Sopwith Cobham

The Sopwith Cobham was a British twin-engined triplane bomber aircraft designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War. The only twin-engined aircraft built by Sopwith, the Cobham did not fly until after the end of the war, and was unsuccessful due to the failure of its engines, only three prototypes being built.

Design and development

The Sopwith Cobham was designed to meet a June 1918 requirement for a twin-engined long-range medium bomber to equip the Royal Air Force (to meet RAF Type IV, VI and VII specifications). The design, by Herbert Smith was a twin-engined triplane with a wooden box-girder fuselage with fabric and plywood covering, while the wings, which were of equal span, each had two spruce spars and fabric covering. It was designed to be powered by two of the new ABC Dragonfly radial engines, which promised high power for low installed weight, and had been ordered in large numbers to equip most of the prospective types planned to equip the RAF. It had a crew of three, with a pilot sitting in a cockpit just forward of the leading edge of the wings, while gunners sat in nose and dorsal positions, each armed with Lewis guns on Scarff rings. Three 250 lb (114 kg) bombs could be carried vertically in the fuselage.