Sopwith Cuckoo

Infobox Aircraft
name =T.1 Cuckoo
type = Torpedo bomber
manufacturer = Sopwith Aviation Company

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300px
introduced = 1918
retired =1923
primary user =Royal Air Force
produced =
number built =232The Sopwith T.1 Cuckoo was a British biplane torpedo bomber used by the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), and its successor organization, the Royal Air Force (RAF). The T.1 was the first landplane specifically designed for carrier operations, but it was completed too late for service in the First World War. The T.1 was not named Cuckoo until after the Armistice.

Design and development

In 1916, Commodore Murray Sueter, the Air Department's Superintendent of Aircraft Construction, solicited Sopwith for a single-seat aircraft capable of carrying a 1,000 lb torpedo and sufficient fuel to provide an endurance of four hours. The resulting T.1 was a large, three-bay biplane. Because the T.1 was designed to operate from carrier decks, its wings were hinged to fold backwards. A split-axle undercarriage allowed the aircraft to carry a 1,000 lb Mk. IX torpedo beneath the fuselage.

The prototype T.1 first flew in June 1917, powered by a 200 hp Hispano-Suiza 8Ba engine. Thetford 1978, p. 318.] Upon the satisfactory completion of trials, the Admiralty issued production orders to Fairfield Engineering and Pegler & Company. These companies had no experience as aircraft manufacturers, however, resulting in substantial production delays. Layman 2002, p. 191.] Moreover, the S.E.5a had priority for the limited supplies of the Hispano-Suiza 8. Redesign of the T.1 airframe to accommodate the heavier Sunbeam Arab incurred further delays. Layman 2002, p. 191.]

In February 1918, the Admiralty issued a production order to Blackburn Aircraft, an experienced aircraft manufacturer. Blackburn delivered its first T.1 in May 1918. Thetford 1978, p. 318.] After undergoing service trials at RAF East Fortune, the T.1 was recommended for squadron service. Deliveries to the Torpedo Aeroplane School at East Fortune commenced in early August 1918. Fairfield and Pegler finally began production in September and October, respectively.

Operational history

, where Cuckoos launched practice torpedoes at targets towed by destroyers. Operational aircraft embarked on HMS "Argus" in October 1918, but hostilities ended before the Cuckoo could conduct any combat operations.

The Cuckoo was generally popular with pilots because the airframe was strong and water landings were safe. The Arab engine proved unsatisfactory, however, and approximately 20 Cuckoos were converted to use Wolseley Viper engines. Thetford 1978, p. 318.] These aircraft, designated Mk. II, could be distinguished by the Viper's lower thrust line.

A total of 300 Cuckoos were ordered, but only 90 aircraft had been delivered by the Armistice. A total of 232 aircraft had been completed by the time production ended in 1919. Blackburn Aircraft produced 162 aircraft, while Fairfield Engineering completed 50 and Pegler & Company completed another 20. Thetford 1978, p. 318.]

The Cuckoo's operational career ended when the last unit to use the type, No. 210 Squadron, disbanded at Gosport on 1 April 1923. Thetford 1978, p. 318.] The Cuckoo was replaced in service by the Blackburn Dart. Today, no complete Cuckoo airframe survives, but a set of Cuckoo Mk. I wings are preserved at the National Museum of Flight in Scotland.

Variants

;Cuckoo Mk. I : Main production variant. Powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) Sunbeam Arab piston engine. ;Cuckoo Mk. II : Mk. I converted to use a 200 hp (149 kW) Wolseley Viper piston engine. ;Sopwith B.1 : Single-seat bomber aircraft. Powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8 piston engine. Two prototypes built.

Operators

;JPN:
*Japanese Air Force operated 6 Cuckoo Mk. II aircraft.;UK:
*Royal Naval Air Service
*Royal Air Force
** No. 185 Squadron RAF - Used Cuckoo from October 1918 but was disbanded the following year.
** No. 186 Squadron RAF - Used Cuckoo from late 1918. Was renamed No. 210 Squadron in 1920.
** No. 210 Squadron RAF - Formed in 1920 from No. 186 Squadron, and continued to use the Cuckoo until 1 April 1923 when the unit disbanded.

pecifications (Mk. I)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= prop
ref=British Naval Aircraft Since 1912 Thetford 1978, p. 319.]
crew= one, pilot
capacity=
length main= 28 ft 6 in
length alt= 8.68 m
span main= 46 ft 9 in
span alt= 14.25 m
height main= 10 ft 8 in
height alt= 3.25 m
area main= 566 ft²
area alt= 52.6 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 2,199 lb
empty weight alt= 1,000 kg
loaded weight main= 3,883 lb
loaded weight alt= 1,765kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)= Sunbeam Arab
type of prop= V8 engine
number of props=1
power main= 200 hp
power alt= 149 kW
power original=
max speed main= 105.5mph
max speed alt= 92 kts, 171 km/h
range main= 291 nm
range alt= 335 mi, 539 km
ceiling main= 12,100 ft
ceiling alt= 3,690 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=

armament=* 1× 18 inch Mk. IX torpedo
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
sequence=
lists=
*List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force
*List of aircraft of the Royal Naval Air Service

Notes

References

*Cite book |author=Layman, R.D.|title=Naval Aviation In The First World War: Its Impact And Influence |Edition = |publisher= Caxton |location= London|year=2002 |isbn= 1 84067 314 1
*Cite book |author=Thetford, Owen|title=British Naval Aircraft Since 1912 |Edition =Fourth Edition |publisher=Putnam |location= London|year=1994 |isbn= 0 85177 861 5