Sopwith Aviation Company

One of the most recognisable aviation names of World War 1

British aircraft manufacturer and designers Sopwith Aviation Company was founded in Kingston upon Thames by Thomas Octave Murdoch (T.O.M) Sopwith in June 1912.

Sopwith Hangars at Brooklands in 1911

Sopwith was already a well-known sportsman with interests in aviation, yachting and motor racing and many of these influences are reflected in many of his early designs. The first Sopwith factory opened in December 1912 at a disused Ice Rink in Canbury Park Road, Kingston and it was here that they produced

one of its first aircraft, the Sopwith Three-seater for the newly formed Royal Flying Corps.

This initial venture was followed a year later by a collaboration with S.E. Saunders Boatyard in Southampton which resulted in the Sopwith Bat Boat, designed and produced for the Royal Naval Air Service and built at Woolston.

However, it was their victory in the Schneider Trophy Race of 1914 that brought Sopwith real success and resulted in orders for the production of 42 Sopwith Tabloids and 136 Schneider Float Plane variants.

During World War I more than 16,000 Sopwith designed aircraft were built in Britain and France and the company employed over 5,000 people. As part of the war effort many Sopwith designs were also being manufactured by sub-contractors throughout the country.

Sopwith Salamanders at The Hawker Ham Works, Richmond, Surrey

Towards the end of the conflict, Sopwith took out a lease on the National Aircraft Factory No 2, at Ham to the north of Kingston and just a mile from the Canbury Park Works. This allowed them to increase the production rate of the Sopwith Snipe, Dolphin and Salamander.

However, with the end of hostilities came a financial crisis for Sopwith and the company attempted to produce aircraft for the civil market based on their wartime designs such as the Pup and Camel.

Unfortunately, the wide availability of war-surplus machines meant that this was never economically viable. Sopwith even tried to produce motorcycles under licence from ABC and set up ABC Motors Limited in 1919 but this also failed.

By 1920, the Sopwith Aviation Company was unable to face the financial demands from the Governments Excess War Profits Duty and were forced into liquidation. The lease on the Ham Works was sold to Leyland Motors and other assests were disposed of.

Despite this huge failing of one of the country’s largest aircraft manufacturers, T.O.M. Sopwith, Harry Hawker and Chief Designer Fred Sigrist went on to form the hugely successful HG Hawker Engineering Company (see separate page) which quickly acquired the Sopwith Aircraft design patents, as well as taking on the support of pre-existing Sopwith aircraft.

Genealogy

1912	Sopwith Aeroplane Company
1920	Went into liquidation

Aircraft

1912	Wright Biplane	1917	Dolphin
1912	Hybrid Biplane	1917	B.1
1912	Three-seater	1917	Hippo
1913	Bat Boat	1917	Cuckoo
1913	Sociable	1917	Rhino
1914	Circuit of Britain floatplane	1918	Snipe
1914	Admiralty Type C	1918	Dragon
1914	Special torpedo seaplane Type C	1918	Salamander
1914	1914 Schneider Racer	1918	Buffalo
1914	Type SPGN or Gunbus	1918	Bulldog
1914	Admiralty Type 137	1918	Scooter (See also Swallow)
1914	Type 806	1918	Swallow (See also Scooter)
1914	Type 807	1918	Snail
1914	Type 860	1919	Cobham Twin Engine Bomber
1914	Two-Seat Scout	1919	Snapper
1914	Tabloid	1919	Snark
1915	Baby	1919	Gnu
1916	Sparrow (See Pup)	1919	Schneider Cup Seaplane
1915	1½ Strutter	1919	Atlantic
1916	Pup	1919	Wallaby
1916	Triplane	1919	Rainbow (Racer)
1916	L.R.T.Tr.	1920	Antelope
1916	Bee	1920	Grasshopper
1916	Camel

Sopwith Aviation Company

Genealogy

Aircraft

Other Information

Products

Sopwith Snipe

Sopwith Camel

Sopwith Triplane

Sopwith Pup

Sopwith 1½ Strutter

Sopwith Tabloid