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Sopwith Aviation Company - Founded
The Sopwith Aviation Company was founded by Thomas Sopwith at age 24. Over the course of the first world war, this company made over 16,000 aircraft and employed over 5000 people. -
The Sopwith Camel
Perhaps the most famous British fighter plane of the First World War. It got its name from the hump-shaped cover over its twin machine guns. They were greatly feared by the Axis Powers for their fearsome reputation that was received by shooting down more enemy aircraft than any other WW1 plane. Inexperienced pilots would find it hard to steer, due to its tendancy to lean to the left, but those with experience, found it to be unmatched in terms of manoeuvrability. Around 5490 of these were made. -
Sopwith Grasshopper
Intended to be a better Sopwith Camel, but the hopes fell short. The plane was some what of a prototype as only one was made. The Grasshopper was 25mph slower than the Camel at only 90mph but its advantage was its size and strength. It was fairly strong and hac much better endurance than the Camel; it could sustain numerous bullets before being put down. -
Hawker Aircraft Limited
The Sopwith Aviation Company, after the first world war, soon became bankrupt. Immediatley, Thomas Sopwith along with one of his main test pilots, Harry Hawker, and other men formen Hawker Engineering. This was to be renamed Hawker Aircraft Limited. -
Hawker Hurricane
It can be strongly argued that without the invention of this plane, the Allied forces would have been defeated in the second world war. Although the Supermarine Spitfire received all the glory and praise, this plane was arguably the greatest plane of World War 2, It won the allies 60% of all dogfights and its guns did not have to be in sync with the prop as they were in the wings. The wings were made of light metal, as opposed to fabric, this gave the Hurricane more kick, adding on about 80mph. -
The Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter was a subsonic British jet built for one person. It served as a lethal weapon in dogfights as it had a vast array of firepower in its armoury; most notably 4 revolver cannons, hardpoints, rockets, missiles and bombs. It was very manoeuverable and, due to the invention of jet engines, had a top speed of 715mph, this was much faster than its predecessor, The Hawker Sea Fury, which had a top speed of 460mph. -
Hawker Siddeley Harrier
Also known as the Harrier Jump Jet, this plane formed the first generation of the 'Harrier Family'. It was the first operational close-support and reconnaissance fighter aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities. This meant that a long runway was no longer required and Harriers could be flown from the most remote locations. They were usually based amphibious assault ships, however they had a reputation for crashingand required high maintenance. It also had a large arsenal.
