By Fred Glueckstein
October 1913
On the 29th Mr. Winston Churchill, flying with the late Cap-
tain Lushington, R.M.A., took control of the aeroplane him-
self during the greater part of an hour’s flight, thus becoming
the first Cabinet Minister of any nation to pilot an aeroplane.^1T
he most successful British fighter of the First
World War, the Camel was built by the Sopwith
Aviation Company. The highly maneuverable
Sopwith Camel was a biplane, a fixed-wing aircraft with
two main wings stacked one above the other. It proved
far superior to all German types of dogfighters until the
introduction of the Fokker D. VII in 1918. Altogether,
Sopwith built 5,490 Camels. The plane’s top speed was
118 miles (189 kilometers) per hour, and it had a ceiling
of 24,000 feet (7,300 meters). The Camel was credited
with 1,294 enemy aircraft destructions.
During the First World War, Sopwith designed and
built other fighters, including the Tabloid. Originally a
two-seat plane, single-seat variants of the Tabloid went
into production in 1914, and thirty-six fighters eventu-
ally entered service with the Royal Flying Corps (RFC)
and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). In addition to
being a fighter, the Tabloid was also used as a bomber and
was the first to bomb German air sheds in Cologne and
Dusseldorf in October 1914.Sopwith SociableT
he RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under
the direction of the Admiralty’s Air Department.
It existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April
1918, when it was merged with the British Army’s RFC to
form a new service, the Royal Air Force (RAF). The min-ister responsible for overseeing the creation of the RNAS
was First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill.
In late 1913, Churchill’s eye was caught by a scaled-
up version of the Tabloid known as the “Sopwith Socia-
ble” because the two-man crew was seated side-by-side
rather than in tandem. The Sociable was a British sin-
gle-engine, two-seat tractor (engine mounted with a two-
blade propeller in front) biplane. It was powered by a
(75 kW) Gnome Monosoupape, a 100 hp nine-cylinder
air-cooled rotary engine.
Churchill liked the design of the Sociable because the
aircraft would permit the First Lord to inspect the fleet
from the air. He therefore requested that the RNAS place
an order for the Sociable and in December 1913 dictated
the general specifications.
Sopwith Aviation began work on the Sociable on
24 December. Among the Admiralty’s requirements
outlined in the contract were that the accommodation
should be “roomy” and the seats especially upholstered in
leather, widely reported to have been specified by Chur-
chill for his own comfort. Specifications by the Admiral-
ty also included “4 hours [flight] duration, and starting
from pilot’s seat—safety belts, shoulder straps, adjustable
windshield, dashboard clock, map case—and spare tank
to fit in passenger’s seat.”^2(^) During the week of 9 February 1914, Churchill visit-
ed Sopwith Aviation. The First Lord of the Admiralty was
in the habit of making such inspections in order to famil-
iarize himself with the Royal Navy’s suppliers. He toured
the Kingston factory in Brooklands and no doubt wanted
to see that “his” Sopwith Sociable was nearing comple-
tion.
Churchill’s Sociable was given serial number 149 by
the Admiralty, and on 16 February 1914 it was first flown
at Brooklands by test pilot Howard Pixton. Three days lat-
er, the biplane was handed over by Pixton to Lt. Spencer
Grey, who accepted it on behalf of the Admiralty. Grey
was determined to get the Sopwith Sociable to Hendon
promptly because the next day he was scheduled to take
Churchill on a flight in the brand new aircraft.
Grey was hindered by rain and mist, however, and
it took two-and-a-half hours to cover the nineteen miles
from Brooklands to Hendon. During the trip, Grey had to
fly a good deal out of his way and descended four times to
stop and ask directions.
The Sopwith Churchill
W
ith Lt. Grey at the controls on 20 February,
Churchill flew in the Sopwith Sociable as a
passenger. Unfortunately, a strong wind was
blowing, and the Sociable only attained 600 feet. GreyTHE SOPWITH
CHURCHILL:
THE FIRST LORD‘S
CUSTOM-BUILT,
1914, TWO-SEAT
RNAS BIPLANE
By Fred Glueckstein
October 1913
Onthe29thMr.WinstonChurchill,flyingwiththelateCap-
tainLushington,R.M.A.,tookcontroloftheaeroplanehim-
selfduringthegreaterpartofanhour’sflight,thusbecoming
thefirstCabinetMinisterofanynationtopilotanaeroplane.^1T
he most successful British fighter of the First
WorldWar,theCamelwasbuiltbytheSopwith
Aviation Company. The highly maneuverable
SopwithCamelwasa biplane,a fixed-wingaircraftwith
twomainwingsstackedoneabovetheother.Itproved
farsuperiortoallGermantypesofdogfightersuntilthe
introductionof theFokkerD.VII in1918.Altogether,
Sopwithbuilt 5,490Camels.The plane’stopspeedwas
118 miles(189kilometers)perhour,andit hada ceiling
of24,000 feet(7,300meters).The Camelwascredited
with1,294enemyaircraftdestructions.
