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THE SOPWITH AVIATION COMPANY 1912 to 1920

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THE SOPWITH AVIATION COMPANY 1912 to 1920 THE SOPWITH AVIATION COMPANY 1912 to 1920 Brief History Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith taught himself to fly in 1910 and by early 1912 had his own school of flying at Brooklands. His innovative engineer Fred Sigrist built them an aircraft which was purchased by the Admiralty. Needing a factory to build further orders, Sopwith Aviation moved into a Roller Skating Rink in Kingston with less than 20 employees. Their brilliant Australian pilot, Harry Hawker helped helpedto design and test the aircraft. to design and test the aircraft. Mostly in their 20s, the innovative Sopwith team developed better and better aircraft Mostlyeventually in their employing 20s, the designers innovative including Sopwith Herbert team developed Smith. better and better aircraft Theyeventually could employing not keep up designers with demand including despite Herbert their Smith. factory in Kingston having expanded to cover They51/2 acres. could Innot 1918 keep Sopwith up with leased demand a huge despite new governmenttheir factory factory in Kingston just northhaving of expanded Kingston. to cover By51/2 1918 acres. Sopwith In 1918 employed Sopwith leased3,500 people a huge innew 14 acresgovernmentof factory factory buildings. just north of Kingston. InBy 8 1918 years Sopwith Sopwith employed Aviation 3,500 designed people and in built 14 acres 40 differentof factory aircraft buildings. types. SomeIn 8 years 3,000 Sopwith aircraft Aviation were built designed in the Kingstonand built factories40 differentand aircraftflown fromtypes. Brooklands. 14,700Some 3,000more Sopwithaircraft were aircraft built were in the built Kingston by other factories companies,and flownincluding from 4,200 Brooklands. built in France. Sopwith14,700 more designs Sopwith accounted aircraft forwere 25% built of allby theother British companies, aircraft includingbuilt in the 4,200 First built World in France.War and 60% of all Sopwiththe single-seat designs aircraft. accounted for 25% of all the British aircraft built in the First World War and 60% of all Inthe 1920 single-seat with no aircraft.prospect of large new military orders, the Sopwith Aviation Co paid all its creditors and Inwent 1920 into with voluntary no prospect liquidation. of large new military orders, the Sopwith Aviation Co paid all its creditors and Inwent 1920 into Thomas voluntary Sopwith liquidation. started again in Kingston with a few key employees naming the new company after Intheir 1920 pilot/designer Thomas Sopwith Harry started Hawker. again in Kingston with a few key employees naming the new company after their pilot/designer Harry Hawker. Some notable achievements Some notable achievements Britain’s first flying boat and the world’s Britain’sfirst amphibious first flying aircraft boat and the world’s Áfirst amphibious aircraft Ê The first British aircraft to win Thea major first Britishinternational aircraft air to racewin The first two-seatera major fighter international with air race Thefixed first forward-firing two-seater gunfighter and with observer’s fixedrear gun forward-firing gun and observer’s Árear gun Ê The first British fixed-gun The firstsingle-seat British fixed-gun fighter single-seat fighter The world’s first triplane fighter ÁThe world’s first triplane fighter Ê The first aircraft to land on Thethe first deck aircraft of a shipto land at seaon the deck of a ship at sea The most successful allied fighter Thein World most War successful I allied fighter Áin World War I Ê The world’s first four gun fighter The world’s first four gun fighter The standard RAF front line Thefighter standard until 1926 RAF front line fighter until 1926 Á Ê Britain’s first carrier based Britain’s firsttorpedo carrier bomber based torpedo bomber „ „ • Sopwith Bat Boat • Sopwith Tabloid racing floatplane • Sopwith 11/2 Strutter • Sopwith Pup • Sopwith Triplane • Sopwith naval Pup • Sopwith Camel • Sopwith Dolphin • Sopwith Snipe • Sopwith Cuckoo.
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