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Sopwith Pup

The Pup was T.O.M. Sopwith’s first single-seat fighter. Royal Naval Air Service tests proved very successful and were closely followed by successful Royal Flying Corps tests. The RFC ordered their first Pups in April 1916 with the RNAS following suit in June. Deliveries to the two services began in September and November 1916 respectively. Pups operated through the thick of the fighting in 1917 then were gradually withdrawn to become trainers. Four companies manufactured 1 575 Pups before production stopped in October 1918.

"Pup", the only name ever used for the airplane, was not recognized by the authorities, who had officially named it the “Scout”. Many considered it, however, to look like the pup of its larger predecessor, the 1 1/2 Strutter, so the name stuck. The Royal Naval Air Service employed Pups to pioneer the use of floating vessels as a base for flying operations.

Museum Example

The Museum’s Pup is a reproduction made in 1967 by a Canadian, George Neal, who flew it until purchased by the Museum in 1973. It was flown on special occasions.

Specifications

Wing Span:
8.1 m (26 ft 6 in)
Length:
5.9 m (19 ft 3 3/4 in)
Height:
2.9 m (9 ft 5 in)
Weight, Empty:
357 kg (787 lb)
Weight, Gross:
556 kg (1,225 lb)
Cruising Speed:
Unknown
Max Speed:
179 km/h (111 mph)
Rate of Climb:
1,525 m (5,000 ft) / 6 min 25 sec
Service Ceiling:
5,335 m (17,500 ft)
Range:
3 hours (Endurance)
Power Plant:
one Le Rhone 9C, 80 hp, rotary engine

Additional Photographs

The Canada Aviation Museum’s Image Bank contains additional photographs of this aircraft. Images are provided for non-commercial study or research purposes only and may not be reproduced or published without the prior consent of the Canada Aviation Museum.

Find out more about our Image bank here.