The Sopwith Pup was a British fixed-gear biplane fighter of World War I. It was powered by a single 100 hp LeRhone 9C engine. The prototype first flew in 1916. During serial production, which lasted from 1916 to 1918, about 1,770 examples of this aircraft were built. It was armed with a single 7.7 mm Vickers machine gun.
The Sopwith Pup was based on a sports aircraft, often called the Sopwith Sparrow. The new aircraft had a high maximum speed, excellent piloting qualities and was very maneuverable, becoming an equal rival for the German Albatros D. III aircraft. The Sopwith Pup aircraft were withdrawn from the front line only in mid-1917, and were replaced by an equally successful design, the Sopwith Camel. Pup fighters were used in the period 1917-1918 to combat airships attacking the British Isles. Due to its characteristics, the Sopwith Pup also became the first aircraft in history to successfully land on board a ship on August 2, 1917. Sopwith Pup aircraft are used by the air forces of several countries, including Australia, Belgium, Greece and Japan.
