523 SOPWITH PUP

The Sopwith Pup (puppy) was a British fighter in a mixed biplane design with a fixed landing gear from the First World War. The drive was provided by a single LeRhone 9C engine with 100 HP. The prototype flight took place in 1916. In the course of serial production, which lasted in the years 1916-1918, about 1770 copies of this aircraft were made. The armament was one 7.7 mm Vickers machine gun. Sopwith Pup was created on the basis of a sports plane, most often called the Sopwith Sparrow. The new machine was characterized by high maximum speed, excellent piloting qualities and was very maneuverable, becoming an equal opponent for the German Albatros D. III aircraft. The Sopwith Pup planes were withdrawn from the frontline only in mid-1917, and were replaced by an equally successful design - the Sopwith Camel. Pup fighters were used in the period 1917-1918 to combat zeppelins attacking the British Isles. Due to its properties, the Sopwith Pup was also the first plane in history to successfully land on board the ship on August 2, 1917. Sopwith Pup planes are used by the air force of several countries, including Australia, Belgium, Greece and Japan.