Sopwith Admiralty Type C
The Sopwith Admiralty Type C was an early British seaplane designed and built by Sopwith Aviation to drop torpedoes. A single engined tractor biplane seaplane, three were delivered to the Royal Navy in November 1914 but proved unable to lift a torpedo.[1]
| Admiralty Type C | |
|---|---|
| Role | Experimental torpedo bomber |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Sopwith Aviation |
| First flight | 1914 |
| Introduction | November 1914 |
| Retired | 1916 |
| Primary user | Royal Navy Air Service |
| Number built | 3 |
Design and development
The Admiralty had ordered a special torpedo carrying biplane (the Sopwith Special torpedo seaplane Type C, serial number 170) in February 1914 and followed it with an order in July 1914 for three similar Type C seaplanes (serial numbers 157, 158 and 159).[1] The specification called for folding wings, bomb gear, a gun and radio.[2] Work started at the Sopwith factory at Kingston-upon-Thames on 5 April 1914 and the three Type Cs, powered by a 200 hp Salmson (Canton-Uneé) piston engine, were completed by October.[2] They went to RNAS Calshot for evaluation in November 1914.[1] The Special, tested that July, had failed to lift a torpedo and the new Type Cs were little better, failing to take off under load:[2] 157 could not get airborne with a 14" Whitehead torpedo and the other two had similar poor performance.[1] 158 was accepted by the service on 4 February 1915 but it sank following a forced landing a few days later on 8 February.[1] The two survivors, 157 and 159, were withdrawn from service at the end of 1915.[1]
References
- Notes
- Sturtivant and Page 1992, p. 40
- Goodall & Tagg 2001 pp.300-1
- Sources
- Goodall, Michael H.; Tagg, Albert E. (2001). British Aircraft before the Great War. Atglen, PA, USA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7643-1207-3.
- Sturtivant, Ray; Page, Gordon (1992). Royal Navy Aircraft Serials and Units 1911-1919. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain Historians Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-191-6.