View source for Sopwith 1½ Strutter

{{Short description|British WW1 biplane fighter, bomber and reconnaissance aircraft}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2018}}
<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{{Infobox aircraft
|image=RAF_Sopwith_1_1-2_Strutter.jpg
|name=Sopwith {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter
|type=[[Biplane]] general purpose aircraft
|manufacturer=[[Sopwith Aviation Company]]
|national_origin=United Kingdom
|number_built=4,500 France<br />1,439 Great Britain
|first_flight = December 1915
|introduction = April 1916
|primary_user = [[Royal Naval Air Service]]
|more_users = [[Royal Flying Corps]]<br />{{lang|fr|[[History of the Armée de l'Air (1909-1942)|Aéronautique Militaire]]}}
}}
The '''Sopwith {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter''' is a British single- or two-seat [[Multirole combat aircraft|multi-role]] [[biplane]] [[aircraft]] of the [[First World War]].<ref name="bomber-40">Lake 2002, p. 40.</ref>  It was the first British two-seat [[tractor configuration|tractor]] fighter and the first British aircraft to enter service with a [[Synchronization gear|synchronised]] [[machine gun]]. It was given the name {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter because of the long and short [[cabane struts]] that supported the top wing. The type was operated by both British air services and was in widespread but lacklustre service with the French {{lang|fr|[[History of the Armée de l'Air (1909-1942)|Aéronautique Militaire]]}}.

==Design and development==
[[File:An aeroplane leaving the deck of the Australia on a reconnaissance trip (13960807682).jpg|thumb|Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter biplane aircraft taking off from a platform built on top of HMAS ''Australia'''s midships 'Q' turret. 1918]]
In December 1914, the [[Sopwith Aviation Company]] designed a small, two-seat biplane powered by an {{cvt|80|hp}} [[Gnome Engine Company|Gnome]] [[rotary engine]], which became known as the "Sigrist Bus" after [[Fred Sigrist]], the Sopwith works manager. The Sigrist Bus first flew on 5 June 1915 and although it set a new British altitude record on the day of its first flight, only one was built, serving as a company runabout.<ref name="Bruce RFC p499">Bruce 1982, p. 499.</ref><ref name="Jarrett database p56">Jarrett 2009, p. 56.</ref>

The Sigrist Bus formed the basis for a new, larger, fighter aircraft, the Sopwith LCT (Land Clerget Tractor), designed by [[Herbert Smith (aircraft designer)|Herbert Smith]] and powered by a {{cvt|110|hp}} [[Clerget]] engine. Like the Sigrist Bus, each of the upper wings (there was no true centre section) was connected to the [[fuselage]] by a pair of short (half) struts and a pair of longer struts, forming a "W" when viewed from the front; this giving rise to the aircraft's popular [[nickname]] of the {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter.<ref name="bomber-40"/> The first prototype was ready in mid-December 1915, undergoing official testing in January 1916.<ref name="Jarrett database p56"/><ref name="Bruce I p544">Bruce 28 September 1956, p. 544.</ref>

The {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter was of conventional wire-braced, wood and fabric construction. The pilot and gunner sat in widely separated tandem cockpits, with the pilot in front, giving the gunner a good field of fire for his [[Lewis gun]]. The aircraft had a variable-incidence [[tailplane]] that could be adjusted by the pilot in flight and [[air brake (aircraft)|airbrakes]] under the lower wings to reduce landing distance.<ref name="Bruce RFC p499"/><ref name="Jarrett database p56,8">Jarrett 2009, pp. 56, 8.</ref>

[[File:Sopwith Strutter RAFM.jpg|thumb|A preserved Sopwith {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter at the RAF Museum, London, showing the W-form pairs of "{{frac|1|1|2}}" struts that gave the aeroplane its name, and the centrally-mounted Vickers machine gun]]
The Vickers-Challenger [[Synchronization gear#The Vickers-Challenger gear|synchronisation gear]] was put into production for the [[Royal Flying Corps]] (RFC) in December 1915 and in a few weeks, a similar order for the [[Synchronization gear#The Scarff-Dibovski gear|Scarff-Dibovski]] gear was placed for the RNAS.<ref name="Bruce I 543">Bruce 28 September 1956, p. 543.</ref><ref name="BruceII p586">Bruce 5 October 1956, p. 586.</ref> Early production {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters were fitted with one or the other of these gears for the fixed [[.303 British|.303]]-in [[Vickers machine gun]]; due to a shortage of the new gears some early aircraft were built with only the observer's gun. Later aircraft were either fitted with the [[Synchronization gear#The Ross and other "miscellaneous" gears|Ross]] or the [[Synchronization gear#The Sopwith-Kauper gear|Sopwith-Kauper]] gears.<ref name="Bruce British p542">Bruce 1957, p. 542.</ref> No early mechanical synchronisation gear was reliable and it was not uncommon for propellers to be damaged or shot away.

