Sopwith B.1

The Sopwith B.1 was an experimental single-seat, single-engined biplane bomber built by the Sopwith Aviation Company for the Royal Navy in the First World War. Sopwith designed it in late 1916 alongside the Cuckoo torpedo bomber, which it closely resembled, but its two-bay wings did not fold and up to 560 lb of bombs were carried vertically in cells behind the pilot. No orders came from the Admiralty or the Royal Flying Corps, so Sopwith built a prototype as a private venture, probably hoping for French orders. It first flew in early April 1917 and was sent to France, where the Royal Naval Air Service took it over and flew it on bombing raids against targets in German-occupied Belgium. Only two were built, and its tiring handling and lack of defence counted against it.