Operators
United Kingdom
| Sociable | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Two-seat tractor biplane |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Sopwith Aviation Company |
| Primary user | Royal Naval Air Service |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1914 |
| First flight | 17 February 1914 |
| Retired | 1914 |
The Sopwith Sociable (or sometimes Churchill or Tweenie [1] ) was a British single-engined two-seat tractor configuration biplane designed and built by Sopwith for the Royal Naval Air Service. [2]
The Sociable, so called because the crew were seated side-by side rather than in tandem, was ordered by the British Admiralty for use as a training aircraft by the Royal Naval Air Service. It was two-bay biplane powered by a 100 hp (75 kW) Gnome Monosoupape radial. [2] The Sociable was given serial number 149 by the Admiralty and first flew from Brooklands on 17 February 1914. [2]
Two days after its first flight, the Sociable was delivered to Hendon on 19 February 1914. [2] The next day the First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill flew in it as a passenger; [2] it afterwards gained the nickname the "Sopwith Churchill". It was based at Eastchurch when on 25 March 1914 it spun into the ground on take-off. [2]
Repaired by Sopwith it was delivered to No. 3 Squadron RNAS in Belgium in September 1914. [2] It was fitted with an additional fuel tank and a bomb rack and was used on an abortive attempt to bomb a German airship shed at Cologne on 22 September 1914. [2] It was transferred to No. 1 Squadron RNAS but broke an axle on take-off from Antwerp, damaging the landing gear and badly damaging the upper wing. [2] While awaiting repair at Antwerp it was abandoned following the advance of German troops. [2]
United Kingdom Data from Sopwith - The Man and His Aircraft [3]
General characteristics
Performance
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