The Sopwith Snapper was a prototype British fighter aircraft of the First World War.
A single-engined biplane designed by the Sopwith Aviation Company to replace the Sopwith Snipe fighter, it first flew after the end of the war, but did not enter service owing to the failure of its engine, only three aircraft being built.
This requirement, RAF Type 1, specified the new ABC Dragonfly air-cooled radial engine, which had been ordered into production in large numbers on the basis of excellent promised performance and ease of production despite the fact that it had yet to complete testing.
[2] The cockpit was positioned aft of the wings, providing good visibility to the pilot, while two forward firing synchronised Vickers machine guns were mounted on the fuselage top decking.
Although Sopwith attempted to enter one of the Snappers (with the civil registration K149) into the 1919 Aerial Derby where it was to be flown by Harry Hawker, this was forbidden by the Air Ministry[4] (officially as its engine was still classified as Secret) and the three Snappers were used for test flying by the Royal Aircraft Establishment.