il2_specs
Sopwith Snipe
描述
The Sopwith Snipe was created as a replacement for the Camel in response to the appearance of new enemy fighters. At the design stage, the Camels engines (for instance, the Clerget 9B or Bentley B.R.1) were considered for use, as well as the newer and more powerful Bentley B.R.2. The decision was finally made after successful tests of the latter that confirmed its exceptional performance (234 HP). The early prototype’s fuselage and wings were similar to its predecessor, but later on its look became final. The rectangular fuselage got rounded edges, the biplane wings were reinforced by an additional pair of struts per side and the vertical stabilizer got the bigger surface rudder thanks to the compensator.
Seven contracts for producing the first 1700 aircraft were assigned to Sopwith, Boulton & Paul, Coventry Ordnance Works, Napier, Nieuport & General, Portholme Aerodrome and Ruston Proctor companies. The first shipments began during the summer of 1918, but the production rate was lagging behind schedule. Only 77 airplanes were completed by the end of August instead of the planned 200. The total number of aircraft produced is not known, but at least 1567 Snipes were delivered. There were several improvements made to the design during the production run - for instance, the vertical stabilizer and upper wing ailerons surfaces have been increased even more. A more powerful (320 HP) radial engine, the “Dragonfly” was installed on some machines. The airplanes equipped with this engine became the ancestors of the new Sopwith Dragon after some additional changes in design.
Compared to the much-loved Camel, the Snipe won a cautious welcome from the pilots. While the new arrival was fast and maneuverable, it lost the famous nearly instant response to the pilot input of its predecessor because it was significantly more massive. In spite of this, the Snipe was a very formidable weapon in the hands of an experienced user. On October 27th, 1918, only a few weeks after they became available, Major W.G. Barker alone engaged 15 enemy airplanes and shot down 4 of them, getting wounded in the hand and both legs. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for this feat and his Sopwith Snipe fuselage has been preserved and moved to Canada, where it is displayed in the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.
Only a handful of squadrons got the new aircraft in time to use it on the Western Front before the war ended: No.43 Squadron RAF, No.4 Squadron AFC and No.208 Squadron RAF. The Snipe saw its first action on September 26th, 1918.
发动机：Bentley B.R.2 rotary 9 cyl., 234 HP
尺寸
高度：2900 mm
长度：5870 mm
翼展：9144 mm
机翼面积：24,455 m²
重量
空载重量：608 kg
最大起飞重量：905 kg
燃油容量：176 L
滑油容量：33 L
最大空速
海平面——197 km/h
1000 m——188 km/h
2000 m——178 km/h
3000 m——167 km/h
4000 m——156 km/h
5000 m——143 km/h
6000 m——116 km/h
爬升率
1000 m——2 min 31s
2000 m——5 min 24s
3000 m——8 min 49s
4000 m——13 min 00s
5000 m——18 min 31s
6000 m——28 min 23s
实用升限6100 m
1000m高度的续航时间
标称动力（战斗）——2h 5min
最低消耗（巡航）——4h 20min
武器
前射：2 х 维克斯（Vickers） Mk.I 7.69mm，500发每弹鼓.
炸弹装载：51 kg
参考
1) Sopwith Aircraft 1912-1920, by H.F. King; Putnam, 1980.
2) The Sopwith 7F.I Snipe. Profile publications Number 50.
3) Sopwith Snipe. J.M. Bruce Windsock Datafile 46.
4) Dolphin and Snipe Aces of Wold War I. Norman Franks, Osprey №48.
修改
阿尔迪斯（Alidas）瞄准具
阿尔迪斯（Alidas）折射型直筒瞄准具
增加质量：2 kg
H.E.R.L. bomb
51 kg (112 lb) H.E.R.L. General Purpose Bomb
Additional mass: 57 kg
Ammunition mass: 51 kg
Rack mass: 6 kg
Estimated speed loss before drop: 2 km/h
Estimated speed loss after drop: 1 km/h
库珀（Cooper）炸弹
最多4 x 11 kg（24 lb）库珀（Cooper）通用炸弹
增加质量：56 kg
弹药质量：44 kg
挂架质量：12 kg
投弹前预期速度损失：2 km/h
投弹后预期速度损失：1 km/h
Enlarged cockpit cutouts
Enlarged cockpit cutouts for improved field of view (“Barker mod”)
驾驶舱照明
用于夜间飞行的驾驶舱照明灯
增加质量：9 kg