Sopwith 5F1 Dolphin

The Dolphin was flown by the RAF in the First World War. Its unusual wing arrangement gave its pilot an excellent view.

It was heavily armed with up to four guns. Many pilots removed one or both Lewis guns from the top wing. No. 87 Squadron re-positioned them on the lower wings outside the airscrew arc to increase the volume of fire when ground strafing. This example is a composite reconstruction with original tail surfaces, fuselage frame parts and nose cowlings from three separate aircraft. Its identity comes from the original Sopwith-built rear fuselage section, from an aircraft built in 1918 and probably used by a training unit.