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The first prototype of the Sopwith 1½ Strutter took to the air in December 1915. Initally ordered for the Royal Naval Air Service as both a single-seat light bomber and as a two-seat fighter, the latter was the first operational British two-seat scout. It was also the first British fighter equipped with a fixed, forward firing, synchronized machine gun. With the fuel tank dangerously positioned between the pilot and gunner, some airmen joked that the designer of the aircraft must surely have been German. By April 1916, 45 Squadron at Gosport and 70 Squadron at Farnborough both received production models of the two-seat fighter and, in May 1916, 70 Squadron sent the first 1½ Strutters to France. In July 1917, in response to the new German scouts appearing in the skies over France, the Royal Flying Corps began replacing the 1½ Strutter and it disappeared from the front by the end of the year. Only 78 Squadron at Suttons Farm continued using the 1½ Strutter until July 1918.
With 13 victories, the highest scoring ace to fly this aircraft was Geoffrey Cock.
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| Sopwith 1½ Strutter Specifications |
| Country: |
Great Britain |
| Manufacturer: |
Sopwith Aviation Company |
| Type: |
Figher; later used for reconaissance/bombing |
| First Introduced: |
April 1916 |
| Number Built: |
About 6000 |
| Engine(s): |
Clerget 9Z, 110 hp
Clerget 9B, 130 hp
Clerget 9Ba, 135 hp
Clerget 9Bb, 135 hp
Clerget 9Bc, 145 hp
Le Rhône 9J, 110 hp
Le Rhône 9Jby, 135 hp
Le Rhône 9C, 80 hp |
| Wing Span: |
33 ft 6 in |
| Length: |
25 ft 3 in |
| Height: |
10 ft 3 in |
| Empty Weight: |
from 1,159 lb to 1,411 lb |
| Gross Weight: |
from 2,041 lb to 2,416 lb |
| Max Speed: |
80 mph to 103 mph (at 10,000 ft) |
| Ceiling: |
from 10,000 ft to 15,000 ft |
| Endurance: |
from 2 ¼ hours to 8 hours |
| Crew: |
1 or 2 |
| Armament: |
two .303 machine guns; two seater could carry four 25 lb to 65 lb bombs |
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| Sopwith 1½ Strutter Units |
| Belgian Air Service: |
2me, 3me, 4me |
| French Air Service: |
13, 23, 24, 28, 29, 36, 54, 61, 66, 71, 106, 107, 108, 111, 123, 128, 129, 131, 132, 134, 141, 204, 206, 210, 214, 221, 222, 223, 224, 226, 227, 270 |
| Royal Air Force: |
225 |
| Royal Flying Corps: |
37, 43, 44, 45, 70, 78 |
| Royal Naval Air Service: |
5N, 8N, 10N, 13N, 3W, 5W, 6W |
| United States Air Service: |
88th Aero, 90th Aero, 99th Aero |
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| Sopwith 1½ Strutter Aces (7) |
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