The Sopwith Snipe was perhaps the finest fighter to be flown by the British in World War I although it only arrived late to operational service in September 1918.

The Snipe was designed as an improvement on Sopwith’s legendary Camel and in most respects achieved what was expected of it. The Snipe proved to be an easier and more forgiving aircraft to fly than the notoriously fickle Camel but without losing any of the Camel’s famed manoeuvrability. The Snipe was especially agile at high altitudes and had a very rapid rate of climb which gave it a decided advantage over most of its opponents. The Snipe, like the Camel was also armed with two forward firing Vickers machine guns.

Type: Single seat fighter
Powerplant: 230 hp Bentley BR2 Rotary
Maximum Speed: 121 mph
Maximum Altitude: c 20,000 feet (although it could reach 25,000 feet)
Range: c 300 miles
Armament: 2x forward firing .303/7.7 mm Vickers machine gun.