Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter

believed to have been thus nicknamed for the fact that its cabane struts appeared to be interplane struts cut in half, the 1 1/2 Strutter was the first British aeroplane fitted with an interrupted gun, complemented by a trainable gun in the rear cockpit. First flown in December 1915 with an 82 kW (110 hp) Clerget rotary, the type resulted from a naval requirement and showed such capability that large-scale production was undertaken with the naval and army designations Admiralty Type 9700 and Two-seater respectively. The type was produced in two- and single-seat forms, the latter being a bomber operated almost exclusively by the navy. Deliveries began in spring 1916, and total British production of 1513 1 1/2 Strutters was complemented by about 4500 French-built aircraft. Replacement with more agile fighters of higher performance began in July 1917. (source: The International Encyclopedia of Aircraft, Oriole Publishing, 1991)