Development of fighter aircraft in the First World War was incredibly rapid, especially towards the end of the war.(The term fighter is used here for clarity - in WW1 the British called what we now think of as fighters 'Scouts', Germans called them Jaegers -hunters- Americans called them 'Pursuits' and the French called them Chasse -chase- aircraft. In WW1 aircraft known as fighters tended to be aircraft intended primarily for something else, such as reconnaissance or bombing that could also defend themselves - the Vickers Gunbus and FE2b for example. So much for clarity...)

The ultimate development on the Allied side during WW1 was arguably the Sopwith Snipe. Sopwith had created the 'Pup' and 'Camel' which had both helped wrest back control of the skies from German aircraft during the to-and-fro over the Western Front. Air superiority was an essential part of warfare over the Western Front - if you had it, you could support the army on the ground with reconnaissance, artillery spotting, bombing and so on. So an arms race developed to create the best fighters, which could secure the control of the skies.

The F1 Camel, in 1918, was a fine aeroplane - it was still just about the most manoeuvrable aircraft around, and it was heavily armed. In a toe-to-toe battle with a Fokker Dr1 or DVII it could still hold its own. However, it didn't have the range or the altitude performance to contest the skies above 15,000ft or ten miles over the enemy lines in the way that the Sopwith Dolphin or the SE5a could. It was also relatively slow, though that was less of an issue in the sort of air combat that was typical in 1918 than it was in later conflicts. It was also very tricky to fly, and a lot of pilots and aircraft were lost in accidents.

In late 1917, Sopwith set about producing a replacement for the Camel. The 7F1 Snipe was to be powered by the new 230hp Bentley BR2 rotary. (There was also to be a version called the Dragon, which would have been powered by the ABC Dragonfly radial engine). The designers' intention was to create an aircraft with the advantages of the Camel but none of the shortcomings. The heaviest components were again concentrated in a small space to ensure the greatest possible manouevrability. The cockpit was raised to improve visibility forward and down. It was a little cleaner aerodynamically. During development, the wings were lengthened to improve performance at higher altitudes.

By 1918, the intention was to replace the Camel with the Snipe almost wholesale. Fine aircraft though the Hispano-powered SE5A and Dolphin were, they suffered from continual problems with engine reliability and availability. Moreover, it made sense to have a mix of aircraft powered by rotary engines and liquid-cooled engines - the latter tended to be faster, while the former tended to be more agile and faster climbing.

The Snipe took longer to develop than comparable aircraft - around a year from first flight to squadron service, compared with six months for the Camel. The additional time may well have been worth it, as the aircraft had unmatched handling, being as manoeuvrable as the Camel, but pleasant and tractable to control. It was slightly faster than the Camel, but had much better rate of climb and altitude performance.

Snipes only made it to France about a month before the end of hostilities. However, the brief spell on the front line showed that the aircraft was potentially more than a match for the feared Fokker DVII. The Snipes of 4 Squadron RAAF claimed 19 Fokkers destroyed and two more driven down out of control for the loss of one Snipe between 26-29 October 1918. Captain William Barker, who had a Snipe as his personal aircraft while renewing his combat experience after a home posting, famously fought 15 Fokker DVIIs alone on 27 October 1918. Barker had just shot down a two-seater when he was bounced by a large formation of Fokkers - he shot down at least three of the aircraft, and despite being wounded, was able to force-land the Snipe behind Allied lines. If it hadn't been for the Snipe's handling and agility, it's unlikely he would have survived the encounter. The Snipe was chosen as the RAF's standard fighter after WW1. While this was no doubt partly for reasons of practicality and politics (the Snipe was powered by a British engine while the equally-impressive Martinsyde F4 Buzzard was powered by a French 300hp Hispano) it was also testament to the Snipe's abilities.

The aircraft photographed here is a replica created by The Vintage Aviator in New Zealand, displayed at the Royal International Air Tattoo, Fairford, July 2013.

A very good plane that is for sure. It would beep cool to see the snipe and the Fokker D.VIII or the Fokker D.VII in the game.

Tom Cundall ? Thanks for the Snipe article. I guess from your name and post that you read Winged Victory by V M Yeats (sp) ?
An excellent book which triggered my life long interest in WW1 flight.
regards
Cherry Tree

I suggest you enjoy an excellent book, "DAEDALUS AND THE DEEP" by Matthew Willis aka CUNDALL.

Can't wait for his second adventure in the publishing business.

Thanks Capt Cherry Tree - yes, my handle here and avatar are very much influenced by Winged Victory and VM Yeates. A wonderful book, and a real eye-opener about air combat and life on the Western Front.

Paul, you're very kind, as ever. I'm so glad you enjoyed the book. You both may like the one I'm working on at the moment. It's tenatively called 'The Violence Of The Sun' and is set in the MTO, 1943-44. One of the characters is a war correspondent who had very similar experiences to Tom Cundall in WW1. I view the book partly as a respectful nod to Winged Victory.