The [[Scarff ring]] mounting was also new and production was at first slower than that of the aircraft requiring them. Various makeshift Lewis mountings as well as the older Nieuport ring mounting, were fitted to some early {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters as a stopgap.<ref name="Bruce British p542-3">Bruce 1957, pp. 542–543.</ref>  The two-seaters could carry four {{cvt|25|lb}} bombs underwing, which could be replaced by two {{cvt|65|lb}} bombs for anti-submarine patrols.<ref name="Jarrett database p59">Jarrett 2009, p. 59.</ref> From the beginning, a light bomber version was planned, with the observer's cockpit eliminated to allow more fuel and bombs to be carried in the manner of the [[Martinsyde Elephant]] and the [[Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12|B.E.12]], with an internal bomb bay capable of carrying four {{cvt|65|lb}} bombs.<ref name="Jarrett database p59"/><ref name="bruce wind2 p6">Bruce 2000, p. 6.</ref>

==Operational history==

===In British service===
The prototype two seater flew in December 1915 and production deliveries started to reach the RNAS in February 1916.<ref name="Bruce I p544"/> By the end of April, No. 5 Wing RNAS had a flight equipped with the new aircraft. The Sopwiths were used to escort the wing's [[Caudron G.4]] and [[Breguet Bre.4]] bombers and for bombing.<ref name="Bruce I p545">Bruce 28 September 1956, p. 545.</ref><ref name="Thetford Navyp292">Thetford 1978, p. 292.</ref> The [[War Office]] had ordered the type for the RFC in March but because Sopwith's production capacity was contracted to the navy, the RFC orders had to be placed with Ruston Proctor and [[Vickers]].<ref name="Bruce RFC p500">Bruce 1982, p. 500.</ref> Sub-contract production from these manufacturers did not get into its stride until August. Since the [[Battle of the Somme]] was planned for the end of June and with the RFC having a shortage of modern aircraft, it was agreed that a number of Sopwiths would be transferred from one service to the other, allowing [[No. 70 Squadron RAF|70 Squadron]] to reach the front by early July 1916 with Sopwith-built {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters, originally intended for the Navy.<ref name="bruce RFC, p501,503">Bruce 1982, pp. 501, 503.</ref>

[[File:Sopwith 1 2-1 Strutter-2006.jpg|thumb|A replica Sopwith {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter in 1916 RNAS livery, flying at a 2006 air show]]
At first, 70 Squadron did very well with their new aircraft. The period of German [[Air superiority|ascendency]] known as the [[Fokker scourge]] was over and the {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter's long range and excellent armament enabled offensive patrolling deep into German-held territory.<ref name="Bruce II p587">Bruce 5 October 1956, p. 587.</ref> By the time [[No. 45 Squadron RAF|45 Squadron]] reached the front in October, the new [[Albatros D.I|Albatros]] fighters were arriving at the {{lang|de|[[Jagdstaffel]]n}}. By January 1917, when [[No. 43 Squadron RAF|43 Squadron]] arrived in France, the {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter was outclassed as a fighter; a more powerful {{cvt|130|hp|kW}} Clerget 9B improved performance slightly but too late to reverse the situation.<ref name="Bruce RFC p504">Bruce 1982, p. 504.</ref> It was still a useful long-range reconnaissance aircraft when it could be provided with adequate fighter escort but was one of the types to suffer severely during "[[Bloody April]]", 43 squadron alone suffering 35 casualties, from an officer establishment of 32.<ref name="BruceII p588"/><ref>Herris and Pearson 2010, p. 51.</ref>

