Sopwith 7F1 Snipe

The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was a British single-seat biplane fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It was designed as a replacement for the highly successful Sopwith Camel and entered service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the latter months of World War I. First flown in 1917, the Snipe was powered by a Bentley BR2 rotary engine, which provided improved performance over its predecessor. It featured a more robust structure, better visibility for the pilot, and increased armament, typically consisting of two synchronized Vickers machine guns. Although it arrived too late to have a significant impact on the war, the Snipe proved to be an excellent fighter, combining good maneuverability with a higher speed and ceiling than the Camel. It remained in RAF service into the early 1920s, serving as the RAF's standard single-seat fighter until being replaced by the Gloster Grebe in 1924.