Sopwith Rhino

Sopwith Rhino
Name	Sopwith Rhino
Caption	Sopwith Rhino replica in 2010
Type	Heavy single-seat day bomber
Manufacturer	Sopwith Aviation Company
First flight	1917
Introduced	1918
Primary user	Royal Flying Corps
Produced	18

Sopwith Rhino The Sopwith Rhino was a British single-seat prototype large-bomber/fighter-bomber developed during World War I by the Sopwith Aviation Company at Kingston upon Thames for the Royal Flying Corps. Designed as a concentrated-weapon landplane to support operations during the German Spring Offensive and counter strategic raids by the Luftstreitkräfte, the Rhino combined heavy armament with robust construction to meet urgent operational demands. Despite promising trials, the type saw limited production and service, reflecting shifting priorities at Aircraft Manufacturing Company-era reorganizations and evolving doctrine at Air Ministry institutions.

Development and Design

Sopwith designed the Rhino in 1917 under direction from Chief Designer Herbert Smith to meet a requirement emphasized by figures such as Hugh Trenchard and influenced by operational reports from commanders like David Henderson and Sir John Salmond. The Rhino used a deep-chested fuselage and a single-bay biplane layout inspired by earlier Sopwith projects such as the Sopwith Camel, Sopwith Pup, and the larger Sopwith Dolphin, while incorporating ideas from contemporaries including the Handley Page O/100 and the Airco DH.4. The prototype was powered by the Clerget 9B and later trialed with engines related to the Bentley BR2 family, drawing on supply connections with firms like Sunbeam (motor company) and Le Rhône (engine manufacturer). Armament was heavy for a single-seat type: a fixed forward-firing Vickers machine gun synchronised through the propeller and additional externally mounted weapons similar to mounts used on the Bristol F.2 Fighter and anti-Zeppelin platforms tested at Royal Aircraft Factory (RAF). Structural innovations referenced techniques developed at National Physical Laboratory stress-testing and the woodwork traditions of Glenn Curtiss-era practice adopted by British firms.

Construction used spruce and ash frames with fabric covering in the manner common to Sopwith products; control surfaces echoed those on the Sopwith 1½ Strutter. The Rhino’s undercarriage and fuel arrangements were influenced by trials conducted at Royal Aircraft Establishment and logisticians at No. 3 Group RAF.

Operational History

Operational evaluation occurred during 1918 with units of the Royal Flying Corps transitioning into the Royal Air Force. A batch of approximately 18 airframes was built at Sopwith works and subcontractors including Boulton Paul and Hooper & Co. for frontline assessment by squadrons returning from the Western Front and sectors like Ypres. Rhino trials involved coordination with staff from No. 70 Squadron RAF and reconnaissance sections attached to Army Group Centre-adjacent formations. Pilots who flew the Rhino included officers seconded from No. 1 Squadron RAF and development test pilots linked to William Beardmore and Company.

Deployment was constrained by shortages of suitable engines and by competition from twin-engine types such as the Airco DH.10 Amiens and heavy day-bombers from Handley Page. As the Hundred Days Offensive progressed, doctrine favored multi-seat, multi-crew aircraft for strategic work, and the Rhino’s single-seat concept lost priority. Some Rhinos were used in coastal patrol and convoy escort trials coordinated with Admiralty liaison officers and anti-submarine screens deployed from ports like Felixstowe.

Variants

- Prototype: initial single-seat prototype fitted with the Clerget-derived engine; trialed at Martlesham Heath by Captain Frank Goodden-era test teams. - Production batch: small-production series including minor airframe changes and alternative powerplants from suppliers such as ABC Motors and Sunbeam, reflecting feedback from Airco-style maintenance crews. - Coastal trial conversion: provisional modifications for maritime patrol under guidance from Coastal Command (RAF), incorporating flotation trials influenced by designs from Supermarine Aviation Works.

Specifications

(typical single-seat prototype) - Crew: 1 (pilot sourced from Royal Flying Corps cadres) - Length: c. 27 ft (8.2 m) comparable to contemporary Sopwith large types like the Sopwith 1½ Strutter - Wingspan: c. 36 ft (11.0 m) in the range of single-bay biplanes used by No. 70 Squadron RAF - Powerplant: single Clerget-derived rotary or alternatives supplied by Le Rhône (engine manufacturer)/Bentley BR2-derived units, ~150–230 hp output similar to engines used in Sopwith Camel conversions - Armament: one synchronized Vickers machine gun and external mounts for light bombs or additional guns as trialed with equipment from Royal Naval Air Service ordnance depots - Performance: speed and ceiling comparable to contemporary single-seat light bombers evaluated at Martlesham Heath, endurance suited to short-range tactical missions supporting BEF operations.

Survivors and Legacy

No original complete Rhino airframe is known to survive in museum collections such as the Science Museum, London or Imperial War Museum holdings; fragments and drawings remain in archives associated with Sopwith Aviation Company records and collections at Bristol Museums. The Rhino’s influence persisted in design debates at the Air Ministry and informed later single-seat strike concepts experimented by firms including Gloucester Aircraft Company and Bristol Aeroplane Company. Replica and scale models have been built by enthusiasts in collaboration with organizations like the Vintage Aviator Ltd and exhibits at aviation gatherings in locations such as Duxford Airfield.

Category:British World War I aircraft