Berwyn
Nebraska
USA
U. Sorenson of Berwyn, Nebraska, built and flew a hot-air balloon-launched glider in 1909.
Author: Terry
Sorenson Special
In 1948 Keith Sorenson built two midget racers:
Deer Fly N24C
Piloted by K Sorenson and Mike Argander
Competed successfully under various owners until it crashed at Tampa FL in 1966, killing pilot Bill Stead.
Little Mike N35C
Modified tail
Modified for 1949 competition as Foss Jinny
Sorenson Special
Engine: Continental C-85, 85hp
Wingspan: 18’6″
Length: 15’6″
Seats: 1
Sorenson, Keith
Van Nuys CA.
USA
Built two Sorenson Special midget racers in 1948.
Sopwith Three-Seater / D1
A three-seat general purpose biplane, the Three-Seater / D1 set a number of British altitude records in June and July 1913, in the hands of the by then Sopwith Chief Test Pilot, “Harry” Hawker. Of these the highest reached was 12,900 feet with one passenger. The Three-Seater could carry a 450 lb payload at 70 mph.
At least seven of these machines were known to have been operated by the naval wing of the RFC.
Engine: Gnome, 80 hp
Span: 40′
Length: 29’6″
Weight: 1060/1810 lb
Speed range: 40-75 mph
Sopwith 860
1914
Type 860
Crew: 2
Engine: 1 x 225hp Sunbeam Mohawk
Wingspan: 19.17 m / 63 ft 11 in
Wing area: 73.39 sq.m / 789.96 sq ft
Armament: one torpedo
Sopwith Wallaby
Sopwith Snark
On 14 May 1918, Sopwith was awarded a contract for three prototypes of a new single-seat fighting triplane, conforming to the RAF Type I specification and named the Snark. Powered by a 320hp A.B.C. Dragonfly I nine cylinder radial and featuring a plywood monocoque fuselage, the Snark was an equi-span staggered triplane and its designed armament was two synchronised 7.7mm guns on the fuselage and four weapons of similar calibre mounted two per side under the bottom wing. The first Snark was passed for flight test in September 1918, but unavailability of a Dragonfly engine and the decision to make various minor modifications delayed manufacturer’s trials until September of the following year, the aircraft arriving at Martlesham Heath for official trials on 12 November 1919. The second prototype reached Martlesham on 17 March 1920, and the third prototype, with a 360hp Dragonfly la engine, late in the year. Apart from engine problems, the Snark triplanes suffered fuselage deterioration and all three were written off in 1921.
Engine: 320hp A.B.C. Dragonfly I
Max take-off weight: 1036 kg / 2284 lb
Wingspan: 8.08 m / 27 ft 6 in
Length: 6.25 m / 21 ft 6 in
Height: 3.30 m / 11 ft 10 in
Wing area: 29.91 sq.m / 321.95 sq ft
Max. speed: 209 km/h / 130 mph
Sopwith Snapper
Designed in parallel with the Snark triplane and similarly intended to meet the requirements of the RAF’s Type I specification, the Snapper single-bay staggered equi-span biplane was destined to be the last fighter to bear the Sopwith name before the company went into liquidation in September 1920.
Three prototypes of the Snapper were ordered on 6 June 1918, and, although originally designed with a plywood monocoque fuselage, all three aircraft were completed with conventional fabric-covered fuselages. Powered by a 320hp A.B.C. Dragonfly I nine-cylinder radial engine and carrying the standard pair of synchronised 7.7mm machine guns, the first Snapper performed manufacturer’s trials in the second half of July 1919, being delivered to Martlesham Heath for official trials on 1 August. Flight test was somewhat spasmodic owing to recurring difficulties with the engine, but all three Snappers were at the RAE, Farnborough, in mid-1920. It is presumed that trials continued until the decision was taken to discontinue further attempts to rectify the engine’s problems.
Engine: 320hp A.B.C. Dragonfly I
Max take-off weight: 993 kg / 2189 lb
Empty weight: 663 kg / 1462 lb
Wingspan: 8.53 m / 28 ft 0 in
Length: 6.27 m / 21 ft 7 in
Height: 3.05 m / 10 ft 0 in
Wing area: 27.13 sq.m / 292.02 sq ft
Max. speed: 225 km/h / 140 mph
Sopwith Snipe II / Dragon
The sixth and last prototype of the Snipe was fitted with the 320hp A.B.C. Dragonfly nine-cylinder radial engine as the Snipe Mk II. Despite the shortcomings of this engine, it gave outstanding performance when it could be persuaded to function efficiently, and, with the Dragonfly’s faults still to be recognised as incurable, 300 Snipes were ordered with the A.B.C. engine on 3 May 1918 (initially from a Snipe produc-tion batch).
The first true Dragon was Snipe airframe E7990, fitted with the new engine in July 1918 and arrived for testing in February 1919. Assigned the name Dragon, these were delivered in June and July 1919. The Dragonfly-engined Snipes were produced in parallel with aircraft built from the ground up as Dragons, these having horn-balanced upper ailerons and the 360hp Dragonfly la engine, armament comprising the standard pair of synchronised 7.7mm guns.
About 200 of a 300-aircraft contract were completed and efforts to cure the engine’s troubles continued until the autumn of 1921, the Dragon, officially adopted at that time as a standard RAF single-seat fighter, never being issued to a squadron and being officially declared obsolete in April 1923.
Engine: 320hp A.B.C. Dragonfly
Span: 9.4 m (31 ft 1 in) upper; 9.1 m (30 ft) lower
Length: 6.6 m (21 ft 9 in)
Height: 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 25.18 sq.m / 271.04 sq ft
Max take-off weight: 967 kg / 2132 lb
Maximum speed: 241 km/h (150 mph)
Service ceiling: 7619 m (25000 ft)
Armament: 2 fixed 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers mg
Sopwith Buffalo
1918
Crew: 2
Engine: 1 x 230hp Bentley BR2
Max take-off weight: 1393 kg / 3071 lb
Empty weight: 988 kg / 2178 lb
Wingspan: 10.29 m / 34 ft 9 in
Length: 7.30 m / 24 ft 11 in
Height: 2.67 m / 9 ft 9 in
Wing area: 21.12 sq.m / 227.33 sq ft
Max. speed: 183 km/h / 114 mph
Cruise speed: 162 km/h / 101 mph
Armament: 2 x 7.7mm mg
