Sopwith Admiralty Type C

The Sopwith Admiralty Type C was an early British torpedo-dropping floatplane that Sopwith designed and built in 1914, a single-engined tractor biplane that proved unable to lift a torpedo. The Admiralty ordered a special torpedo-carrying biplane in February 1914 and three similar Type Cs in July, specifying folding wings, bomb gear, a gun and radio. The three, powered by a 200 hp Salmson piston engine, were completed in October and went to RNAS Calshot for evaluation in November 1914. The special version had failed to lift a torpedo and the Type Cs were little better, failing to take off under load. One was accepted in February 1915 but sank after a forced landing days later, and the two survivors were withdrawn from service at the end of 1915.