Biplane

Sorrell SNS-6 / SNS-7 Hiperbipe

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Designed in 1975, the fuselage, tail group, engine/landing gear mount, interplane struts and flight control systems are all welded steel tube. Wing construction is all-wood with a stressed skin. Landing gear is the Wittman type. The engine cowling and wheel fairings are fiberglass. Then, the entire air¬frame is fabric covered, including the plywood-covered wings.

The prototype was SNS-6 N66S. The design won the EAA’s Outstanding New Design Award in 1973.

Advanced aerobatic maneuvers are possible in the Hiperbipe, such as vertical eight point rolls, inside/outside vertical eights, etc, but the Hiperbipe doesn’t sacrifice the comforts such as complete carpeting, full electrical system, lights and radio.

Sorrell Hiperbipe – Aerobatic Cabin Cruiser Article

Sorrel SNS-7 Hiperbipe N3717

Basic kit includes fuselage sides, wings built, with wood and steel tubing and sheet steel. Price 1982: $4,950 basic kit, options to $19,000. Units delivered to June 1981: 87.

SNS-7

Engine: Lycoming IO-360, 180 hp
Speed max: 170 mph
Cruise: 160 mph
Range: 502 sm
Stall: 50 mph
ROC: 1500 fpm
Take-off dist: 400 ft
Landing dist: 595 ft
Service ceiling: 18,000 ft
Fuel cap: 39 USG
Weight empty: 1236 lb
Gross: 1911 lb
Height: 5.9 ft
Length: 20.8 ft
Wing span: 22.8 ft
Wing area: 129 sq.ft
Seats: 2
Landing gear: tail wheel

SNS-7
Engine: Lycoming O-360, 180 hp
Wingspan: 6.95 m
Length: 6.34 m
Height: 1.78 m
Empty weight: 521 kg
MTOW: 861 kg
Max speed: 330 kph
Cruise: 250 kph
ROC: 457 m/min

Sorrell SNS-1 / SNS-2 Guppy

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Designed by Hobie Sorrell of Tenino, Washington, in 1966, Fred Chandler of Ferguson, Missouri constructed this homebuilt project. Chandler says that the Guppy’s success is the result of a clean design combined with large wing area and light weight. He says that the design is very controllable in spite of its low engine power and small size. It is a rudder aircraft, and low speed makes it easy to handle.

SNS-1

The first two built, N2976G c/n 1 and N2180 c/n 2, were powered by an 18hp OMC Cushman 200 HO2 outboard boat engine. The Sorrell SNS-1 was the first Guppy (N2976G) and, as such, it is usually just referred to as an ‘SNS-2’.

Kit version uses 25-hp Citroen engine. Price 1982: $4,500 (includes engine and prop).

Engine: 18hp OMC Cushman 200
Wingspan: 21’3″
Length: 15’5″
Useful load: 245 lb
Max speed: 80 mph
Cruise: 70 mph
Stall: 38 mph
Seats: 1

Engine: Citroen, 25-hp
Gross weight: 575 lb
Empty weight: 330 lb
Useful load: 245 lb

Engine 36-hp VW
Gross Wt. 640 lb
Empty Wt. 440 lb
Wingspan 21 ‘6”
Length 15’6”
Top speed 85 mph
Cruise 80 mph
Stall 29 mph
Climb rate 200 fpm
Takeoff run 350 ft
Landing roll 400 ft
Ceiling 10,000 ft
Range 200 miles

Engine: Rotax 377, 36 hp
Speed max: 90 mph
Cruise: 70 mph
Stall: 35 mph
ROC: 650 fpm
Take-off dist: 200 ft
Landing dist: 250 ft
Service ceiling: 12,000 ft
Fuel cap: 6.5 USG
Weight empty: 350 lb
Gross: 600 lb
Height: 5.2 ft
Length: 15.4 ft
Wing span: 21.2 ft
Wing area: 150 sq.ft
Seats: 1
Landing gear: tail wheel

Sorenson 1909 Glider

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A hot-air balloon-launched glider built and flown by U. Sorenson of Berwyn, Nebraska, specially constructed with warping wings for balance. Its first and only flight was less than successful as the left wing broke and the machine came spinning down at 100 rpm. Sorenson was not killed.

After the accident

Sopwith Three-Seater / D1

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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.

Type D

Engine: Gnome, 80 hp
Span: 40′
Length: 29’6″
Weight: 1060/1810 lb
Speed range: 40-75 mph

Sopwith Snapper

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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 Snapper

Sopwith Snipe II / Dragon

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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 Dragon

Sopwith 2FR.2 Bulldog

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The Bulldog fighter-reconnaissance two-seater was a single-bay staggered biplane with a 200hp Clerget llEb 11-cylinder rotary engine and an armament of two synchronised and two pillar-mounted 7.7mm machine guns. In its initial form the Bulldog was first flown late 1917.

The Bulldog proved heavier than projected and difficult to control, and in an attempt to improve handling qualities it was fitted with two-bay wings with balanced ailerons, flight test being resumed in March 1918.

With the balanced ailerons replaced by plain surfaces, the Bulldog was submitted to Martlesham Heath for official trials on 22 April 1918. There it was found to handle well, but to possess disappointing performance. It was eventually to be re-engined with a Bentley B.R.2.

The second prototype was completed with an A.B.C. Dragonfly nine-cylinder radial of 320hp, being delivered to the RAE at Farnborough on 25 June 1918 as the Bulldog Mk II and serving as an engine test bed. Work began on a third prototype, but the Bulldog’s failure to win official approval led to discontinuation of the programme before this aircraft could be completed.

Max take-off weight: 1132 kg / 2496 lb
Empty weight: 654 kg / 1442 lb
Wingspan: 10.29 m / 34 ft 9 in
Length: 7.00 m / 23 ft 12 in
Height: 2.67 m / 9 ft 9 in
Wing area: 31.12 sq.m / 334.97 sq ft
Max. speed: 175 km/h / 109 mph