The Sopwith Pup was a British single seat biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company, entering service with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in the autumn of 1916. The armament on the Sopwith Pup is a 303 Vickers machine gun, fired forward through the arc of the propeller by means of a gun synchronizer. With pleasant flying characteristics and good maneuverability, the aircraft proved very successful. Although eventually outclassed by newer German fighters, it was not completely replaced on the western Front until the end of 1917. Remaining Pups were relegated to Home Defense training units.

The Pup was officially named the Scout. The “Pup” nickname arose because pilots considered it to be the “pup” of the larger two-seat Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter. The name never had official status as it was felt to be “undignified,” but a precedent had been set and all later Sopwith types, apart from the triplane, acquired names of mammals or birds (Camel, Dolphin, Snipe, etc.).

The British Navy took advantage of the Pup’s light weight and controllability to experiment with shipboard use. It could take off from short decks built on ships’ bows or barges, and using floatation gear, be recovered after making a “water landing.” Later, landing decks were provided which ultimately emerged as the first “aircraft carriers.” Home Defense squadrons using Pups were deployed as night-fighters to protect England against raids by German Zeppelins and Gotha Bombers.

The Museum’s Sopwith Pup is a reproduction built by Museum volunteers at Gillespie Field and completed in 2003. The Pup is exhibited without its fabric skin, so guests can see the complex structure and craftsmanship that went into the original aircraft.