CLASSIC AIRCRAFT SALES LTD

In association with Classic Wings Magazine

SOPWITH PUP

SOLD
The Sopwith Scout, more commonly known as the Pup, is one of the most admired and appreciated of WW-I aircraft. As an early participant in the Great War, it was known for its pleasant and honest controls, never better described than in Arthur Gould-Lee's autobiography 'No Parachute' in which he conveys eloquently the pure delight of demonstrating a new Pup above his home base.

A number of Sopwith Pups have been recreated, with a handful of super-accurate examples complete with authentic rotary engines that cannot be distinguished from a 1915 original. At the other end of the spectrum, there are 'interpretations' which provide a sense of what the Pup was about, but featuring significant departures such as riveted aluminium structures, modern horizontally opposed engines and so forth. And then there have been a few which are very close to authentically presented, but some some departures from the original configuration, usually as a result of the long-held difficulty in sourcing a rotary engine (this issue has happily been addressed to a limited degree in recent times). 'Rosie' is an excellent example of this philosophy.

With reference to original Sopwith drawings, the intent was to produce a factory-spec 1915 aeroplane, but with the understanding that it was to be a reasonably practical machine for regular sport flying. With this in mind it is fitted not with a Le Rhone rotary but with a Rotec radial engine providing 150 'modern' horse power to provide comparable performance to the original aircraft with its 80 'period' horse power. The change of engine type means that there are several deviations from standard, such as engine instruments specific to the Rotec, and these have been purposely mounted on a separate panel. Should the next owner wish to source a WW-I rotary and install it, the aircraft could be presented as 'stock' with the correct installation.

'Rosie' was completed and test flown in February 2018. After several years of enjoyable flying, it is now offered for sale, still in 'as-new' condition.

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Specifications

Characteristics

  • Length: 19 ft 3.75 in (5.8865 m)
  • Wingspan: 26 ft 6 in (8.08 m)
  • Height: 9 ft 5 in (2.87 m)
  • Wing area: 254 sq ft (23.6 m2)
  • Empty weight: 787 lb (357 kg)
  • Gross weight: 1,225 lb (556 kg)
  • Propeller: 2-bladed wooden fixed-pitch propeller

Performance  (N.B. performance figures based on 80 hp Le Rhone)

  • Maximum speed: 112 mph (180 km/h, 97 kn)
  • Range: 337 mi (542 km, 293 nmi)
  • Endurance: 3 hours
  • Service ceiling: 17,500 ft (5,300 m)
  • Wing loading: 4.8 lb/sq ft (23 kg/m2)