Sopwith Tabloid (multiple scales)

When the Sopwith Tabloid was first demonstrated in late 1913, onlookers were astonished with its excellent performance. The original model had pilot and passenger sitting side-by-side in a shared cockpit, though military machines were single-seaters.  At first, wings were controlled by warping and were of single-bay configuration, but eventually ailerons were added.  In many ways, the Tabloid set design trends that would carry through to 1918.

The RFC and RNAS both ordered small numbers of Tabloids in early 1914 and some went to France in August 1914.  The RNAS had only two on hand in Antwerp before it was evacuated, and one managed to destroy Zeppelin Z.IX as it rested in its shed at Dusseldorf.  Ad-hoc mounts of machine guns were constructed including a Lewis gun on the upper wing firing over the propeller arc; another used deflector plates on the propeller (as does this model).  The Tabloid's service life did not last long after the spring of 1915.

The Tabloid was adapted to seaplane form in the Sopwith Schneider and later the Baby.

This product comes in both 1:144 and 1:285/6mm/1:288 scales.  The 1:285  product contains two aeroplanes, each with a detachable, translucent propeller disk.  They are joined by disposable links to keep the price down, since single-part models are more affordable.  You can break the links with nail clippers, wire cutters, or similar.

DESIGNER NOTE:  Models at scales smaller than 1:144 may no longer be available.  Shapeways discontinued the material for which they were designed, and the newer materials require that each and every model be adjusted to thicken surfaces like wings.  If you are interested in a particular model in a small scale, please let me know and I will prioritize it higher in the queue.

For more details and gaming information, see https://linen.miraheze.org/wiki/Sopwith_Tabloid.