Like other early Sopwith types, the {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter was very lightly built and its structure did not stand up very well to arduous war service. It was far too stable to make a good [[dogfighting|dogfighter]] and the distance between the pilot and the observer's cockpits impeded their communication. The last operational {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters in the RFC were replaced by [[Sopwith Camel]]s in late October 1917.<ref name="BruceII p588">Bruce 5 October 1956, p. 588.</ref>

The type's long range and stability were good qualities for a home defence fighter and it served with [[No. 37 Squadron RAF|37]], [[No. 44 Squadron RAF|44]] and [[No. 78 Squadron RAF|78]] squadrons. Most of the {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters supplied to home defence units had been built as two-seaters but many were converted locally to single-seaters to improve performance. Some of these single-seaters were similar to the bomber variant but others were of a different type, known (like similarly adapted Sopwith Camels) as the '''Sopwith Comic'''. The cockpit was moved back behind the wings and one or two Lewis guns, either mounted on [[Foster mounting]]s or fixed to fire upwards, outside the arc of the propeller, replaced the synchronised Vickers.

The RNAS used most of their {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters as bombers (in the Aegean and Macedonia as well as in France) and as shipboard aircraft, where it was known as the '''Ship's Strutter''' and flew from [[aircraft carrier]]s, other warships of the [[Royal Navy]], and the battlecruiser {{HMAS|Australia|1911|6}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sopwith 1½ Strutter |url=https://seapower.navy.gov.au/history/units/sopwith-1-12-strutter |website=Sea Power Centre, Australia |access-date=15 March 2025}}</ref> It had been planned to use them on the [[Tondern raid]], but Sopwith Camels were used instead. The RNAS and the RFC (and after April 1918 the [[Royal Air Force]] [RAF]) used the type as a trainer after it had been withdrawn from operational service and like the [[Sopwith Pup]], it proved a popular personal aircraft for senior officers.

===In French service===
[[File:Sopwith 1B2 Strutter Right Rear.jpg|thumb|left|French Sopwith 1B.2 Strutter in late war camouflage]]
The largest user of the Sopwith was actually the French {{lang|fr|Aéronautique Militaire}}. By May 1916 it was obvious that the [[Pusher configuration|pusher]] [[Farman Aviation Works|Farman]] and [[Société Anonyme des Ateliers d'Aviation Louis Breguet|Breguet]] bombers and reconnaissance aircraft were obsolete and with the failure of their [[Tractor configuration|tractor]] aircraft replacements, particularly the [[Nieuport 14]], the Sopwith was ordered in large numbers from French manufacturers in three versions, the SOP. 1A.2 (two-seat reconnaissance), SOP. 1B.2 (two-seat bomber) and  SOP. 1B.1 (single-seat bomber).<ref name="Bruce wind2 p10-1">Bruce 2000, pp. 10–11.</ref><ref name="Bruce II p590"/> While in French service, they equipped a large portion of the French bomber and artillery-observation squadrons and carried out many bombing attacks against industrial and military targets, including the German front lines. It was not as successful against fighters, suffering substantial casualties and downing fewer enemy aircraft than either the aircraft used before it or after. With the belated introduction of the [[Breguet 14|Breguet 14 A.2 and B.2]], the last of the Sopwiths were withdrawn from operational service in early 1918 although they would continue in service with training units until after the end of the war.

===In other foreign service===
[[File:Sopwith 1 1.2 Strutter S.85 BRU Msm 14.04.00R edited-2.jpg|thumb|Belgian Air Force Sopwith on display in the Brussels Military Museum]]
Three Belgian squadrons also flew French-built Sopwiths, and surplus French Sopwiths were used by several countries postwar. During the war, several {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters that were interned after landing in the Netherlands were purchased for the Dutch {{lang|nl|Luchvaart Afdeeling}}. Over 100 {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters were also built in Russia by [[Dux Factory|Duks]] and [[Lebed aircraft|Lebedev]],<ref name="Jarrett database p60">Jarrett 2009, p. 60.</ref> supplemented by large numbers delivered directly from Britain and France. The {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter remained in large scale use by both the Soviet forces and [[White movement|White Russians]] during the [[Russian Civil War]] and [[Polish-Soviet war]].<ref name="Jarrett database p66">Jarrett 2009, p. 66.</ref> Three were captured during this war and used by the Poles in 1919–1920.<ref name=kopanski>Kopański 2001, pp. 73–78.</ref> Other captured ones were used by Baltic states.