DuringtheFirstWorldWar,Sopwithdesignedand
built other fighters,including theTabloid. Originallya
two-seatplane,single-seatvariantsof theTabloidwent
intoproduction in1914,andthirty-six fighterseventu-
allyenteredservicewiththeRoyalFlyingCorps(RFC)
andtheRoyalNavalAirService(RNAS).Inadditionto
beinga fighter,theTabloidwasalsousedasa bomberand
wasthefirsttobombGermanairshedsinCologneand
DusseldorfinOctober1914.SopwithSociableT
heRNASwastheairarmoftheRoyalNavy,under
thedirectionoftheAdmiralty’sAirDepartment.
It existed formallyfrom 1 July 1914 to 1 April
1918,whenit wasmergedwiththeBritishArmy’sRFCto
forma newservice,theRoyalAirForce(RAF).Themin-isterresponsibleforoverseeingthecreationoftheRNAS
wasFirstLordoftheAdmiraltyWinstonChurchill.
Inlate1913,Churchill’seyewascaughtbya scaled-
upversionoftheTabloidknownasthe“SopwithSocia-
ble”becausethetwo-mancrewwasseatedside-by-side
rather thanin tandem. The Sociablewas aBritish sin-
gle-engine,two-seattractor(enginemountedwitha two-
blade propeller in front) biplane.It was poweredby a
(75kW)GnomeMonosoupape,a 100hpnine-cylinder
air-cooledrotaryengine.
ChurchilllikedthedesignoftheSociablebecausethe
aircraftwouldpermittheFirstLordtoinspectthefleet
fromtheair.HethereforerequestedthattheRNASplace
anorderfortheSociableandinDecember 1913 dictated
thegeneralspecifications.
Sopwith Aviation began work on the Sociable on
24 December. Among the Admiralty’s requirements
outlinedin thecontract werethat theaccommodation
shouldbe“roomy”andtheseatsespeciallyupholsteredin
leather,widelyreportedtohavebeenspecifiedbyChur-
chillforhisowncomfort.SpecificationsbytheAdmiral-
tyalsoincluded“4hours[flight]duration,andstarting
frompilot’sseat—safetybelts,shoulderstraps,adjustable
windshield,dashboardclock,mapcase—andsparetank
tofitinpassenger’sseat.”^2
Duringtheweekof9 February1914,Churchillvisit-
edSopwithAviation.TheFirstLordoftheAdmiraltywas
inthehabitofmakingsuchinspectionsinordertofamil-
iarizehimselfwiththeRoyalNavy’ssuppliers.Hetoured
theKingstonfactoryinBrooklandsandnodoubtwanted
toseethat“his” SopwithSociablewasnearingcomple-
tion.
Churchill’sSociablewasgivenserialnumber 149 by
theAdmiralty,andon 16 February 1914 it wasfirstflown
atBrooklandsbytestpilotHowardPixton.Threedayslat-
er,thebiplanewashandedoverbyPixtontoLt.Spencer
Grey,whoaccepteditonbehalfoftheAdmiralty.Grey
wasdeterminedtogettheSopwithSociabletoHendon
promptlybecausethenextdayhewasscheduledtotake
Churchillona flightinthebrandnewaircraft.
Grey was hindered by rain and mist, however, and
it took two-and-a-half hours to cover the nineteen miles
from Brooklands to Hendon. During the trip, Grey had to
fly a good deal out of his way and descended four times to
stop and ask directions.The Sopwith ChurchillW
ith Lt. Grey at the controls on 20 February,
Churchill flew in the Sopwith Sociable as a
passenger. Unfortunately, a strong wind was
blowing, and the Sociable only attained 600 feet. GreyTHE SOPWITH
CHURCHILL:
THE FIRST LORD‘S
CUSTOM-BUILT,
1914, TWO-SEAT
RNAS BIPLANE