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Today in History



 
 
Introduced toward the end of 1913, the Sopwith Tabloid won the Schneider Trophy at Monaco in 1914. An unarmed single-seater, it was one of the first British biplanes to be used in combat. One Tabloid pilot succeeded in driving down a German plane by circling it and throwing steel darts at it. On the afternoon of 9 October 1914, in the first successful bombing mission of the war, the Royal Naval Air Service sent two Tabloids to attack the Zeppelin sheds at Dusseldorf and Cologne. Only one of them reached its target but Zeppelin Z-9 was destroyed in its shed at Dusseldorf when the Tabloid pilot released two 20 pound bombs from a height of about 600 feet.
 
Sopwith Tabloid Specifications
Country: Great Britain
Manufacturer: Sopwith Aviation Company
Type: Reconaissance/Bomber
First Introduced: 1913
Number Built: 40
Engine: Gnôme Monosoupape, rotary, 100 hp
Wing Span: 24.9 ft (7.49 m)
Length: 22.8 ft (6.95 m)
Height:
Empty Weight:
Gross Weight: 1,578 lb (716 kg)
Max Speed: 92.5 mph
Ceiling:
Endurance:
Crew: 1
Armament: 40 lb of bombs
 
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