The American Expeditionary Force purchased 384 two-seat Strutter observation aircraft and 130 single-seat bombers from France in 1917–18.<ref name="Swan military p560">Swanborough and Bowers 1963, p. 560.</ref>  While mainly used for training, they were used operationally by the [[90th Fighter Squadron|90th Aero Squadron]] as an interim measure, due to a shortage of later types.<ref name="Bruce II p590">Bruce 5 October 1956, p. 590.</ref> The [[U.S. Navy]] used a number of the two-seat Sopwiths, along with [[Nieuport 28]]s and [[Hanriot HD.1]]s and [[Hanriot HD.2|2s]] as ships' aircraft in the early postwar years, testing the use of aircraft from platforms mounted on the turrets of battleships. The {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter also served with the [[Imperial Japanese Army Air Force]] – some examples serving in the Japanese expeditionary force in Siberia during 1918. Around 1,500 {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters were built for the Royal Flying Corps and the [[Royal Naval Air Service]] and between 4,200 and 4,500 were built in [[France]].

==Variants and designations==
;Sopwith Land Clerget Tractor (or Sopwith LCT): Sopwith company designation.
;Sopwith Type 9400: [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] designation for two seater, number from serial of last aircraft in first batch ordered.
;Sopwith Type 9700: [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] designation for single- seater bomber, number likewise assigned.
;Sopwith Two seater: [[Royal Flying Corps|RFC]] designation.
;Sopwith {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter: Unofficial name due to configuration of struts, also used by US Navy.
;Sopwith Comic: Single seat home defence fighter
;Ship(s) Strutter: Shipboard version
;SOP. 1: French built version.
::SOP. 1A.2 two-seat reconnaissance aircraft<ref name="Bruce wind2 p10-1"/><ref name="Bruce II p590"/>
::SOP. 1B.1 single-seat bomber<ref name="Bruce wind2 p10-1"/><ref name="Bruce II p590"/>
::SOP. 1B.2 two-seat bomber<ref name="Bruce wind2 p10-1"/><ref name="Bruce II p590"/>
::SOP. 1E.2 two-seat trainer
;LeO 1: Lioré et Olivier licence-built version.
;So-shiki Model 1: Japanese licence-built bomber version.<ref name="Jarrett database p65">Jarrett 2009, p. 65.</ref>
;So-Shiki Model 2: Japanese licence-built LeO 1 reconnaissance version.<ref name="Jarrett database p65"/>

