Sopwith Snail up for firewood in November 1919. Sopwith Snail The Sopwith 8F.1 Snail was a prototype British Fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was unsuccessful, being abandoned due to an unreliable engine. The Sopwith 8F.1 Snail was designed by Herbert Smith of Sopwith Aviation Company to meet the Air Board Specification A.1A for a light fighter with superior performance to the Sopwith Camel. Herbert Smith designed a small single-bay biplane, powered by the 170 hp (127 kW) ABC Wasp radial engine. An initial order was placed on 31 October 1917 for six prototypes with a conventional wood and fabric
Thomas Sopwith & Space Museum. His authorised biography is "Pure Luck" (2005) by Alan Bramson, with a foreword by the Prince of Wales (). Sir Thomas was interviewed on 8 November 1978 by the art historian Anna Malinovska. The interview is reproduced in "Voices in Flight", 2006. He was a member of the Air Squadron flying club. Sopwith challenged the America's Cup with his J-class yachts, "Endeavour", in 1934, and with "Endeavour II" in 1937. Both yachts were designed by Charles E. Nicholson. Sopwith funded, organised and helmed the yachts. He did not win the Cup but he became a Cup legend