Sopwith Dolphin

Biplane Fighter Aircraft

United Kingdom | 1917

"The Sopwith Dolphin biplane fighter proved to be an outstanding design, providing impressive armament and an attention to pilot needs."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/03/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

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The Sopwith Dolphin was yet another fighter design in the long line of Thomas Sopwith production aircraft during World War 1. The system was produced with the fighter pilot in mind and offered up an unobstructed view from out of the cockpit. This was accomplished by lowering the upper wing section of the traditional biplane assembly, allowing the pilot's head to protrude from the aircraft. The wing was basically an extension of the upper fuselage now and less a component all its own. Additionally, care was taken to provide the pilot with complimentary armament capable of engaging any enemy aircraft of the time. This would come in the form of twin 7.7mm machine guns firing forward and an additional one or two 7.7mm machine guns angled to fire forward and above. The system served - albeit with some reservation - for a time since its introduction in 1917.

The Dolphin provided a viable platform to which a fighter pilot could tally an impressive list of kills. For some, however, the system was somewhat a threat unto itself as it developed noted stalling characteristics thanks to the tail wing design. With the pilot's head protruding from the design, the aircraft was also open to lethal "nose-over" accidents in which the aircraft might flip up and over its own nose, landing square on the head and neck of the pilot. As such, a support to the upper wing section was later added to address this. In the end, the Dolphin served its purpose to a limited extent, but nevertheless became another accepted Allied fighter design to combat the Fokker Scourge.

Total production reached 2,072 examples.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphin Biplane Fighter Aircraft.

1 x Hispano-Suiza piston engine developing 200 horsepower.
Propulsion

112 mph
180 kph | 97 kts
Max Speed

19,997 ft
6,095 m | 4 miles
Service Ceiling

196 miles
315 km | 170 nm
Operational Range

855 ft/min
261 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphin Biplane Fighter Aircraft.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

22.2 ft
6.78 m
O/A Length

32.5 ft
(9.91 m)
O/A Width

8.5 ft
(2.59 m)
O/A Height

1,479 lb
(671 kg)
Empty Weight

2,008 lb
(911 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Sopwith Dolphin Biplane Fighter Aircraft .

2 x 7.7mm forward-firing fixed machine guns
1 OR 2 x 7.7mm machine gun in forward oblique angled position.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Sopwith Dolphin family line.

Dolphin Mk I - Initial production model; Hispano-Suiza 8B engine of 200 horsepower.

Dolphin Mk II - French license production; fitted with Hispano-Suiza 8F engine of 300 horsepower.

Dolphin Mk III - Fitted with direct-drive Hispano-Suiza 8B engine.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Sopwith Dolphin. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 2,072 Units
Contractor(s): Sopwith - UK

[ France; United Kingdom ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 120mph

Lo: 60mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (112mph).

Graph Average of 90 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

2072

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

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Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

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Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Going Further...
The Sopwith Dolphin Biplane Fighter Aircraft appears in the following collections:

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