==Operators==

===Military===
{{acopmap|1 1-2 Strutter|{{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter operators.}}
;{{flagcountry|Afghanistan|1919}}
* [[Afghanistan Air Force]] received a single aircraft from the Soviet Union in September 1921, which remained in existence until at least December 1924.<ref>Andersson ''Air Enthusiast'' May/June 2003, p. 26.</ref>
;{{AUS}}
* [[Australian Flying Corps]]
** [[No. 2 Squadron RAAF|No. 2 Squadron AFC]] operated one aircraft for training only.
** [[No. 4 Squadron RAAF|No. 4 Squadron AFC]] used Strutters for training.
** [[No. 6 Squadron RAAF|No. 6 (Training) Squadron AFC]] in the [[United Kingdom]]
;{{BEL}}
* [[Belgian Air Force|''Aviation Militaire Belge'']]<ref name="Jarrett database p65"/>
** ''2ème Escadrille''
** ''3ème Escadrille''
** ''4ème Escadrille''
** ''6ème Escadrille''
;{{BRA}}
* ''Escola de Aviação Militar'' used three aircraft for liaison and army co-operation duties.<ref name="Jarrett database p65"/>
;{{Flagcountry|Czechoslovakia|1918}}
:[[Czechoslovak Legion]] used four SOP 1 A.2 delivered by the French Aviation Mission in Russia, and at least one Strutter captured from bolsheviks.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Čejka|first1=Zdeněk|title=Českoslovenští letci a Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter|journal=Historie a plastikové modelářství|date=November 1999|volume=IX|issue=11|pages=18–20|issn=1210-1427}}</ref>
;{{EST}}
* [[Estonian Air Force]] operated a single ex-Soviet aircraft.<ref>Gerdessen 1982, pp. 64, 76.</ref>
;{{FRA}}
* [[History of the Armée de l'Air (1909-1942)|''Aéronautique Militaire'']] – A total of 72 [[Squadron (aviation)|''Escadrilles'']] equipped either wholly or partly.<ref name="Jarrett database p64">Jarrett 2009, p. 64.</ref>
* [[Aéronavale|''Aéronautique Navale'']]<ref>Morareau 1990, p. 16</ref>
;{{GRE}}
* [[Hellenic Navy]] – Six aircraft used in the [[Asia Minor Campaign]] against Turkey, 1918–21.<ref name="Jarrett database p65"/>
;{{JPN}}<ref name="Bruce II p590"/>
* [[Imperial Japanese Army Air Service]]
;{{LAT}}
* [[Latvian Air Force]] operated four ex-Soviet aircraft.<ref name="Jarrett database p65-6">Jarrett 2009, pp. 65–66.</ref><ref>Humberstone, Richard. ''Latvian Air Force 1918–1940''. London: Blue Rider Publishing, 2000, {{ISBN|1-902851-04-8}}.</ref>
* [[Aizsargi]]
[[File:Sopwith Strutter Lithuanian AF.jpg|thumb|Strutter of Lithuanian Air Force. Before 1923]]
;{{flag|Lithuania|1918}}
* [[Lithuanian Air Force]] operated a single ex-Soviet aircraft that landed behind Lithuanian lines during the [[Lithuanian–Soviet War]].<ref>Vistakas 1985, p. 61.</ref> Two others may also have been operated.<ref name="Jarrett database p66"/>
{{MEX}}
* [[Mexican Air Force|Arma de Aviación Militar]] operated one example ([[TNCA]] registration 1-S-68) from c1920–1924.<ref name="Flores Aeroplane letter">Flores ''Aeroplane'', May 2010, p. 94.</ref>
;{{NLD}}
* [[Netherlands Air Force|Luchtvaart Afdeling]] used five {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutters that forced landed in neutral the Netherlands and were interned and subsequently purchased.<ref name="Jarrett database p66"/>
;{{POL}}
* [[Polish Air Force]] operated three aircraft captured from the Soviets in 1919–1920.<ref name=kopanski/>
;{{flag|Romania}}<ref name="Bruce II p590"/>
* [[Romanian Air Corps]]
** ''[[Grupul 1 Aeronautic|Grupul 1 Aviație]]''<ref name="Antoniu">{{cite book|title=Illustrated History of Romanian Aeronautics|first=Dan|last=Antoniu|date=2014|isbn=978-973-0-17209-6|page=54}}</ref>
** ''[[Grupul 2 Aeronautic|Grupul 2 Aviație]]''<ref name="Antoniu"/>
** ''Grupul 3 Aviație''<ref name="Antoniu"/>
** ''[[5th Aviation Group|Grupul 5 Aviație]]''<ref>{{cite book|title=Aeronautica română în Războiul de Întregire națională 1916-1919|first1=Valeriu |last1=Avram |first2=Alexandru |last2=Armă|language=ro|publisher=Editura Vremea|date=2018 |isbn=978-973-645-853-8|pages=42–43}}</ref>
;{{RUS}}
* [[Imperial Russian Air Force]] and [[White movement|White Russian]] forces
;{{USSR}}
* [[Soviet Air Force]]
;{{UKR}}
A single aircraft acquired from Russia in 1918.<ref name="Jarrett database p66"/>
;{{UK}}
* [[Royal Flying Corps]]<ref name="Bruce RFC p508">Bruce 1982, p. 508.</ref>
** [[No. 37 Squadron RAF|No. 37 Squadron RFC]]
** [[No. 39 Squadron RAF|No. 39 Squadron RFC]]
** [[No. 43 Squadron RAF|No. 43 Squadron RFC]]
** [[No. 44 Squadron RAF|No. 44 Squadron RFC]]
** [[No. 45 Squadron RAF|No. 45 Squadron RFC]]
** [[No. 46 Squadron RAF|No. 46 Squadron RFC]]
** [[No. 70 Squadron RAF|No. 70 Squadron RFC]]
** [[No. 78 Squadron RAF|No. 78 Squadron RFC]]
** [[No. 143 Squadron RAF|No. 143 Squadron RFC]]
* [[Royal Naval Air Service]]
** [[No. 202 Squadron RAF|No. 2 (Naval) Squadron]]
** [[No. 205 Squadron RAF|No. 5 (Naval) Squadron]]
** [[No. 208 Squadron RAF|No. 8 (Naval) Squadron]]
;{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
* [[Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps]]
* [[United States Army Air Service]]
** [[88th Aero Squadron]]
** [[90th Aero Squadron]]
** [[99th Aero Squadron]]
* [[United States Navy]]<ref name="Swan Navy p495">Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p. 495.</ref>

