WW1 aircraft
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
At Brooklands the conventional fuselage 'Snail' C4284 is awaiting rectification of its Wasp engine including new carburettors, and monocoque fuselage 'Snail' C4288 is being readied for testing to Martlesham Heath when Air Board Technical Department reports on their design and manufacture arrive. The criticisms of the gun installation can be addressed especially the lack of blast tubes to avoid igniting any petrol vapour in the cockpit but there is concern over the complexity and practicality of the welded engine mountings which include the front undercarriage strut sockets.(below)
The report on the monocoque 'Snail' is not encouraging stating that "this machine is not to be considered a sound manufacturing proposition, the construction of the fuselage being on lines which do not lend themselves to production". The fuselage construction as built up of 3/32 inch thick three-ply planks about 6 inches wide butt jointed in the cockpit area where the skin is double and lap jointed elsewhere, all attached by some 7,000 copper rivets to a series of 30 ash hoops at 6 inch spacing six of which have plywood formers attached. It is estimated that 60lbs of copper nails have been used, half of which has been wasted cutting to length before burring over. The whole fuselage is fabric covered and doped. The Sopwith experimental team have built another three conventional 'Snail' fuselage and wing sets which await engines and are now building a second monocoque fuselage
The report on the monocoque 'Snail' is not encouraging stating that "this machine is not to be considered a sound manufacturing proposition, the construction of the fuselage being on lines which do not lend themselves to production". The fuselage construction as built up of 3/32 inch thick three-ply planks about 6 inches wide butt jointed in the cockpit area where the skin is double and lap jointed elsewhere, all attached by some 7,000 copper rivets to a series of 30 ash hoops at 6 inch spacing six of which have plywood formers attached. It is estimated that 60lbs of copper nails have been used, half of which has been wasted cutting to length before burring over. The whole fuselage is fabric covered and doped. The Sopwith experimental team have built another three conventional 'Snail' fuselage and wing sets which await engines and are now building a second monocoque fuselage
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- #204
johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
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Good stuff guys!
Elvis
Chief Master Sergeant
The great Albert Ball...
Very nice photos John. 
This one however - is not the Bulldog.
It's the Sopwith Snail...
Sopwith Snail - Wikipedia
This one however - is not the Bulldog.
It's the Sopwith Snail...
Sopwith Snail - Wikipedia
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
Albatros D.III - The Red Baron
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
From
Air & Space magazine
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
Elvis
Chief Master Sergeant
I wonder if this is where Beechcraft got the idea....
