Sopwith Buffalo

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title: "Sopwith Buffalo" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1910s-british-fighter-aircraft", "1910s-british-military-reconnaissance-aircraft", "sopwith-aircraft", "single-engined-tractor-aircraft", "biplanes", "aircraft-first-flown-in-1918", "rotary-engined-aircraft"] description: "British WW1 Armoured biplane fighter/reconnaissance aircraft" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Buffalo" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary British WW1 Armoured biplane fighter/reconnaissance aircraft ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]

Field	Value
name	Buffalo
aircraft_type	Armoured fighter/reconnaissance aircraft
national_origin	United Kingdom
manufacturer	Sopwith Aviation Company
status	Prototype
number_built	2
first_flight	19 September 1918
developed_from	Sopwith Bulldog
::

| name = Buffalo | logo = | logo_size = | image = | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Armoured fighter/reconnaissance aircraft | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = United Kingdom | manufacturer = Sopwith Aviation Company | design_group = | designer = | builder = | issuer = | status = Prototype | owners = | primary_user = | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 2 | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = 19 September 1918 | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = Sopwith Bulldog | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded = The Sopwith Buffalo was a British armoured fighter/reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War. A single-engined biplane, two examples of the Buffalo were built by Sopwith to carry out reconnaissance missions low over the trenches while protected against machine-gun fire from the ground, but no production followed, with the end of the war removing the need for such an aircraft.

Development and design

In July 1918, the British Air Ministry requested Sopwith, who were already building the Sopwith Salamander armoured single-seat ground attack fighter, to build an armoured two-seat aircraft to carry out the dangerous contact patrol mission. This mission involved flying at low altitude over the battlefield to locate and keep in contact with attacking forces, therefore keeping commanders in touch with the progress of the battle. This exposed aircraft carrying out such missions to heavy small arms fire from enemy trenches, resulting in heavy casualties.

Sopwith's design, the 3F.2 Buffalo, was a single-engined tractor biplane, with its two-bay wooden wings taken from Sopwith's earlier Bulldog fighter. Like the Salamander, the forward fuselage was made out of armour plate, weighing about 750 lb (340 kg), with the bottom of the fuselage 0.315 in (8 mm) thick, with the sides and front of 0.179 in (5 mm) plate. The armoured box reached back to the observer's cockpit, protecting the crew together with the fuel tanks and pipes, the carburettor and the magnetos.

The first prototype flew on 19 September 1918, The second prototype, which had its armour extended further aft, flew in October. While tests showed that the Buffalo had good performance, and promised to be an excellent contact patrol aircraft, the end of the war ended plans for large scale production. The two prototypes were sent to No. 43 Squadron, serving with the British Army of Occupation at Bickendorf near Cologne, Germany, but were quickly damaged in crashes.

Operators

;

• Australian Flying Corps
  • No. 4 Squadron AFC – One Buffalo was attached to No. 4 Squadron, it was used for tests and trials during October 1918. ;
• Royal Air Force
  • No. 43 Squadron RAF

Specifications

|ref=British Aeroplanes 1914-18. |prime units?=imp General characteristics

|crew=Two |capacity= |length sigfig=3 |length m= |length ft=23 |length in=3+1/2 |span m= |span ft=36 |span in=6 |height m= |height ft=9 |height in=6 |wing area sqm= |wing area sqft=326 |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg= |empty weight lb=2178 |empty weight note= |gross weight kg= |gross weight lb=3071 |gross weight note= |fuel capacity=25 impgal |more general= Powerplant

|eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=Bentley BR.2 |eng1 type=9-cylinder rotary engine |eng1 kw= |eng1 hp=230 |power original= |more power=

|prop blade number=2 |prop name= |prop dia m= |prop dia ft=8 |prop dia in=6 |prop dia note= Performance

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh= |max speed mph=114 |max speed note=at 1000 ft |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed kts=

|range km= |range miles=275 |range note= |endurance= |ceiling m= |ceiling ft=9000 |g limits= |roll rate= |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin= |time to altitude=4 min 55 s to 3000 ft |more performance= Armament

|guns=

• 1× forward firing .303 in Vickers machine gun
• 1× flexibly mounted Lewis gun in rear cockpit |bombs= |rockets= |missiles= |hardpoints= |hardpoint capacity= |hardpoint rockets= |hardpoint missiles= |hardpoint bombs= |hardpoint other=

|avionics=

Notes

References

• Bruce, J. M. British Aeroplanes 1914-18. London:Putnam, 1957.
• Bruce, J. M. "The First British Armoured Brigade",Part 3. Air International, April 1979, Vol 16 No. 4. Bromley, UK:Fine Scroll Publishing. pp. 182–190, 199–200.
• Mason, Francis K. The British Fighter since 1912. Annapolis, Maryland, USA:Naval Institute Press, 1992. .
• "Milestones:The Sopwith Machines". Flight, 6 February 1919. pp. 163–174.
• Robertson, Bruce. Sopwith-The Man and his Aircraft. Letchworth, UK:Air Review, 1970. .

References

1. Robertson 1970, p. 229.
2. Bruce 1957, p. 629.
3. Mason 1992, p. 139.
4. Bruce 1979, p. 199.
5. Bruce 1957, p. 630.
6. Robertson 1970, p. 240.
7. ''Flight'', 6 February 1919, p. 174.

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