===Civil===
;{{ARG}}
Two aircraft registered in 1928. R-105 (later LV-BAA) and R-106 (later LV-CAA). One of these two preserved in Florida.<ref name="Jarrett database p60"/><!----(this aircraft moved to New Zealand)---needs a ref---->
;{{FRA}}
55 aircraft on French civil register in 1922.<ref name="Jarrett database p60"/>
;{{JPN}}
At least seven aircraft registered.<ref name="Jarrett database p60"/>
;{{SWE}}
Possibly one aircraft from Switzerland in 1926.<ref name="Jarrett database p60"/>
;{{SUI}}
Two aircraft, CH-53 registered 9 April 1921, cancelled 9 October 1923. CH-67 registered 5 December 1923, cancelled December 1926 as sold to [[Sweden]].<ref name="Jarrett database p60"/>
;{{UK}}
One civil registered aircraft, G-EAVB.<ref name="Jarrett database p60"/>

==Survivors==
[[File:Sopwith 1 1.5 LeB 05.07R.jpg|thumb|Sopwith No. 556 on display in the [[Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace]] at Paris le Bourget]]
Original Sopwith {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter aircraft are preserved at the following locations.<ref name="Jarrett database p70">Jarrett 2009, p.70.</ref>
;Belgium
* S-88 – On static display at the [[Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and of Military History]] in [[Brussels]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Brackx|first1=Daniel|title=Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter|url=http://www.belgian-wings.be/Webpages/Navigator/Photos/MilltaryPics/ww1_precurseurs/Sopwith%20Strutter/Sopwith%20Strutter%20Frontpage.html|website=Belgian Wings|access-date=18 May 2017|date=16 October 2014}}</ref>

;Canada
* Replica (C-FSOP) – Airworthy at The Great War Flying Museum in [[Caledon, Ontario]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Sopwith 1-1/2 Strutter|url=http://greatwarflyingmuseum.org/the-aircraft/sopwith-1-12-strutter|website=The Great War Flying Museum|date=25 November 2012 |access-date=20 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Aircraft Details [C-FSOP]|url=http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/saf-sec-sur/2/ccarcs-riacc/ADet.aspx?id=502916&rfr=RchSimp.aspx|website=Transport Canada|access-date=20 May 2018}}</ref>

;France
* 556 – Sop.1A.2 on static display at the [[Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace]] in [[Paris, Île-de-France]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Airframe Dossier – Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter, c/n 556|url=http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=3962|website=Aerial Visuals|publisher=AerialVisuals.ca|access-date=18 May 2017}}</ref>
* 2897 – Sop.1B.2 airworthy at the Memorial Flight Association in [[La Ferté-Alais|La Ferté-Alais, Île-de-France]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter 1 B 2|url=http://memorial.flight.free.fr/Strutteruk.html|website=Memorial Flight|publisher=Memorial Flight Association|access-date=18 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Immatriculation des aéronefs [F-AZNM]|url=http://www.immat.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/immat/servlet/aeronef_detail.html?CTRL_ID=10287977_33a71ed9&CTX=1orYV5Gv-PNjGlKauuBR2iQpj00LpSW0HQc5sOIvrT6biBaXXSsXDON051zh1mnPWqGC00aO02cnlOMH6OMDqRt9900bqQ79bSsXlR6HuS3z00000000CTmW0000G00000NG01aHFKrz9H7Do015gONPXBcnXRcSkIMvqPMTbSXBYeAJtWOSu0W01IG05Tc5iTMLuSW0GQc5sOIviOMvdBavrRM9bSeQibHqBbE2B0W00U70008bhU000|access-date=18 May 2017|language=fr}}</ref>

