That recreative contributor, “The Dreamer,” in Flight, July 26th, 1913, wrote:
“As the time for the start of the Round Britain race draws near, I am given to wondering what the result will be: whether any one of the four pilots who have entered will get through within the time. It is possible, of course, that one or even more may do so, but it is to be a great fight and the adventures are likely to be many and varied. Flying has progressed considerably since the last circuit of Britain, and taking into consideration the long-distance flights now made almost weekly, it would hardly be safe to prophesy entire failure. However, to take an aeroplane round the coast of England and Scotland, with a call at Ireland, is no child’s play, and should luck be against our brave pilots and they fail to complete the course in the time allowed, or even do not get round at all, they will yet have done an infinite amount of good to aviation. The mere fact that they have entered at all, and that they have faith in the machines they fly to accomplish such a journey, is most praiseworthy, especially when it is borne in mind that at least three out of the four are flying machines of their own design and construction, and the fourth, although he cannot quite be bracketed in these conditions, has a very high place in the realms of aviation. The more so, that he is an amateur enthusiast first and last. Given suitable weather, I should not be greatly surprised, and should be immensely pleased, to hear that all four had completed the course. Should any one of them manage it in the stipulated time, aviation, including the building of English engines, should receive a fillip the value of which is almost incalculable. Messrs. McClean—Cody—Sopwith—Radley, here’s good luck to you; your pluck is appreciated in the whole world of aviation.”
The machine which Harry piloted in the Round-Britain Seaplane Circuit was of the tractor type. Indeed, its design and construction followed the lines of the standard 80 h.p. Gnome-engined tractor biplane which had been doing so well previously, necessary modifications being introduced to suit the 100 h.p. Green engine and floats provided in place of the land chassis. These modifications gave the fuselage, or body of the machine, a more tapered nose than the land machine and perhaps a prettier appearance. It was the success of his tractor biplanes that prompted Sopwith to enter a machine of this type in preference to one of his Bat Boats. Kauper’s seat was in front of Harry’s, and the control was by a wheel mounted on the “joy-stick,” rotation of the wheel operating the ailerons, or lateral balancers, and a fore-and-aft movement of the lever working the elevator. The rudder was operated by the orthodox foot-bar. The petrol-and oil-tanks, each holding 45 and 10 gallons respectively, were installed under the passenger’s seat about the centre of gravity, so that as the fuel and oil was consumed Harry felt no extra strain on the controls, which would have been the case had the machine not been so balanced. By kind permission of the proprietors of Flight I am able to reproduce the following from a description of the machine, which appeared in their journal on August 16th, 1913.
“Having already achieved such remarkable success with his tractor-type land machine, Mr. Sopwith decided to enter a biplane of this type, fitted, of course, with floats instead of wheels, for the Daily Mail Race Round Britain, in preference to one of the Bat Boat type, and, in consideration of the large open stretches of sea which have to be negotiated, we are inclined to think that he has chosen wisely.
“In its general outlines, this machine possesses the same smart, business-looking appearance which characterises the land machines, further enhanced, perhaps, by the tapering nose of the fuselage, allowed of by the installation of a 100 h.p. six-cylinder vertical type British Green engine, instead of the 80 h.p. Gnome motor with which the land machines are usually fitted. The fuselage, which is of rectangular section, is built up in the usual way of four longerons of ash, connected by struts and cross-members. In the rear part of the body these are made of spruce, while in front, where the weight of the pilot, passenger, and engine is concentrated, and where, therefore, greater strength is required, these members are made of ash. The main planes, which are very strongly built over main spars of solid spruce of I section, are slightly staggered, and are also set at a dihedral angle in order to give the machine a certain amount of lateral stability. From a point just behind the pilot’s seat back to the rudder-post the fuselage is covered in with fabric, whilst the front portion is covered with aluminium, forming on top of the nose of the fuselage a very neat and cleanly designed cover over the motor....
“The main floats, which have been built by the Sopwith Aviation Company, are of the single-step type and are built up of a framework of ash and spruce covered with a double skin of cedar. Two bulkheads divide the floats into three watertight compartments, so that should a float become damaged, causing one compartment to leak, the other two would still have sufficient buoyancy to prevent the float from sinking very deeply into the water. Two pairs of inverted V struts connect each float with a lower main plane, while another pair of struts running to the front part of the fuselage help to take the weight of the engine. Spruce is the material used for chassis as well as plane-struts, the latter being hollowed out for lightness.
“Inside the comparatively deep fuselage, where ample protection against the wind is afforded to pilot and passenger, are the two seats, arranged tandem fashion, the pilot occupying the rear seat. In front of him are the controls, which consist of a rotatable hand-wheel, mounted on a single central tubular column. Rotation of the wheel operates the ailerons, which are fitted to both top and bottom planes, and which are interconnected. A fore-and-aft movement operates the elevator, while a foot-bar actuates the rudder. It should be noticed that the control cables are only exposed to the effects of the air and salt water for a very short length, the elevator cables entering the body just in front of the fixed tail-plane and the rudder cables a couple of feet from the rudder-post. The engine is supplied with petrol and oil from tanks situated under the passenger’s seat, the capacity of the tanks being 45 gallons and 10 gallons respectively.
“For the purpose of easy egress in case of a smash, the centre portion of the top plane has been left uncovered. In order to minimise end losses due to the air leaking out of the opening thus produced, what might be called baffle-plates have been fitted to the inner ends of the wing. These baffle-plates have been made streamline in section, as it was found that an ordinary thin board would bend owing to the pressure of the air trying to escape past it. With full load of fuel and passengers on board the weight of the machine is 2,400 lbs., and her flying speed is 60 to 65 m.p.h.”