Darmstadt, form the bases of Germany's third Airship Battalion. The statement is as follows :-
   "Yesterday British aeroplanes of the Naval Wing delivered an attack on the Zeppelin sheds at Diisseldorf.
   "The conditions were rendered very difficult by the misty weather, but Flight Lieutenant C. H. Collet dropped three bombs on the Zeppelin sheds, approaching within four hundred feet.
   "The extent of the damage done is not known.
   "Flight Lieutenant Collet's machine was struck by one projectile, but all the machines returned safely to their point of departure.
   "The importance of this incident lies in the fact that it shows that in the event of further bombs being dropped into Antwerp or other Belgian towns measures of reprisal can certainly be adopted if desired to almost any extent."


Flight, October 22, 1915.

CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS.-VII.

<...>
   The two examples given of the single axle and single-pairs-of wheels form of undercarriage are similar in type and differ in detail construction only. In the Dyott monoplane the axle runs right across from skid to skid, while in the Sopwith Scout the stub axles are pivoted in the centre, half way between the skids, and move up and down between two transverse members. Bracing of the front portion of the undercarriage is effected in the Dyott machine by a transverse compression member and diagonal cross-bracing, while in the Sopwith there is no such transverse member in front, its place being taken by cables running outwards from the skids to the main planes.
<...>


Flight, February 6, 1919.

"MILESTONES"

THE SOPWITH MACHINES

   ALTHOUGH OUT "Milestones" series are primarily intended to include machines built during the War, we reserve ourselves the privilege of referring, when it seems advisable to do so, to machines built before the outbreak of hostilities. This is sometimes necessary in order to fully grasp the significance of the development that has taken place. A case in point, when dealing with the machines built by the Sopwith Aviation Co., Ltd., of Kingston, is the Sopwith "Tabloid" biplane. This machine, although built in 1913, has had such an extraordinary effect on aeroplane design in general, and in particular was certainly the beginning of the greatness of the House of Sopwith, that it undoubtedly merits inclusion in this series of articles. We, therefore, make no apology for including the "Tabloid," although it antedates the War by some twelve months.

The Sopwith "Tabloid"

   In its original form the Sopwith "Tabloid" was built as a side-by-side two-seater, with an 80 h.p. Gnome engine. It was built for Mr. Hawker, the famous Sopwith pilot, to be taken out to Australia in 1914, but very soon after its triumphant appearance a number of single-seaters of similar type were ordered by and built for the Army. The machine in its original form was described in FLIGHT for December 20, 1913, when scale drawings of it were published. This machine, as shown in the accompanying illustrations, had a skid type undercarriage and a balanced rudder, while there was no fixed vertical fin. The pilot and passenger sat side by side, the pilot on the left. Lateral control was by means of wing warping. When this machine paid its first visit to Hendon it left everyone agape, as such speed as it developed had certainly never been seen, nor probably been believed possible, with a biplane type of machine. In those days the general opinion was that for speed one must have a monoplane, and it was not until the advent of the "Tabloid" that this fallacy was effectively cleared up. After that the small fast single-seater biplane received a great impetus, and the type began to become general all over the world. It will, therefore, be seen that the world at large, and British aviation in particular, owes a debt of gratitude to the Sopwith firm for having demonstrated the possibilities of the small biplane. In addition to its great maximum speed - 92 m.p.h. - the "Tabloid" was remarkable in those days for its great speed range, as it would fly as slowly as 36 m.p.h. This was a range of speeds which none of the contemporary monoplanes were capable of.
   In its single-seater form the "Tabloid" underwent various minor alterations. Thus one of our photographs shows it with skid undercarriage, but with the front struts slightly more raked than they were in the original machine. Another slight alteration - which, unfortunately, does not appear in the photograph - was the addition of a vertical fin in front of the rudder, which latter was not balanced. The next step in the evolution of the "Tabloid" was seen when the late Mr. Harold Barnwell flew a "Tabloid" in the aerial Derby. This machine, although similar to its prototype, was fitted with a Vee-type undercarriage. Finally, the "Tabloid" entered the last stage of its development by being fitted with ailerons instead of warping wings, and in this form it was a most successful single-seater scout.