;New Zealand
* Unknown – Under restoration at The Vintage Aviator Limited in [[Masterton|Masterton, Wellington]]. It was previously owned by Fantasy of Flight in [[Polk City, Florida]], and was operated by Argentina before that.<ref name="Aeroplane Monthly April 2011">"Rare Sopwith for New Zealand." ''Aeroplance Monthly'', April 2011, p. 6.</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Weeks|first1=Kermit|title=Oh my God! . . . What a Great Trip Down Under!|url=http://www.fantasyofflight.com/collection/kermit-weeks/oh-my-god-what-a-great-trip-down-under|website=Fantasy of Flight|publisher=Fantasy of Flight|access-date=18 May 2017|date=24 January 2012}}</ref>

;United Kingdom
* Airworthy replica (G-CMDN) – built using original plans by the Aviation Preservation Society of Scotland at Congalton Gardens, [[North Berwick]], East Lothian, EH39 5JP.<ref>{{cite web|title=APSS SOPWITH 1½ STRUTTER|url=http://www.strutteraviation.com|website=Aviation Preservation Society of Scotland|access-date=18 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Aviation Preservation Society of Scotland Building a Flying Sopwith 1½ Strutter Replica|url=http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-restorations/aviation-preservation-society-scotland-building-flying-sopwith-1%C2%BD-strutter-replica.html|website=Warbirds News|publisher=Warbirds News|date=25 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313042912/http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-restorations/aviation-preservation-society-scotland-building-flying-sopwith-1%C2%BD-strutter-replica.html|archive-date=13 March 2016}}</ref> First flew in September 2024.<ref>{{cite AV media|title=Sophie's first hop 4th September and first flight 17th September|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OgnmLoY0R4|via=[[YouTube]]|publisher=Mike Harper|format=video|date=24 November 2024}}</ref>

==Specifications ({{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter – two seater, 130 hp Clerget)==
[[File:Sopwith 1½ Strutter drawing.jpg|thumb|Sopwith {{frac|1|1|2}} Strutter drawing]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=British Aeroplanes 1914–18<ref name="Bruce British p549-50">Bruce 1957, pp. 549–550.</ref>
|prime units?=imp
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=2
|length ft=25
|length in=3
|length note=
|span ft=33
|span in=6
|span note=
|height ft=10
|height in=3
|height note=
|wing area sqft=346
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=
|empty weight lb=1305
|empty weight note=
|gross weight lb=2149
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight lb=2154
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name= [[Clerget 9B]]
|eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled rotary piston engine
|eng1 hp=130
|eng1 note=

|prop blade number=2
|prop name=fixed-pitch propeller
|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=

<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed mph=100
|max speed note=at {{cvt|6500|ft|0}}
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed note=
|range miles=
|range note=
|combat range miles=
|combat range note=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=3 hours 45 minutes
|ceiling ft=15500
|ceiling note=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude={{cvt|6500|ft|0}} in 9 minutes 10 seconds
|lift to drag=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass=
|more performance=
<!--
        Armament
-->
|guns=
** 1 × [[.303 British|.303]] in (7.7 mm) forward-firing [[Synchronization gear|synchronised]] [[Vickers machine gun]]
** 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) [[Lewis gun]] in observer's cockpit
|bombs= Up to 130 lb (60 kg) bombs
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent|
|related=
* [[Sopwith Pup]]
|similar aircraft=
* [[Dorand AR]]
* [[Nieuport 14]]
* [[Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8]]
|sequence=
|lists=
* [[List of aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps]]
* [[List of aircraft of the Royal Naval Air Service]]
|see also=
}}

