Sopwith Snail 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 framework structure, but this was revised
Thomas M. Harries Thomas M. Harries Lieutenant Thomas Montagu Harries was a Scottish World War I flying ace credited with 11 aerial victories. He was the second scoring ace using the Sopwith 1½ Strutter; he then also became an ace on the Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a. Harries was posted to No. 45 Squadron as an observer on Sopwith 1½ Strutter two-seater fighter aircraft, with the rank of corporal. On 9 May 1917, he was being piloted in Strutter serial number A963 when he used his gunnery skills to set a German Albatros D.III fighter afire in the sky west of Menin for his