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
* Andersson, Lennart. "Turbulent Origins: The First 30 Years of Aviation in Afghanistan". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]'', No 105, May/June 2003, pp.&nbsp;19–27. ISSN 0143-5450.
* Bruce, J.M. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1956/1956%20-%201390.html "The Sopwith 1½ Strutter: Historic Military Aircraft No. 14 Part I."] [[Flight International|''Flight'']], 28 September 1956, pp.&nbsp;542–546.
* Bruce, J.M. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1956/1956%20-%201434.html "The Sopwith 1½ Strutter: Historic Military Aircraft No. 14 Part II."] [[Flight International|''Flight'']], 5 October 1956, pp.&nbsp;586–591.
* Bruce J.M. ''British Aeroplanes 1914–18''. London: Putnam, 1957.
* Bruce, J.M. ''The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing)''. London: Putnam, 1982. {{ISBN|0-370-30084-X}}.
* Bruce, J.M. ''Sopwith 1½ Strutter: Windsock Datafile 34''. Berkhampstead, UK: Albatros Productions, Second edition, 1998. {{ISBN|0-948414-42-1}}.
* Bruce, J.M. ''Sopwith 1½ Strutter: Volume 2: Windsock Datafile 80''. Berkhampstead, UK: Albatros Productions, 2000. {{ISBN|1-902207-22-X}}.
* Flores, Santiago A. "Skywriters: Mexican Strutter". ''Aeroplane'',  Vol. 38, No. 5, Issue No 445, May 2009, p.&nbsp;94. London: IPC. ISSN 0143-7240.
* Gerdessen, F. "Estonian Air Power 1918–1945". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]'', No. 18, April – July 1982, pp.&nbsp;61–76. ISSN 0143-5450.
* Herris, Jack and Pearson, Bob ''Aircraft of World War I''. London: Amber Books, 2010: {{ISBN|978-1-906626-65-5}}.
* [[Philip Jarrett |Jarrett, Philip]]. "Database:The Sopwith 1½ Strutter". ''Aeroplane'',  Vol. 37, No, 12, Issue No 440, December 2009, pp.&nbsp;55–70. London:IPC. ISSN 0143-7240.
* King, H.F. ''Sopwith Aircraft 1912–1920'' London: Putnam, 1981. {{ISBN|0-370-30050-5}}.
* {{cite journal |last1=Klaauw|first1=Bart van der|title=Unexpected Windfalls: Accidentally or Deliberately, More than 100 Aircraft 'arrived' in Dutch Territory During the Great War |journal=Air Enthusiast |date=March–April 1999 |issue=80 |pages=54–59 |issn=0143-5450}}
* Kopański, Tomasz Jan. ''Samoloty brytyjskie w lotnictwie polskim 1918–1930 (British aircraft in the Polish air force 1918–1930)''(in Polish). Warsaw: Bellona, 2001. {{ISBN|83-11-09315-6}}.
* Lake, Jon. ''The Great Book of Bombers: The World's Most Important Bombers from World War I to the Present Day''. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing Company, 2002. {{ISBN|0-7603-1347-4}}.
* {{cite magazine |last=Méchin |first=David |title=Grands raids au cœur de l'Allemande en 1916: Le petit Sopwith attaque Munich |magazine=Le Fana de l'Aviation |date=November 2012 |issue=516 |pages=32–39 |language=fr}}
* {{cite magazine |last=Méchin |first=David |title=Le Sopwith 1½ "Strutter": Une histoire française |magazine=Le Fana de l'Aviation |date=November 2022 |issue=636 |pages=54–65 |language=fr}}
* {{cite magazine |last=Morareau |first=Lucien |title=Histoire de l'Aviation Embarquée en France: La 4<sup>eme</sup> Flotille, de la reconnaissance au bombardement |magazine=Le Fana de l'Aviation |date=February 1990 |issue=243 |pages=14–17, 19–21 |language=fr }}
* Swanborough, F.G. and Peter Bowers. ''United States Military Aircraft since 1909''. London: Putnam, 1963.
* Swanborough Gordon and Peter Bowers. ''United States Navy Aircraft since 1911''. London: Putnam, Second edition 1976. {{ISBN|0-370-10054-9}}.
* Taylor, John W.R. "Sopwith 1½ Strutter". ''Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the Present''. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. {{ISBN|0-425-03633-2}}.
* Thetford, Owen. ''British Naval Aircraft since 1912''. London: Putnam, Fourth edition 1978. {{ISBN|0-370-30021-1}}.
* Visatkas, C. "The Annals of Lithuanian Aviation". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]'', Number Twenty-nine,  November 1985 – February 1986, pp.&nbsp;61–66. Bromley, UK:Fine Scroll. ISSN 0143-5450.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Sopwith 1½ Strutter}}
* [http://wio.ru/ww1a/sopw112.htm Sopwith Strutter in Russia]

{{Sopwith Aviation Company aircraft}}
{{Admiralty aircraft type numbers}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sopwith 1 Strutter}}
[[Category:1910s British bomber aircraft]]
[[Category:1910s British fighter aircraft]]
[[Category:1910s British military reconnaissance aircraft]]
[[Category:Biplanes]]
[[Category:Sopwith aircraft|1 Strutter]]
[[Category:Lioré et Olivier aircraft]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1915]]
[[Category:Rotary-engined aircraft]]